The Mall

Maggie was happy with her hip replacement. The physical therapist stretched her legs and massaged her lower back, then watched as Maggie did hip flexor exercises and the rest of the recovery routine. The surgery had been six months ago, and Maggie was now working on her strength, stamina, and balance. She went to PT and water aerobics twice a week. She planned to ski in the upcoming season.

After showering, Maggie went to the large mall on the outskirts of town. She didn’t need a cane, but did park in a handicap spot with her temporary sticker. It was 90 degrees, with 75% humidity, and the heat drained her energy; she was pleased there was a close parking spot.

She entered the mall at the Dillard’s entrance, strolling through the women’s shoe department. Off to the side, a clerk wiped down the counters and straightened small accessories. She heard a commotion behind her and turned to see a septarian trying to maneuver, her head permanently bent toward the floor. Due to this condition and her double canes, she ran into a mannequin that was in the aisle’s center. She and the mannequin were tangled up. The display, meant to dazzle and invite shoppers, became an obstacle. Anyone with money would file a lawsuit for injuries.

Maggie looked back at the clerk, who was staring at the older woman, frowning. “Look, there, you! Lady, you with the canes. You knocked into the mannequin. Please set it up right and move on.” Maggie moved to help the customer, but the clerk was at her side and grabbed her wrist. “No, she must learn to be more careful. She comes in regularly.”

“But she is old and disabled. Why aren’t you helping her?” The clerk walked away to help a millennial with purchases. Walking toward her was a tall woman in a suit with a gold name tag.

“May I help you find something?” she asked Maggie with a perfect smile. Her red hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her heeled pumps made her two inches taller than her five-foot-seven inches. A crisp light pink button-down shirt had French cuffs, rolled back outside the jacket’s sleeves. Her gold name tag read Ms. Lamonte. Her entire demeanor and appearance were designed to entice shoppers and make them feel safe and comfortable within her tidy, organized system.

“No, I’m just looking, thank you. You can help that older woman over there. Are you a manager? Your salesclerk didn’t help her at all. It is clear she is disabled.”

“What woman? I don’t see anyone.” Maggie’s mouth fell open as she watched Ms. Lamonte’s eyes scanning the department in all directions, ignoring the old lady with dropped head syndrome. “Here, let me show you our newest collection, come this way,” she said to Maggie, and walked away, only to stop when she found her client still standing aghast. “Whatever is the matter, Dear?” She came and put an arm around Maggie’s shoulders, leading her away from the mannequin faux pas

Shocked, Maggie fell into line and tried on the clothes Ms. Lamonte brought to her private, louvered-door dressing room, insisting she modeled each outfit while Ms. Lamonte observed from the overstuffed divan. “My preference, Maggie (she always inquired and then used her clients’ first names), is the black suit, with the Kelly-green pullover. Here, put on this necklace; it will set off your eyes.”

In the excitement of having a personal shopper, Maggie forgot the old woman, forgot to care about the outfit's price. She purchased new lingerie to wear under her new work garments and a Kate Spade Kelly-green purse. She felt, as they say, like a million dollars! “Thank you so much, Kay. I will refer people to you.” Kay Lamonte returned the smile with her very practiced one.

As Maggie left the store, she didn’t notice the mannequin set perfectly straight in the aisle. Slowly pulling out of her handicap parking spot, she noticed an old woman struggling on the walk, her head facing downward. She dragged one foot and couldn’t see objects in front of her until she was directly in front of them. The woman ran into a car barrier on the walk and fell across the sidewalk, a cane flipping into the drive zone. A crowd of shoppers walked around her. The mall’s pristine, enticing, and orderly system was working. A person who didn’t fit into the perfect image of high-end shopping was invisible. Maggie steered around the cane and exited the parking lot.

Copyright © 2/7/2026 by Andrea O. Corwin

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