What To Buy?

The options are endless here. People are pacing back and forth to each vendor of goods. The environment smells of a cornucopia of food, cologne, perfume, and that new clothes scent. Families, single individuals, and couples scan the complex with a keen eye for anything that attracts them. I find this place overwhelming with a buzz of propaganda.

A family approaches the candy store line, parents and two children, a boy and a girl. The Shorts Wearing Family is in awe of the selection available. The children are so ecstatic of such variety that they become indecisive. First choosing an item and then replacing it. The parents try to speed up the process, with reluctance the children pick what they want and go to the register. The Short Wearing Family pays and exists, children by the hand.

My eyes catch a middle aged man, dressed in a suit, talking on his cell phone. Mr. Business walks into the shoe department and strolls the isles, head on a swivel, taking it all in. He hangs up the phone and examines a pair of formal loafers. Uninterested or not to his liking he puts them immediately down. Mr. Business walks to the counter and converses with the employee, using hands gestures in his discussion. The interaction takes only seconds and Mr. Business exits swiftly returning back to his phone.

I walk down the main hall to the book store area and notice an elderly woman walking alone. Moving slowly with a cane, Sweater enters the book store and into the non-fiction isle. She looks book to book meticulously, almost with a face of disappointment. Sweater comes to a book and pulls it off the shelf. She puts on her glasses, and reads the front and back text then proceeds with the book to the check out. Sweater leaves out to the parking lot exit.

A couple walks past the book store to the clothing shop. The Hand Holders survey the room and move to the t-shirt section. They point out several garments and then move to the pants section. The Hand Holders observe the pants but seem to be more concerned what the other thought of them. They walk out without a purchase.

Blue Shirt, a middle school aged looking boy comes into site. He is glancing from side to side down the building as if he was looking for someone in a hurry. Blue shirt continues down his path and disappears into the crowd of people at the food court.

I see a group of women transition towards a sun glasses stand. The Sandals Group women start trying on different sun glasses and looking at them in the mirror. Two out of the four girls buy a pair. The Sandals Group women walk over to a nearby bench to sit and talk.

Another family maneuvers through the area with a baby in a stroller. They make their way towards the book store. The Newborn Family goes to the children book section and strolls slowly. They pick out what looks to be a pop-up book, then purchase it. The Newborn Family baby begins to cry while they head out.