I stood there that hot summer morning, glancing around at the huge throng of people I found myself among. One of my favorite things to do is "people watch" and I was in a prime spot for it that day, outside the studio where The Today Show is filmed in New York City. A group of men wearing cowboy costumes worked the crowd, handing out fliers shaped like sheriff badges to advertise an upcoming movie. Kids dressed in brightly colored clothing held up equally bright signs announcing their schools and sports teams. Young families pointed at cameras and waved, all hoping to be spotted by relatives watching the show on live TV that morning. I had already called my dad and had him turn his TV on, but he couldn't see me behind the huge potted plants on the set.
Tired of waiting for the outdoor segment to start or for Al Roker to come around to the section where I stood with my teaching colleagues, I turned around to the street behind us. Business men and women strode briskly to morning jobs while their briefcases swung importantly at their sides. Vacationing families meandered slowly, eyes pointed upward while their strollers, backpacks, and purchases seemed to anchor them to the ground. There was a quaint coffee shop with an unusual rounded glass door situated directly on the corner. People entered and exited the shop quickly, hurrying with their paper coffee cups toward their morning destinations.
A sparkle down the street a little ways caught my eye. I turned to see an older woman with beautiful white hair, dressed in a flowing skirt, a bright pink sleeveless shirt, and a hat reminiscent of a 20's flapper hat. She was pulling a red Radio Flyer wagon behind her. Now here was something a little out of the ordinary, I remember thinking. Curious, I turned completely around to investigate. She walked as if oblivious to the people scurrying about, her eyes turned upward and her mouth moving, as if she was singing or talking to herself. In the wagon was a sculpted bust, adorned with jewels and sequins, a feathered hat on its head. I wondered who this woman was and where she was going with the wagon.
To my disbelief, she opened the rounded door of the coffee shop and pulled her wagon inside! I chuckled to myself, thinking about the barista's reaction to this strange customer. Before I could turn away, I saw the woman through the front facing window of the coffee shop. She parked her wagon beside one of the quaint wrought iron tables for two, lifted the bust, and sat it in one of the chairs. The woman disappeared and a few moments later, she returned and placed two cups of steaming beverages on the little table...one for her and one for her "friend." As she sat across from the sequined bust, I could see her talking in an animated fashion, using her hands to gesture as you would to...well, another person! It certainly was the most curious thing I had ever seen, and it got me thinking about who this woman was, who the bust was to her, and what they were talking about. For months, my imagination turned this story around and around, and what you're about to read is a result.
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