“Honey, Queen is here and she looks gooooood! So do you, baby. So do you.” Patti Labelle as Queen.
The letters had blown off the Stop-n-Shop sign and the weed-choked parking lot was empty, but it was the only gas station for miles. Transman pulled up next to the pump, and he and Son 2 went into the dingy little convenience store.
“Welcome to the Stop-n-Shop! I’m Queen!” the tiny woman behind the counter said as Transman and Son 2 stepped across the threshold. “Lookin’ good, baby!”
Transman was confused because Queen was primping her hair, but looking at him, so he said, “Thanks.”
“Baby, you gonna play the lottery?” Queen asked. Her false eyelashes fluttered behind the rhinestone encrusted glasses perched on her nose.
“No, thanks,” Transman said. “We’re just getting gas and ice cream.”
“Ice cream will give you all the gas you need,” Queen said and laughed. When she threw her head back, her earrings glinted like miniature chandeliers.
Queen took a deep breath and put her hands on the counter to steady herself. “Oh, mercy!” she whispered as the last giggle died away.
Queen tapped a long pearlescent pink fingernail on the machine next to the cash register.
“If you’re not gonna play the lottery, I’m gonna close up the machine. You sure you don’t want a scratch-off ticket or anything?”
“Peanuts don’t go in your nose.” Frank and Dweezil Zappa as Transman and Son 2.
“No, thanks,” Transman said and fished Son 2 out of the ice cream cooler. The lad was clinging to a Good Humor King Cone.
Transman and Son 2 went up to the counter and laid out their purchases for Queen to ring up.
As she was punching in the numbers, a man entered the store.
“Queen!” he bellowed, “How you doin’?”
“King!” she said. “How’s my King?”
“Doing good, Queen, doing good.”
“You gonna play the lottery, King? I’m about to close it down.”
King had gone over to the beer cooler and didn’t hear her.
“King! You playing the lottery today?!”
“Not today, Queen. Maybe Friday,” King said, still scanning the beer cooler’s offerings.
Queen put the ice cream and bottles of water in a bag and smiled at Transman and son.
“There you go, my princes!” she said as she handed over the bag.
“Thank you; have a good one,” Transman said and led Son 2 toward the door.
“Goodbye, Little Prince!” Queen said.
Son 2 blushed to his hairline and squeaked out a goodbye.
“You be good, Little Prince. Don’t forget to come back and see Queen.”
We only spent five minutes in Queen’s presence, but she will rule our hearts forever.
August 15th, 2012 at 8:04 am
I’m always amazed and in awe of people that have “it”. That quality of – for a lack of a better word – grace which allows them to be at peace AND beautifully in control of their current situation. I suppose they do not worry about the past or fret the future. They are too busy gloriously LIVING in the space they currently occupy, be it Versailles or a Jitney Jungle. God save the the Queen!!
August 15th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
You’ve always had “it.” Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve always been the one who can light up a room and keep conversations going among people who seem to have absolutely nothing in common. I have to confess, though, I can’t wait for you to become an eccentric old woman.
August 15th, 2012 at 8:24 pm
Oh Flattery! You have promoted me from babbling idiot to the life of the party. AND- you just mentioned a subject that I was wanting to post on my blog. The fact that someday I would like to be an eccentric old lady. I like the word eccentric, it implies a certain amount of wealth, a manner in which one is accustomed to. Wish me luck with that part, or else I’ll be a crazy cat lady – same shit, different neighborhood.
August 15th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
Nice luv your comment! I feel the same
August 16th, 2012 at 6:52 am
Thanks!
August 15th, 2012 at 9:39 am
JOTS is working hard to be just like QUEEN. Thanks T-man for reminding me I have a job to do…and a long way to go…..
August 15th, 2012 at 5:39 pm
The bigger the earrings and the longer the nails, the higher the throne.
August 15th, 2012 at 11:54 am
This is so lovely! Thank you for sharing
August 15th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
Thank you for reading.
August 15th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
That ROCKS! Me and a friend of mine always call one another Queen. She sounds like an enchanting woman.
Smile Prince Transman
August 15th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Everyone should feel like royalty every day.
August 15th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Love it!! Sometimes the simplest things resonate the deepest with us.
August 15th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
It was wonderful to see someone who seemed to enjoy what she did.
August 15th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
What a wonderful encounter and a wonderful tribute to the lady you met. I love reading such litttle descriptions of amazing encounters. They brighten all our lives, you by meeting her and being her Princes and us by your sharing them with such grace and eloquence. Thank you.
August 15th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Someday I’ll have the courage to photograph some of the wonderful people I encounter.
August 15th, 2012 at 7:36 pm
I hope you do, and still paint their picture with words! x
August 16th, 2012 at 7:25 am
Yes! You make pretty with camera. We like.
August 15th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Love this!
August 15th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Thanks!
August 15th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
Some people make a big impression. I love those people.
August 15th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
I always wonder what those people are like when they’re home. I wonder if they are “on” like actors or comedians when they’re in public and totally different in private.
August 17th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Makes me want to be more interesting. I think I love Queen and I haven’t even met her.
August 17th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Road trip!
August 17th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
What vivid writing! Good job!
August 17th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
I am so honored you stopped by and commented on this, since you were my first creative writing mentor. I have almost conquered my run-on sentence habit. Almost.
August 21st, 2012 at 5:48 am
This is so cute.