You Have Soda?

The doorbell rang at 11 am on a weekday. Lilly and I were in the living room watching a rerun and folding laundry. I looked at her, hefted her up and we went to the door.

It was the neighbor lady, who was actually a nurse from the Philippines, who was tending to the Alzheimer's lady in the house next door for the last few years. She said to me, "You have soda?"

I stared at her. "What?" I said. She repeated it twice. I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. I have soda? Is this some Philippines thing? She showed me a stack of quarters in her hand. Then she said "The kids, they come around with the soda."

Then I realized - the kids had been selling things door to door lately. They packed the wagon with things no one would really want - three old chocolate cookies, a handful of goldfish crackers, broken gingersnaps. And apparently sodas.

"Oh!" I said. "You want soda?"

"What do you have?" She said.

I started laughing inwardly - well, let's see, what's in the fridge? I finally brought her out a coke. I said, "Here, you can have it." But no, she paid me four quarters. I told her the kids would be so excited. Then I wondered if she felt ripped off, because I think they sold everything for like 10 cents. She didn't seem to care about the kids. Or maybe she didn't understand English too well. She was already leaving. She just wanted her soda.

The next day she came over and bought two sodas. I'm not a store, I felt like saying. I stacked up the change on the kitchen counter and showed the kids after school. "You are making money when you aren't even HERE. You're working AND going to school."

So now I am working for the kids. Hey, it's a job.