The Stockings (Some of the problems some customers have)

The Stockings
by Judith Owston

The Shopkeeper has annex a framing business along side her gift shop incorporating the poor long suffering husband to do the actual framing The Shopkeeper does assist in the framing, husband measures and makes all the parts such as frames, mounts, cut’s glass, or anything else that’s needed, The Shopkeeper cleans the glass, assembles, inserts points to hold together, and seals up with tape and stretches embroidery to be framed.
A customer who has had many of her favourite prints and pictures framed at The Shopkeepers emporium came to collect her latest pieces of artwork. The Framing Customer fetch an Elderly Friend with her, before collecting the framed pictures the two browsed, rummaging through the shop looking for that must have necessity as women do. Women are so gifted at shopping, men on the other hand are useless, they look either bored or bemused when shopping with these expertly knowledgeable shoppers, they usually shop when they realise there’s no food in the house, or the beer stocks are low. The Shopkeeper pondering on these thought as she observed the two ladies, was suddenly jolted out of her reverie by The Elderly Friend complaining her legs were tired. The Shopkeeper quickly produced her chair which parks at the end of the ice cream counter. A chair is a very useful piece of furniture to have in a shop, certainly the sort of shop The Shopkeeper owns. The Shopkeeper tentatively inquired about her legs
The Elderly Friend sat down with some relief and immediately remonstrated about the state of her swollen and aching lower limbs at some length. She leaned down and pulled up her trousers and exposed her legs, revealing crinkly thick, slipping down, knee stockings on skinny legs with ankles wider than her calves
“These are meant to be those elastic stockings from the doctors, them that hold ye legs in and look at them” they did appear to be rather slack The Shopkeeper thought.
The Shopkeeper likewise to the surprise of all the shoppers exhibited her legs and said “mm’ mine look to be a different make, they seem to be finer and tighter” then looking at the Elderly Friend “ask the doctor if you can have the make by ‘Dr Scholl they are better and tighter”
This advice the Elderly Friend took on board with much candour. A determined expression crossed her face; sort of serious with lips pursed an expression which told the onlooker she meant business.
“Right I am, as this is no good” she announced to all around.
The Framing Customer face had a smile on as she perused round the shop listening to the interjection between the two.
The Shopkeeper parcelled up the framed prints for the Framing Customer who was delighted with the results. A little smile broke across The Shopkeeper’s face enjoying the praise of a satisfied customer.
Eventually done with all their purchases they left the shop both happy and deep in thought; The Elderly Friend appearing taller, a woman with a mission. The Framing Customer planning her décor carried a faraway expression on her face. Both satisfied customers with different needs.
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A week or two later; The Shopkeeper doing her usual early morning walk with her dog before work, on the home ward stretch spied a group of people waiting at the bus stop. Thinking her dog would be jumping up and down to say hello as dogs do she crossed the road. A voice called “hello” The Shopkeeper looked round to find one of the people by the bus stop crossing the road to way lay her. The rather breathless Elderly Friend accosted her “I went to the doctors and I got those stockings you advised I didn’t land you in it I just said my sister-in-law has different ones and they are better, hers are called Dr Scholl so can I have them and they said yes, I’ve got them on they stay up better” pulling up her trousers to reveal her leg to all and sundries in the street “but look at the colour they are awful and that is suppose to be sand”
“Yes but they do go lighter when you wash them” The Shopkeeper said with a smile on her face
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A few weeks later The Framing customer came in went straight to the chair at the end of the ice cream counter crashing her heavy bulk down on the chair. She smiled at The Shopkeeper “I have decorated my bedroom and hung up the pictures” rummaging in her bag she displayed the pillow case “this is what the new bed covers are like” the pillow case was satin in pale blue design. Rather elegant and posh The Shopkeeper thought, then thinking of her own ordinary bed cover’s, had another more sensible thought running through her head, “not very practicable”.
“So you are pleased with your new decor'” The Shopkeeper interjected with a wise comment
“Oh yes its lovely” The Framing Customer replied beaming a satisfied smile on her face.