Three Tissue Alert
At first I wasn’t sure about posting this story because it is definitely a 3 tissue alert. Nevertheless, it is too sweet a story not to tell. Ya know sometimes life goes on around you. You see things happen and don’t think much about it at the time, but then regret not doing something differently when it’s all over. This is one of those stories.
Every Friday night, Carol would arrive at bingo in a taxi with her 92 year old mother Miss Pearl. Carol would lovingly walk her mother in, and the taxi driver would carry in their bingo bags and wish them ‘good luck’ before leaving. “I’ll be back to get you at nine thirty ladies.” He would always say. “I’ll be parked right out front.”
The routine was always the same. First Carol would place Miss Pearl’s thick bright pink bingo pillow on her Moms chair facing the big monitor so her Mom could see the numbers. Then she’d get her mother’s bingo papers and make sure she had a hot cup of coffee with just the right amount of cream and sugar. They sat across from each other at a table by themselves so Carol could repeat the numbers because Miss Pearl was a little hard of hearing and they didn’t want to disturb anyone. Repeating numbers in a bingo hall is often frowned upon.
Miss Pearl was so cute. She’d get so excited when she would win a bingo game and would always push the money over to her daughter, insisting she buy herself something with the winnings.
“I can’t take it with me,” she’d say, winking at her daughter, “and you could use a new dress. That bright red one I saw you looking at.”
They were such a good team and the love and respect they shared for each other was very obvious.
Promptly at 9:30 they would gather up their bingo stuff. Miss Pearl always insisted on helping by carrying out her own bingo pillow. As promised, the cab driver was waiting and would quickly jump out to open the cab door and help her in. This went on for months, maybe more. It went on for as long as I can remember.
Then one Friday they didn’t come. I worried that Miss Pearl may have passed away. She was after all, 92 years old. I asked around to see if anyone knew what happened to her. Unfortunately I was saddened to find out that it was not Miss Pearl who had passed away, but her daughter Carol. Even though I had never really gotten to know Carol, or Miss Pearl, I was still sad and wished I could see her sweet smile one more time. Several more weeks went by and as I was crossing the street to the bingo hall, I see the cab pull up. The driver quickly jumped out and got Miss Pearl out of the cab onto the sidewalk and set her Bingo Bag by her feet.
Now Miss Pearl really didn’t know me, but I was so glad to see her, that I offered to help her walk to her seat as I had seen her daughter do so many times.
“No thank you miss” she said to me with that radiant smile. My gentleman told me to wait right here. He went to park the car. “
I stood with her a moment until I saw this burley cab driver bound across the street carrying Miss Pearl’s bright pink pillow. He offered her his arm and walked her to her seat. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched them. The routine was so familiar. He brought her coffee with just the right amount of cream and sugar. She instructed him on what papers he needed to get for her… and here is the part that got me…he bought bingo papers for himself and sat across from her so he could play bingo with her and repeat the numbers to her as her daughter had always done.
That night Miss Pearl won the last jackpot of the evening. I don’t know who was more excited, her or her gentleman friend. When she received her prize money she immediately pushed it across the table and told him to buy something nice for himself. “Consider it a big tip!” she giggled. At the end of the evening I saw him slip the money back into her bingo bag as he walked her to the door and instructed her to wait for him to get the cab.
Several weeks have passed since that night. Last night the cab pulled up and I smiled thinking about the two of them playing bingo together. But the cabdriver was alone. He walked into the bingo hall carrying one single white rose and placed it at the table where he had sat with Miss Pearl. He said a little prayer, wiped his eyes with his big burly hands and left. Miss Pearl had passed away the night before and it was clear that this kind taxicab driver had lost someone he had become very fond of.
I have done a lot of reflecting since then. One of the things I always talk about is how you meet wonderful new friends at bingo. Some you know their names, and others you know by their smile. I didn’t find out Miss Pearls name until after it was too late to get to know her. I wish I had because she must have been a very special lady to be loved so. Even though I didn’t know her name, I will miss her smile.
After reading this story, I hope you take the time to get to know some of the people you see at bingo every week. You might meet a new forever friend full of interesting stories or just someone really sweet… like Carol, Miss Pearl and a very kind, big, burly, taxicab driver.
Well better late than never. I had to post these great pictures of the Halloween costume party at my favorite bingo hall. What a fun night! Troy and Sarah of the Bingo Palace in Palatka Florida sure know how to keep us entertained.
BARACK OBAMA:
