A Shopping Ttrip To The Coronado Mall

A Shopping Trip To The Coronado Mall
Orlando Lujan Martinez

Like most parents, in the South Valley of Albuquerque New Mexico, Henny Mary Sanchez didn’t know how much her 7 year old son Andrew really knew or understood. Sometimes Andrew's capricious and unpredictable nature would surprise her.
Henny is not the usual South Valley mother. Many people thought of her as a loose gun, and the more exstream ones said she might be cognative impaired-which made her very interesting, indeed.
“Are you coming to tell me a bed time story, momma” Andrew asked as he stood in the bedroom hall, in floppy rabbit slippers, hugging a teddy bear. An aura of angelic innocents followed Henny's son around like a pet puppy. Andrew is the love of her life, her darling boy and sweet potato pie.
“I’ll be right there my darling boy’ Henny said.
“I love you” Andrew cried over his shoulder going down the hall to his bedroom.
After the bedtime story Andrew asked “When we go to the mall tomorrow can I look at the puppies?”
“Yes, you can but it’s not to buy just to look, okay?” Henny said.
“Okay momma,” the sweet angel replied.
The next morning Henny’s eyes popped open just as the lukewarm rays of an early morning sun peeked over the chicken house. In the fields next to Henny’s modest home, off Isleta Boulevard, cows loitered chewing on the sweet grasses that grew abundantly in the South Valley.
In the hidden distant countryside, past the 7/11 on Isleta, a dogs bark and a roosters distant crow could be heard in the still warm quite air. The long morning rays swept the countryside clean of the last remnants of the night. A mile way, across lush fields, a silent flowing Rio Grande, snugly bordered by tall cottonwood trees, surged gently against its banks. Fifteen miles away Albuquerque's tall building could be seen, outline against the towering Sandia mountains-which some called The Watermelon Mountains-, rested peacefully in the soft golden embrace of a new day.
Henny got up in the dewy early morning air and went to wake up her little angel, Andrew. “Wake up, my honey” Henny said sitting on the edge of his bed, petting Andrew's head, enchanted by the sight of her beloved son. A rhapsody enter the room with the beautiful morning.
“It’s a beautiful morning” she whispered close to his ears.
“I’m awake Mama” he smiled from the pillow, hugging a black eyed Teddy Bear.
“Wash and get dressed because we are going to the mall.”
The sun slanted across the kitchen table as Henny made breakfast for
Andrew then he went out to fed the rabbits and chickens. After breakfast Henny said firmly “Well. were off to the mall to get you some school clothes and remember that I’m the one who’s doing the picking-not you because I’m grown up, right?.”
“That’s okay with me but don’t forget the puppies.”
“And were not going to eat everything in sight or buy anymore toys. You have enough” she looked Andrew in the eyes, shaking her head no.
“Sure that’s okay with me but don’t forget the puppies ” he smiled just like he got up on the right side of the day.
“Don’t worry I ain't going to forget about the puppies and do you know why I'm not going to forget.?
“Why, momma.?
“Because your ain’t going to let me forget. That’s why.”
They drove past the 7/11, small houses sitting in clusters of trees, up to the highway and across town to the Coronado Shopping Center. Along with her legitimate shopping Henny planed to do a little shoplifting, her way of beating the system-keeping her hand in. Her excuse for breaking the law was that if that CEO at Elron could swindle millions of dollars then she was entitled to save a few bucks by shoplifting. This excuse would never stand up in court if she got caught. She knew it, God knew it and the judge knew it.
It was a fine summer day with a flock birds banking against a southwest wind in the sky, as Henny and Andrew parked in the lot and walked to into the Coronado Mall. They stopped at the pet shop to look at the cute puppies jumping happily up on the glass window with their tails wagging and tongues hanging out.
“Hey, momma i want one of these” Andrew said, with his face pressed against the glass window.
“We already have three dogs and we ain’t getting another one”. Henny explained patiently.
“Well, I want another one anyway. This one” he pointed a stubby finger at a puppy licking the glass.next to his face,
“I said no! now come on we have things to do.”
“I ain’t going. I want a puppy.” Andrew insisted.
Henny looked around to make sure no one was watching, and whispered in a threatening manner. “You just wait until I get you home.” Henny quickly grabbed Andrew's hand and dragged him off.
“I’m not going I want a puppy” Andrew hollered, as he jerked free. Henny took another cautious look around, to see if there were any witnesses and said in a angry voice.
“You little rascal you're going to pay for this” and tried to grab Andrew as he jumped out of her reach. Then Henny smiled sweetly and lied ”Okay, okay I’ll buy you three, but I don’t have the money with me. We’ll come back tomorrow, Ok”
“Wow, your the best momma in the whole world’ Andrew told the best liar as they happily walked off hand in hand.
Henny and Andrew walked around for awhile window shopping and then they went into a store that Henny knew had several items that she needed. A story with low security that Henny had been in before and the usual place where she did her extra tax free shopping. Henny walked up and down several aisles, acting like she was just another customer, with little Andrew tagging along thinking about the three puppies he would never get. She stopped at a shelf and looked both ways and put a item into her coat pocket.
“Why did you put that into your coat pocket, momma?” the watching Andrew asked.
“Shsss” Henny knew she had made a mistake by letting Andrew see her shoplift. “Don’t talk so loud, think puppies.” Henny whispered to Andrew.
“Can I put one into my pocket too?” The innocent Andrew asks.
“We only need one’ Henny assure him. Why, oh why did I let him see me. Henny admonished herself, I’m I craze our something.
“But I like that kind.”
“For Christ sake, forget it!” she took the unpredictable Andrew behind a display rack. “Shsss, don’t talk so loud.
“Is this a secret, I like secrets,” Andrew said with his eyes wide open.
“Yeah, sure it’s a secret, ha ha” Henny laugh in a sinister manner, as she twisted off the top of a bottle of vitamins and poured the contents into her purse. Henny though that since Andrew had already seen her shoplifting, then one more time wouldn't make much of difference.
“Why are you...”
Shsss and to take Andrew attention away, she said “Honey, look at them Mickey Mouse balloons”
“I want one” Andrew immediately replied.
“You can’t have one,” the exasperated Henny said.
“Then I want my puppies” he persisted.
“For crying out loud!” the exasperated Henny cried looking at the mall ceiling. “Why me!"
Henny proceeded to buy Andrew some school clothing and as they walked out of the Coronado Mall Henny thought that it was time to give up her shoplifting career because Andrew might pick up the habit.
But shoplifting had been fun, she enjoyed the adventure and like living outside the law. The loose gun would have to find some other way to beat the system.