questions

Last week I treated myself to a much needed pedicure.  The kids were busy for an hour or so and I saw my chance for a little pampering, so I made a bee-line for the nail salon.  As I settled into the chair I was wishing I had my Nook so I could start a new book.  I had my iPhone and Words with Friends and was just pulling up a game when I noticed a young woman in a wheelchair lifting herself into the chair next to mine.  She had an assistant with her but she seemed pretty intent on getting into the chair by herself. 

I smiled at them and promptly went back to my little iPhone bubble.  And about two minutes later I felt a tap on my right arm.  She wanted to know about my iPhone case.  And for the next 40 minutes we visited.  She asked questions, I answered.  There were a lot of questions.  She repeated a lot of questions.  Many times we’d get to the end of a series of questions and she would start back at the beginning.  And sometimes I had a really hard time understanding her, but I would just look into her eyes, smile, and wait for her to get the question out.  Here’s a sampling of how our conversation went.

Where did you get this phone case? 
What store?
What road is it on?
How much was it? 
Did they have other colors? 
Green? 
Blue? 
Teal?  (She LOVED teal.)

Do you have kids? 
How many? 
Do you have a picture? 
What are their names? 
Do they have nicknames? 
PICKLES?  (She LOVED this.)
SuperGirl?  (She thought this was fun, too.)
How old are they? 
Where do they go to school? 
Homeschool?  (This really confused her.)
What grade?

Do you have animals? 
How many?
What are their names?
PEBBLES?  (Big smile.)
Do you have pictures?
What color is your cat’s eyes?
Green?
Hunter green?
Kelly green?
Is her nose pink?
Is she a girl?
Is she soft?

Somewhere along the way my pedicure was finished.  The lady working on me asked if I was paying for the two of us.  When I told her that I didn’t know the young woman sitting next to me, she was surprised.  She said, “You were being so nice to her, I thought you knew her!”  She asked if I’d like to stay there and visit rather than go to the drying table and I told her I would.  This was where my “neighbor” got real animated and started telling me about her pets, a rabbit, a fish, a cat… and all about a ranch where she lives or goes to that has horses.  And how baby horses can walk just two hours after being born.  She was amazing.  She’s 26.  And her name is Nava.  And she’s beautiful and sweet and very curious!

I hated to leave but I had to get back to pick up my kids.  I tried to say goodbye to her a couple of times but she was distracted by something that was going on with her feet.  It was a nice visit.  It was much better than playing on FaceBook or Words with Friends.  And I’m thankful that she struck up the conversation!