The doctors have prescribed a progesterone suppository for me to take nightly to help prevent pre-term labor. That's all fine and dandy, but the *only* pharmacy in the whole city that will create this is downtown. Where all the scary people live and hang out.
I hate going there, but having run out I needed to get a refill, and since Paul was off work today I decided I'd leave Judah with him and run down there on my own. No baby with me equals no reason for weird people to talk to me. Or so I thought. And hoped. But I was wrong.
I had *the weirdest* conversation. If you can call it a conversation. Once things got weird all I said was "Oh...." over and over again.
So I was standing in line at the pharmacy counter waiting to pick up my order and this man - who by all appearances looked intelligent and normal - asked me when I was due. Harmless enough. So we started doing small talk about my baby belly and my baby at home.
He then tells me that he has two daughters and one on the way.
I tell him "congrats" - because that's just the nice thing to do. And things were normal at that point.
"Yes," he says, "I have a 25 year old and a 22 year old."
"Oh," is all I say - because this man looked no older than 30. And all of a sudden everything seemed really weird.
"I started having kids really young. I was 12 when I became a daddy for the first time."
"Oh," was all I could say. I was definitely thinking a whole lot more than that. But I wasn't going to say it. Thinking things like 'why were you even sleeping around at 12?' or 'just because you contributed your bodily fluids to make a child does not make you a daddy.' But all I said was "Oh."
"Ya.. I was 12 and she was 14. Her mother caught us under her bed."
I didn't even say "Oh" that time. I was *extremely* uncomfortable and was wishing someone else in line would take pity on me and strike up a normal conversation with me. No one else would even make eye contact with me.
But then! Dear sweet Pharmacist told me it was my turn. I *thought* I was rescued. I thought wrong. She steps towards the filled prescriptions and asks for my name.
I tried to whisper it to her, as I did not want this creepy man hearing my name. My whispering trick back fired "JESSICA MORRIS you said?" she bellowed back to me.
"Yes Ma'am."
She starts rifling through the M prescriptions and the man jumps at the chance to chat with me again.
"So then two years later I decided to become a daddy again."
"Oh" - and oh how I was wishing I was not there at that moment.
"I had to go away for a few years while my girls were growing up, and when I came back the oldest one was the meanest person."
"Oh."
Then the Pharmacist calls to me from the other side of the room "JESSICA MORRIS can you please give me your birth date? I need to look you up in the system."
I was *so* close to asking her to come over and let me write it down. I was super creeped out by this man. But I gave her my birthday anyway, telling myself if she asked for *any* other piece of personal information I would ask for a pen and paper and write it down.
"Ya, she was just the meanest person ever."
At this point I am truly amazed that this man can carry on basically a one sided conversation with someones back.
"She keeps a stick by her door, and every time I come over she threatens me with it and runs me off her property. It's the funniest thing."
Um. Ok.
Thankfully the Pharmacist returns to the counter with my prescription so I didn't even have to say "Oh". It looks different than last months order, and I mention that to her. She said the packaging has changed and then in a very hushed tone says "It's a suppository, you know how it works, right?"
I wanted to shoot her. Why couldn't she have whispered my name? Or whispered my birthday? That to me is much more personal than what form my medication comes in. But whatever.
I told her that yes, I did know how it worked. I left off the "duh, this is a refill after all" part that I was thinking. I'm really not a rude person out loud. Only in my head.
I paid for my item and started to walk away as quickly as I could, pretending to be fascinated with my receipt.
I couldn't escape quick enough. The man called out; "Have a great day. It was a pleasure to talk to you."
"Oh," I mumbled, along with something that could have resembled "have a good day too." I don't think he heard me. I was still reading the tiny print on my receipt.
I hate going there, but having run out I needed to get a refill, and since Paul was off work today I decided I'd leave Judah with him and run down there on my own. No baby with me equals no reason for weird people to talk to me. Or so I thought. And hoped. But I was wrong.
I had *the weirdest* conversation. If you can call it a conversation. Once things got weird all I said was "Oh...." over and over again.
So I was standing in line at the pharmacy counter waiting to pick up my order and this man - who by all appearances looked intelligent and normal - asked me when I was due. Harmless enough. So we started doing small talk about my baby belly and my baby at home.
He then tells me that he has two daughters and one on the way.
I tell him "congrats" - because that's just the nice thing to do. And things were normal at that point.
"Yes," he says, "I have a 25 year old and a 22 year old."
"Oh," is all I say - because this man looked no older than 30. And all of a sudden everything seemed really weird.
"I started having kids really young. I was 12 when I became a daddy for the first time."
"Oh," was all I could say. I was definitely thinking a whole lot more than that. But I wasn't going to say it. Thinking things like 'why were you even sleeping around at 12?' or 'just because you contributed your bodily fluids to make a child does not make you a daddy.' But all I said was "Oh."
"Ya.. I was 12 and she was 14. Her mother caught us under her bed."
I didn't even say "Oh" that time. I was *extremely* uncomfortable and was wishing someone else in line would take pity on me and strike up a normal conversation with me. No one else would even make eye contact with me.
But then! Dear sweet Pharmacist told me it was my turn. I *thought* I was rescued. I thought wrong. She steps towards the filled prescriptions and asks for my name.
I tried to whisper it to her, as I did not want this creepy man hearing my name. My whispering trick back fired "JESSICA MORRIS you said?" she bellowed back to me.
"Yes Ma'am."
She starts rifling through the M prescriptions and the man jumps at the chance to chat with me again.
"So then two years later I decided to become a daddy again."
"Oh" - and oh how I was wishing I was not there at that moment.
"I had to go away for a few years while my girls were growing up, and when I came back the oldest one was the meanest person."
"Oh."
Then the Pharmacist calls to me from the other side of the room "JESSICA MORRIS can you please give me your birth date? I need to look you up in the system."
I was *so* close to asking her to come over and let me write it down. I was super creeped out by this man. But I gave her my birthday anyway, telling myself if she asked for *any* other piece of personal information I would ask for a pen and paper and write it down.
"Ya, she was just the meanest person ever."
At this point I am truly amazed that this man can carry on basically a one sided conversation with someones back.
"She keeps a stick by her door, and every time I come over she threatens me with it and runs me off her property. It's the funniest thing."
Um. Ok.
Thankfully the Pharmacist returns to the counter with my prescription so I didn't even have to say "Oh". It looks different than last months order, and I mention that to her. She said the packaging has changed and then in a very hushed tone says "It's a suppository, you know how it works, right?"
I wanted to shoot her. Why couldn't she have whispered my name? Or whispered my birthday? That to me is much more personal than what form my medication comes in. But whatever.
I told her that yes, I did know how it worked. I left off the "duh, this is a refill after all" part that I was thinking. I'm really not a rude person out loud. Only in my head.
I paid for my item and started to walk away as quickly as I could, pretending to be fascinated with my receipt.
I couldn't escape quick enough. The man called out; "Have a great day. It was a pleasure to talk to you."
"Oh," I mumbled, along with something that could have resembled "have a good day too." I don't think he heard me. I was still reading the tiny print on my receipt.
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8 comments:
EEEEEEWWWW! Talk about creepy. I get the heebie jeebie just thinking about you having to stand in line with him.
Maybe if you come across a character like that next time, pretend not to speak english! LOL
"I'm really not a rude person out loud. Only in my head. "
You make me laugh. I wonder what I would do in that situation? Yeah, pretty creepy.
Oh.My. You poor thing.
I had the strangest conversation a few weeks ago with a total stranger.I heard way more details about her life than I ever needed know. Very odd.
My husband and I get approached by weird people all the time with even weirder stories of their lives. Often it's TMI. The only thing we can attribute it to is, they can see Christ in you. Lots of weird people with checkered pasts came to Christ because He exuded love and that's what they want the most. I'm not saying you are wrong to feel weireded out. God gives us, especially women, 6th senses, I believe to keep us safe. I'm just giving you a reason why they might be approaching you. It's hard in those situations, especially from a man to a woman to know what to do. Just know that I too have been there.
It's always the weird ones that want to chat you up in the stores. I've never understood why people seem to want to give you their entire autobiography in the middle of a supermaket checkout lane, but good grief, I always get stuck with those people too.
Wow - how CREEPY.
This kind of thing happens to me a lot, too (though - granted - nothing THIS creepy and nothing under the circumstances you were in). I always struggle because I'm reminded that "as you do to the least of these....." and I think, "Surely not....right?" It's harder to be a good example of Christ in the world as women sometimes. People are scary!
Okay, Jess, I have to admit to laughing pretty hard by the end of your story. I can sooo relate to strange people and them trapping you into weird, one-way conversations.
I do find it strange that our medical clinic is no longer allowed to say your last name out loud when they call your name to have you come back and see the doctor, but the pharmacist can yell it across the room!
When I went for my first O.B. appointment last year (and was pretty sure I was NOT pregnant, but I was)...I discreetly went up to the front desk and told her my name. The lady REPEATS MY NAME LOUDLY....TWICE!! And I'm thinking "Yeah, lady, I don't think the 4 people on the very far end of this room heard you say my FULL NAME and then 'Is this your first O.B. appointment?'" Yeah, lady....give away all my secrets, will ya?
But when the nurse came to call me back it was just "Jeanie". Hey, why bother, Nurse? Your front desk lady just outed me as a pregnant lady to this whole waiting room....
I don't get it.
But your story made me laugh.
Jeanie
how strangely creepy! really really creepy. it amazes me what info people are willing to share with total strangers.
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