Sadie Fay

(1965 August 31)

The City Fathers have solved the problem of congestion in traffic here by widening the streets by narrowing the sidewalks and what a mess downtown. Saturday on errands, I found the sidewalks gone entirely in front of Speidel's [Jewelry] to corner bank [Richland County]. My errand at the A&P I nearly gave up as I had to walk on teetering boards. A big gangplank went from A&P door to street, and on the street end I found a poor old lady with one of those shopping carts stuck in the sand, not able to get it up on the gangplank and afraid to walk on it herself but determined to get a pie. I couldn't budge the cart either but helped her to maintain her balance to A&P. When we got in, she said, "Pies! Pies! Where are the pies? Say, it seems as if I ought to know you?" I said my name. A brilliant smile! "Oh, Skippy's mother. Oh, how I do remember him. How he used to come to our house for protection. Kitty used to talk to him. Ah, Kitty's gone now. Poor Kitty. Don't times change tho? O Boy O Boy - they sure do. And where is Skippy now? - Oh, I knew he'd do something good some day. I knew it. How I'd like to see the boy again." She wanted to wait so I could help her down from the A&P to the street - Miss Sadie Fay, 591 S. Park, you guessed it, but as I was just starting to shop, I asked a clerk to help.