I was in here a few days ago, Alene said. Come back here. I want to show Alice something.
They followed her back to the far corner of the store through the aisles of paint cans and the display of paint chips and paintbrushes, past the cartons of washers and screws, little boxes of bolts and nuts, the bins of nails, and came to the bicycles. Five of them. One with training wheels and one full-size and three for young people. All hanging from hooks suspended from the ceiling, looking as if they would pull loose and crash and hurt somebody. They stood back looking up at them.
You don’t have one, do you? Alene said.
No, Alice said.
Would you like us to get you one?
I don’t know. She kept looking at the bicycles. I don’t know what Grandma would say.
What do you think she would say?
She’d say it’s too much.
What do you think yourself?
Maybe it is too much.
Do you want to call her and ask her?
Yes.
So the two women and the girl went back to the front of the store. But when they got there no one was at the counter.
I’ll find someone, Alene said. She disappeared into a nearby aisle and came back with Rudy.
You’re asking to use the phone? he said.
It’s not for me, Willa said. It’s for this young lady.
I hope it’s not long-distance, Rudy said. He winked. The store can’t pay for no long-distance calls.
It’s my grandmother, Alice said. I need to talk to her.
Then that’ll be okay. Just go right ahead. She lives in town here, doesn’t she.
He handed the phone to Alice and she looked at the three adults watching her and then made the call. She stood up straight and spoke into the phone very quietly, almost whispering. Grandma, it’s me, she said softly. They want to buy me a bicycle. The ladies do. I told them I’d have to ask you. I don’t know. No, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even know they had any bicycles. Yes. Here. She wants to talk to you. She handed the phone to Willa.
Willa carried the phone out of their hearing, into an aisle of electrical supplies, and stood and talked. Yes, this is Willa, she said. Yes, we do. Well, it was Alene’s idea. Your granddaughter selected a few clothes and then Alene brought us over here to the hardware. Well, Alice said we would have to speak to you first, to see what you thought. It is a lot, yes. But we would like to do this if you think it’s all right. Oh, I don’t think she will get the wrong idea. She’s such a nice girl. You’ve done so well with her. I just think she’s very dear. Well, Alene seems to want this very much. Yes. Well, all right. Thank you. We’ll be there soon. You’re welcome. Oh, Alice said so too, of course.
She came back to the front counter and handed the phone to Rudy. The other clerk, Bob, was there now too.
She said it would be all right, Willa said, if that’s what we want to do.
They looked at Alice. She wouldn’t look at them.
Let’s go choose one, Alene said.
They followed Rudy back to the corner of the store and stood below the suspended bicycles and watched as Bob stepped up on a stool and handed down the bicycles from the chained hooks, the three that would be the right size for her, and Rudy stood them on their stands on the old scarred wood floor.
Here you go. Now take a good look. You can’t go wrong with none of them. Any one of these here will do good for you. Which one do you like?
Don’t rush her, Bob said. Let her take her time. Nobody likes to be rushed.
I’m letting her. That’s what I’m saying. Take your time, honey.
Alene put her arm around Alice and they stepped forward and the girl touched the rubber handgrip of the handlebars of the one purple bike and Rudy said, You go right ahead and try the seat there. And that seat’s adjustable.
She sat on the seat and gripped the handles and gazed forward as if she might be riding, going someplace, and didn’t show a thing on her face.
You prefer this one? Rudy said. You don’t want to change your mind and try this red one?
I think she’s made up her mind, Alene said. Haven’t you, honey.