Goines On: Checkout

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Goines wheeled his shopping cart into Walmart’s self-checkout area. All four registers were busy. At the nearest one, to his right, stood a tall, muscular, hatless man, in black T-shirt and shorts. Despite his greyed-white hair, he looked to be about 50. Goines could make out only enough of the back of the man’s T-shirt to realize it was a moment to get out his phone.
    But what if the man turned toward Goines and saw what he was doing? Goines squared his body toward the man so he wouldn’t have to turn this phone tellingly the man’s way, and managed a couple of clicks.
    Goines’ peripheral vision told him a register had opened on his left. Other customers were behind him, so he pushed towards the opened register, sneaking a look at the T-shirt as he went. At the register he turned for another look at the T-shirt, but discovered that the couple who had assumed his position in line were watching him. He put his phone away and turned to the register,
    Goines felt a touch on his left shoulder and quickly turned around. The twentyish woman standing there wore a Walmart blouse – the checkout attendant.
    “You’re looking at the T-shirt?” she whispered.
    Goines leaned in near her left ear. “Yes, and I abhor it,” he said.
    “You like the T-shirt?” she whispered, turning toward it.
    Goines liked this young woman’s forwardness, but was she not familiar with the verb “abhor”?
    “Abhor,” Goines whispered in her ear, “as in condemn, denounce, repudiate, damn…hate.”
    “I agree,” she said, as the man wearing the T-shirt exited the checkout area, apparently unaware of their interest.
    Goines smiled at the young woman. He admired her bravery in confronting him. She had probably thought he said he adored the T-shirt.
    At home, Goines recounted the sighting to Mrs. Goines. She said she hoped liberal tears would cause the man’s AR-15 to rust.

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