press the little buttons and you get what you want." Her grin widened, and I stared in horror at its gaping void. I had the almost overwhelming urge to bolt like a threatened animal.
"Just--get--something!" my mind screamed at me, and the message finally got through and jolted me into action. I shoved my dollar bill at the slot in the machine, which did nothing at first. Then the machine whirred, sucking the bill in and contemplated my offering for a few agonizing moments. Then it spat it back out. I had been rejected.
"Ooh, it don't like you!" the woman cackled gleefully again. This was clearly the high point of her day, possibly her week.
I muttered something underneath my breath and hastily tried to smooth the bill out.
"Whassat, honey?" she said, cupping her hand to her ear. It looked like a shrivled monkey's paw. "You gotta be real sweet to it now."
Rejected again. I whipped my wallet from my back pocket and pulled out another bill. After thinking it over, the machine accepted it. I let out a small sigh of relief.
"There you go!" the woman encouraged.
Desperately, I punched at a combination of buttons. My purchase clunked in the slot at the bottom. Oatmeal raisin; it would have to do. I practically sprinted out of the dismal lobby. I didn't turn to look at the woman, but I could hear her wheeze, "Come back and see me, honey!" as I retreated.
Now I was back in the maze of hallways that lead to the individual rooms. "Damn," I thought, "How the hell do I get back?" Right, left, right, right. No, damn it, this had somehow led me back to the vending machine. I scurried back around the corner before the old woman caught sight of me. Right, left, left right. Yes, this looked right. Room 126.
I peeked my head in the door. Yes, there she was, lying still and silent, barely making a wrinkle under the coarse blanket. I sat down uncomfortably in the molded plastic chair by the bedside, and after fiddling with the bright purple wrapper on the cookies for a moment, set them down on her bedside.
"Hi, mom," I said hesitantly. "I'm back. Got you some cookies."
No response. Then again, I hadn't expected much of one. I pushed the packet closer to her edge, just in case.
"
"Just--get--something!" my mind screamed at me, and the message finally got through and jolted me into action. I shoved my dollar bill at the slot in the machine, which did nothing at first. Then the machine whirred, sucking the bill in and contemplated my offering for a few agonizing moments. Then it spat it back out. I had been rejected.
"Ooh, it don't like you!" the woman cackled gleefully again. This was clearly the high point of her day, possibly her week.
I muttered something underneath my breath and hastily tried to smooth the bill out.
"Whassat, honey?" she said, cupping her hand to her ear. It looked like a shrivled monkey's paw. "You gotta be real sweet to it now."
Rejected again. I whipped my wallet from my back pocket and pulled out another bill. After thinking it over, the machine accepted it. I let out a small sigh of relief.
"There you go!" the woman encouraged.
Desperately, I punched at a combination of buttons. My purchase clunked in the slot at the bottom. Oatmeal raisin; it would have to do. I practically sprinted out of the dismal lobby. I didn't turn to look at the woman, but I could hear her wheeze, "Come back and see me, honey!" as I retreated.
Now I was back in the maze of hallways that lead to the individual rooms. "Damn," I thought, "How the hell do I get back?" Right, left, right, right. No, damn it, this had somehow led me back to the vending machine. I scurried back around the corner before the old woman caught sight of me. Right, left, left right. Yes, this looked right. Room 126.
I peeked my head in the door. Yes, there she was, lying still and silent, barely making a wrinkle under the coarse blanket. I sat down uncomfortably in the molded plastic chair by the bedside, and after fiddling with the bright purple wrapper on the cookies for a moment, set them down on her bedside.
"Hi, mom," I said hesitantly. "I'm back. Got you some cookies."
No response. Then again, I hadn't expected much of one. I pushed the packet closer to her edge, just in case.
"
