FEBRUARY 19, ‘25 // Blimi had hoped that her trip to the grocery across the street be quick and discrete. She is not out to socialize right now. Her baby is cranky, and his nose is runny. To her bad luck she realizes in the the middle of making a huge pot of soup that she is short on vegetables, and needs to pick up a few missing ingredients. Her coat covers her robe, her stockings hopefully don’t hang, and heaven only knows how her head looks, since she ran down without taking a second or even a first look in the mirror. Proper and prim Shoshana is also here making an order before she opens her elegant boutique. Of all people, Blimi must bump into the one who most fills her with awe. One look at her highlights Blimi’s own shortcomings. Shoshana, immaculate and sophisticated, is there with her son Shimmy in tow choosing vegetables with her finely manicured hands. Never, not even by mistake, can Shoshana be other than poised and intact. She wheels her shopping cart with her leather pocketbook making a statement over her shoulders, studying the produce intensely as if they are for scientific research. Blimi responds with a weak smile back. She is not eager to engage in conversation because Shoshana uses big words, which makes Blimi feel dumb, and she also has definitive opinions on any subject broached. Though Blimi admires her, she is also in awe of her and perhaps even a little jealous. The two of them got to know each The one person Blimi definitely does not want to meet right now smiles to her from the other side of the vegetable stand. MERGE Letchoand Social Integration Where 188
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