The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Laura Wilhite, The Quill
You’re six years old. Your brother goes to Hibbets to pick out new shoes for school. Fourth grade is starting in just a few weeks and he has his sights set on new Nikes.
Your mom knows that she has seen the exact same pair at JC Penney and they were twenty dollars cheaper.
Your sulking almost 10 year old brother makes his way through the busy mall with you and your parents.
Two smiling grandparents with more than a dozen family members walk out of the photography studio. They just had their family pictures taken. You keep heading towards JC Penney you can smell new books as you pass the book store.
The breeze from an open door with more people filing into the mall brings the smell of caramel corn from the food court. You hear laughter from a birthday party happening at the arcade.
You’re 12 years old and your 15 year old brother is waiting in the car. Sixth grade is starting in a few weeks. Your mom and grandma are helping you find clothes for school at Younkers.
They show you a few tops that you know the other kids wouldn’t like. You tell your Mom and Grandma that you saw cuter clothes at Buckle. You, your mom and your 85 year old grandma make your way through the mall.
As you walk the Peony Blossom scent almost pulls you into Bath and Body Works but you’re on a mission to get to Buckle. You walk past Claire’s and see a little girl closing her eyes as a lady pierces her ears.
As a group of teenagers open the door to leave the mall the smell of fresh baked bread is in the air coming from the mostly empty food court. You hear the pinball machine music coming from the empty arcade.
You’re 18 years old. Senior year is starting soon. Your mom and a lady at the Estée Lauder counter are trying to find a color of foundation that would match your skin tone.
The lady will have to order your shade online and ship it to you. JC Penney’s is closing next week and your Mom wants to see what they have left.
You and your 56 year old Mom make your way through the mall past several empty stores and an almost empty mall.
You walk past Maurice’s and comment on the online sale they’re having that week. You plan on placing an order once you’re home.
You see the Nikes you’ve wanted for a while through Trade Home’s window. Nike is having a back to school sale on their website this week. You will order that pair on your phone on the way home.
A breeze blows through an open door as an employee returns from a smoke break bringing the smell of grease from the last remaining restaurant in the food court.
You hear video game music coming from a child’s iPad as he waits on a bench outside of the arcade that closed years ago.
You’re 24. You’re starting a new job soon. You receive an email from Maurices. Your outfits for your new job have shipped. You get a text from Hibbets with a 10% off code. You order new running shoes.
You sit in your one bedroom apartment in silence while you shop. Once you’re done you think back to when shopping was the smell of caramel corn.
It was the light in your brother’s eyes when he saw the shoes he wanted for school.
It was the sound of your Grandma’s laugh as you headed to Buckle. Shopping was more than just a transaction. It was an experience. It was a memory.