ANGEL (a true story)

She came to my shop Tuesday morning “I gotta look gorgeous” she said

“Me weddin’s at 2 Satdee arvo. I’m marryin’ me fiancy, Fred.

So upright ‘n’ ‘andsome he is, love, a rare proper jool of a man.

Don’t make ‘em like ‘im no more, dear. Gotta grab ‘im while I can.”

My heart quailed at the challenge before me. Just new to the shop, I could cry.

Just under six foot and a size 24, she had no idea what to buy.

Her feet were like dinner plates, calloused and hard “never worn shoes in me life”

Her round smiling face shone with her joy, “Can’t wait to be that man’s wife.

‘e’s 85 Mondy, you know, dear, and I’m 67 next day.

Git married, we figured, no livin’ in sin like other young folk of today.

Real upright and moral, my Fred is. No nonsense with ‘im on the prowl.

Me weddin’ gown’s gotta be modest. Can’t show me bits off, nohow.”

She stripped to the buff in the change room, chatting of Fred all the time.

“The colour don’t matter, love. Fred likes ‘em all, ‘specially wiv ‘is angel inside.

I’m partial to blue meself though, sets orf the blue of me eyes.

Got me hair dyed just this mornin’ to cover a few of them greys.”

Well, we poked & we pushed & we prodded, stuffed her in this dress and that.

We pushed bits in here, they poked back out there. She cried “O Gawd, I’m fat!”

She burst into tears a number of times whenever a dress proved too small.

As we came to the last of the ones on the rack, I could see her face starting to fall.

Then in came a carrier, dress bags in hand, After-5 wear from Jodanne*

With a hopeful sigh I opened the bags and we started all over again.

This time she was silent, almost subdued, her happiness all gone away.

I hoped that Balmoral** would not let us down, but we only found Jaki-K**.

One after another, the garments were passed. Just one other bag was left.

So discouraged by now, she wanted to leave. I could have sat down and wept.

I opened the last bag, and joy of all joys, Balmoral** right on the end.

A size 24 and cut for a queen, a beautiful purple pink blend.

A nice maroon cami, a slinky long skirt with a leg-showing split at the side

Then came the jacket to finish it off. She gazed at herself and she cried.

“O Gawd, love,” she whispered. “I look like a queen ‘avin’ afternoon tea with ‘er king.

When ‘e sees me on Satdee, Fred’ll love this, an’ I don’t need to alter a thing.”

She left my shop smiling and waving her thanks. She really opened my eyes.

This big country woman had humbled my thoughts, and given a wonderful prize.

In buying this shop, I’d thought I was nuts, welfare had long been my dream.

I learned a big lesson in my shop that day, from an angel disguised as a queen.

*Clothing supplier **Clothing brands