Best Story of the Week…March 19th

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Susannah Bianchi

I’m en route to the dentist way downtown.

I have two.

Dr. Levine whose fees rival college tuition, and the place my insurance overs. I choose the latter hoping they can tell me without emptying my wallet, why my gum is doing the tango.

I get lost since, it’s a part of town that I’m not all that familiar with, though charming in its brokenness since, it looks the same as when it was filled with immigrants straight from Ellis Island.

I ask 4 men where Rivington Street is.

No one knows.

I ask one guy, “Don’t you live around here?” “Yeah,” he says, smoking a smashed cigar, “my whole life.”

This never fails to mystify me since, I could be a tour guide in my neighborhood…

but I’m digressing.

A woman is hurrying towards me in very high heels. She’s blonde, from what I can see, wearing a trench coat that doesn’t quite fit.

I wave her down.

“Do you know where Rivington Street is?” She whips off her Ray-Bans and coming closer, I see, she’s a he with really bad teeth.

I now feel bad asking since, I’m going to the dentist, but she helps me, sort of, since her directions are a bit theatrical. I was actually waiting for her to break into song...gotta dance…needing to ask her to repeat everything, which she does as if it’s an encore.

My well heeled heart opens thinking, is there anything in my closet that would fit her? I knew not since, she looked like a halfback, and I’m built more like the water boy.

But I wanted to do something for her, so as she turned to leave I call out, “Excuse me, but do you mind telling me what mascara you use? Your lashes are so long. Or is that natural?”

She perks up like a hothouse plant and answers, “Maybelline, still the best…my mother and grandmother both swore by it.”

She grins like a chainsaw, her teeth, the ones she still has, chipped and ragged, while I said, “Thank you so much for the tip.”

“Oh you’re welcome,” she said with a wink. “Us girls, we need to stick together.”

Yes we do.  🙂    

SB

About Susannah Bianchi

I'm just a girl who likes to write slightly on slant. I've had a career in fashion, dabbled in film and to be honest, I don't like talking about myself. Now my posts are another matter so I will let them speak for themselves. My eBooks, A New York Diary, Model Behavior: Friends For Life and Notes From A Working Cat can be found on Amazon.com. Thanks.
This entry was posted in Beauty, creative writing, Culture, Fashion, grace, History, humanity, humor, New York City, Women and men, words, writing and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

70 Responses to Best Story of the Week…March 19th

  1. skinnyuz2b says:
    March 18, 2021 at 6:03 am

    Susannah, you won’t believe this, but the very first mascara I used was my mothers. And it was the one in your photo! I had to wet the brush, rub it across the block of mascara, and clump it onto my eyelashes. Thanks for the memory!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. robprice59 says:
    March 18, 2021 at 6:32 am

    Stick together? By gum!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Dale says:
    March 18, 2021 at 10:05 am

    Are we talkin’ the classic pink and green Maybelline? Oh yeah…

    Fun post. I’m guessing you finally found Riverton Street?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  4. Patricia says:
    March 18, 2021 at 10:06 am

    You are always so encouraging. Bet you made her day. Funny that the one with bad teeth knows where the dentist is. Hope your visit went well and your gums are now waltzing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. John W. Howell says:
    March 18, 2021 at 10:23 am

    It would be best if you girls stuck together or, should it be said, clump together.

    Like

    Reply
  6. Anne Mehrling says:
    March 18, 2021 at 12:56 pm

    You have encounters like no one else, Susannah. I can’t believe you asked about mascara, but that was exactly the right thing to do.

    I’m so glad to know there is something you can do for your mouth. I have relatives who have an inherited gum disease that is difficult to treat and can’t be cured. My dad had it, and he ended up losing all his teeth. He was a dentist.

    Like

    Reply
  7. gkar2017 says:
    March 19, 2021 at 6:13 am

    ……………….. bravo .. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Sorryless says:
    March 19, 2021 at 10:05 am

    There are eight million and one stories in the naked city, and as long as you don’t need directions, you can have a field day as a writer.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. David Stewart says:
    March 25, 2021 at 1:23 pm

    You meet the most interesting people and describe them so perfectly. Glad you finally found the dentist okay. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Life With The Top Down says:
    March 28, 2021 at 7:27 am

    This made me laugh. Every time I’ve been to NYC, I had to ask for directions to something or another. I never failed to find a native who rattled off instructions that needed another set of directions. The best experience was asking a traffic cop who stopped the cars to translate the streets for me patiently. Glad you found a human map to help out!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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