Recognizable Stranger

Sylvia pushed her cart down the frozen food aisle. She was looking for the same pizza that she bought last week. Some frozen pizzas were better than others and this one had that rare combination of crisp yet chewy crust. She turned her head a fraction to study the pizzas to the left and caught a glimpse of an older woman. Sylvia didn't want to stare but she thought she recognized her. Where had she seen her before? Try as she might, she couldn't come up with an answer.

 The frozen pizza was in a stack to her right. Sylvia added it to her cart and proceeded to the paper aisle. She added toilet paper and paper towels to her cart before turning to go to the checkout. Sylvia managed to contain her surprise when she noticed the same older lady. Surreptitiously, she examined the woman. She didn't have a shopping cart or even one of those baskets that you use to carry purchases. This was very odd, but Sylvia didn't have time to worry about an elderly woman.

  Grocery shopping finished, Sylvia drove to the gas station. She filled the tank and went inside to pay, but was distracted by an older woman studying the snack selection. This time Sylvia allowed herself to stare and commit the woman's appearance to memory. The lady had short, curly hair; much like Sylvia's except her hair was gray. Sylvia's hair was a rich auburn. She was the same height as Sylvia and even wore the same style shoes. Sylvia loved her clogs and evidently, the woman found them to be comfortable as well. She also wore jeans, similar to Sylvia's and a red hoodie. "We could be twins, except for the age difference," Sylvia told herself. She thought about introducing herself but she still needed to go to the bank. Besides, Sylvia was an introvert and was nervous around other people.

               The bank was less crowded than usual and Sylvia found herself talking to the teller without waiting in line. She made a deposit and turned to leave, glancing at the line that had formed behind her. Another coincidence! The elderly lady was in line.

               "Very odd, but she must be eighty years old and harmless," Sylvia reassured herself. She didn't think about the lady once she was home.

The next day, Sylvia met a friend at the movie theater. They were seeing a popular romantic comedy and the line was rather long. 

               "Do we have time to get some popcorn and a drink?" Sylvia's friend, Tammy asked. 

               "Sure, that line isn't as long," Sylvia lead the way to the refreshment stand. She could see the customers behind her in the overhead mirror and gasped. The older lady she saw yesterday was standing behind her friend.

 "I said, what will you have? If you don't know step aside and let me serve the customers behind you." The teenager behind the counter was getting frustrated. Sylvia hurried to order popcorn and a bottle of water. Sylvia took her order and paid then stepped to the side while Tammy ordered popcorn and cola. Sylvia spent the next minute looking at the woman that she saw so many times the day before.

               The lady wore a red sweater, identical to Sylvia's and the same pair of clogs. "Lots of people like to wear red." Sylvia didn't realize that she said it out loud until Tammy replied.

               "What are you talking about? Who likes to wear red?" Tammy was wearing a blue silk shirt.

 "Nothing, I was just talking to myself. I think the movie is about to start." Sylvia avoided discussing the matter, by marching into the theater. Sylvia and Tammy sat in the back and enjoyed the movie. They waited until the lights came on at the end to file out with the rest of the audience.

               "She came to the same movie," Sylvia said once they were in the lobby. She noticed the lady sitting towards the front, waiting to exit.

               "Who came to the same movie? Don't tell me that you were just talking to yourself; I know there is more to the story." Tammy insisted.

               Sylvia explained, "There is an older lady that came to the movie."

               "Really," Tammy was full of sarcasm.

               Sylvia gave Tammy the details, "I saw her three times yesterday. First I saw her at the grocery store, but I didn't see her buy anything. Then I saw her at the gas station but I didn't see her buy gas. Finally, I saw her at the bank."

 "Did you stay so you could see what she purchased at the store? Were you watching so you knew how much gas she bought?" Tammy cross-examined.  

 Sylvia answered honestly, "No, I didn't wait around to see what she bought. I had my errands of my own, and I didn't have time to watch her."

 "Sylvia, the lady probably lives in this neighborhood. Yesterday, she probably had to go to the store, get gas, and go to the bank just like the rest of us. Today she went to see a popular movie, just like hundreds of others. The theater was full. Lots of people came to this movie. You need to get out more!" Tammy gave Sylvia a perfectly logical explanation.

 Sylvia looked around for the lady. She wanted to know if Tammy thought she looked familiar but the woman was nowhere in sight. "You're right. I thought she looked familiar but that's probably because she lives near me. She likely shops at the same places."

               Having made her point, Tammy talked about the movie. "It was good, wasn't it? I read that it got five stars out of five."

               Sylvia agreed and added," I think the leading man should get an Oscar. Let's see another movie next week."

Sylvia woke the next morning thinking about Tammy's advice. She did need to get out more often. As a copywriter, she usually worked from home so her social interaction was limited. "Today, I'll get a hammer and nail so I can hang a picture in the hallway. When I asked if I need any help, I'll make an effort to talk to the salesperson. "

               As predicted a salesman asked Sylvia if she needed help as soon as she walked into the hardware store.

               "He's got a gun!" A loud shout interrupted Sylvia's conversation. 

               The salesclerk grabbed Sophia and threw her to the floor, landing on top of her. Sylvia was able to see the shooter when she looked from under the clerk's arm. The shooter was waving his gun hand frantically then pointed the gun towards Sylvia.

               Suddenly, a lady dashed towards the shooter and tackled him. Sylvia recognized the woman because she had committed her appearance to memory. It was the older woman that she had seen around town. The gun went off. Customers screamed. The older lady started bleeding from her shoulder.

               Sirens filled the air. The police came and the shooter was arrested. An ambulance took the heroic woman away. Paramedics urged Sylvia and the salesclerk to go to the hospital, just to be certain that they were alright.

When Sylvia was released she looked for the salesman. "The man that you arrived with? He's been taken to have his wrist x-rayed. Why don't you read a magazine while you wait." The nurse pointed to a stack of magazines that were crumpled and torn.

               "Is it alright if I visit the lady who was shot in the shoulder?" Sylvia asked.

               "She's been taken to the second floor." The nurse pointed to the elevators.

The antiseptic smell on the second floor was comparable to every hospital that Sylvia had ever visited. She wasn't sure if they would let her visit the older lady because she wasn't family and she didn't even know her name. However, the nurse at the desk gave Sylvia the room number without hesitation.

 "Hello," Sylvia timidly approached the woman in the hospital bed. "I want to thank you for saving my life. The gunman was aiming at me when you intervened."

               "Well. . . I was saving my own life and the life of my children." The lady replied.

               "What?" Sylvia approached the bed.

               "Stop! Don't come any closer."

 Sylvia stopped mid-stride and gave the woman a puzzled look.

               "You haven't figured it out, so I'll explain. I am you or you are me when I was younger."

 Now Sylvia was puzzled. "How can that be?" She couldn't think of anything else to ask.

               "Four nights ago I dreamt that I was shot. I was young as if it were fifty-five years ago. My husband left the house to get coffee and I stepped outside to wave as he backed out of the driveway. I looked around and our neighborhood looked different. The trees were smaller and the neighbors' cars were models that were made fifty or sixty years ago. I was going to call my husband but I looked at the date on my phone before I dialed. The year was fifty-five years off. Then I remembered my dream. The house where I used to live was just a few blocks away so I walked over. I thought about knocking on the door and warning you of the danger, but I realized that you, the younger me, would not believe me. I followed you around that day. The strange thing is that I was able to walk fast enough to keep up with you, even though you were driving and I was walking."

               "I thought you were following me!" Sylvia was so happy to know that she wasn't imagining the older woman stalking her that she didn't even question the reason.

               "I am you, only older. Come close enough to look at my eyes, but don't touch me. I don't know what would happen if we touched each other and I don't want to take that chance." The older woman opened her eyes wide so Sylvia could get a good look at the color.

               Sylvia gasped, the woman's eyes were just like hers. They both had eyes that were an unusual shade of dark blue. Then the woman uncovered her left foot. She had an identical scar on her big toe. Sylvia had cut herself when she just a year old and a ragged remained.

 "I found myself back in my own time when I walked out of the bank. The next day, I was back in your time so I followed you to the movie. I left the theater and found myself in my time. It has been very confusing, but there was nothing I could do. Today, the same thing happened. I walked out of my house and it was fifty-five years ago. I followed you to the hardware store and saw the crazed shooter. I rushed him and he put a bullet in my shoulder."

               "That's what you meant when you said that you were saving yourself. You also mentioned children; when will I get married and who will be my husband?" Sylvia wasn't ready to believe everything her older self told her.

 "Let me say this when the salesman asks you for a date you should say yes. Now you should go see if he broke his wrist when he threw you both to the floor."

The salesman was just coming into the lobby when Sophia returned to the emergency room. A wide smile split his face when he saw Sylvia. "It was just a sprain," he held up his bandaged wrist. "The doctors told me that you were fine. Did I hurt you when I threw you to the floor?"

               "I don't even have a scratch. I've just been waiting to hear if you were hurt."

               "Let me introduce myself. My name is Christopher and I think we should go out for lunch to celebrate our close brush with disaster."

               "That would be wonderful, but first let me check on the woman who saved our lives."

               Christopher gave her a puzzled look, "I don't know what you're talking about."

               "I mean the lady who moved the shooter's arm and got shot in the process," Sylvia explained.

 "I don't remember a woman moving the shooter's arm. I thought he tripped and the shot went wild, but I was distracted at the time. Is this woman here in the hospital? Lead the way so I can thank her," Christopher said.

               When they arrived on the second floor the same nurse was at the information desk. "I don't know what you're talking about and I would never let you visit a patient unless you are a relative or close friend. You don't even know her name so you can't be very close."

               "How many gunshot wounds do you get in a day. The lady was here because she had a bullet in her shoulder." Sylvia marched to the woman's room and threw open the door. Christopher and the nurse hurried to follow.

The room was empty. "She was here, I spoke to her for over half an hour," Sylvia insisted.

               "Please leave or I will have to call security," The nurse told Sylvia.

 "Let's get some lunch," Christopher reached for Sylvia's hand. "This morning has to have rattled both of our nerves. I think some food will help us see things more clearly."

Sylvia read everything she could about the incident in the next few days. Eyewitness accounts reported that a crazed shoot came into the hardware store waving a gun. Fortunately for all those inside, he tripped before he could get off a shot. Sylvia pushed the incident to the back of her mind.

 Christopher took her to lunch again and asked her to go dancing the next Saturday. He was charming and handsome, naturally, Sylvia accepted the date.