Take a bow
Just a few moments after I walked out of the church, ashes on my forehead, a woman with two children in tow stopped me in my path and yelled out to the kids, “Take a bow!”
I turned to see what she might be referring to but there was no one else there. Was she bowing to my ashes? I know New York is a secular place, but surely running into someone who celebrates this holiday isn’t that unusual.
Then she pointed at the empty storefront behind us, curtseyed, and motioned to the kids. “H&H. The great bagel place. It used to be here.”
“Oh!” I sputtered, realizing I was still looking at her and her bewildered kids. “Yeah, it was pretty great. I miss it.”
She nodded at me. “It’s too bad it’s gone.”
We both kept looking at each other for an awkward moment too long before she put her hand behind one of the boy’s backs and gently pushed him to keep walking.
