The Holiday Spirit
~ aka The Audacity of this White Bitch ~
You cannot make this shit up.
So, money is tight. I had to pay a couple bills towards the house in the past week or so that were unexpected, leading me to deplete my savings and main checking account. As such, when a check magically dropped into my lap (thank you random unclaimed property payout), I was eager to get the money into my account. But for some reason, the online banking feature for my bank was not working this morning.
No worries. I live within walking distance of a small branch and happen to have the day randomly free.
Thus this lovely afternoon, I took a little stroll down the street to make a deposit. As soon as I walked into the bank, the vibes were off.
As I entered, an elderly white woman came in as well. She got in line immediately while I went to the table to fill out my deposit slip.
As I’m writing down my information and looking up my checking account number, I hear her sucking her teeth. She starts pacing around. Vibes, very off.
There is one other person in front of her at the teller window, an elderly Black lady with one of those walkers that also functions as a seat. The teller, a youngish South Asian appearing woman, is on the phone presumably with another customer. The white lady is having none of it.
“We’re waiting,” she says, presumably to the teller who’s trying to help the caller.
The Black lady ahead of her says as much to the woman behind her.
“I have my car outside. Why can’t we park outside? As much as I pay in taxes, I should call the County and complain.”
Hmm, why don’t you go do that now and leave the rest of us alone?
But of course, I didn’t say that.
The teller finished up with the caller and then began helping the Black lady.
“Merry Christmas,” chimed the Black lady to the teller, and they began their business.
The white lady still wasn’t satisfied. She huffed. She walked about with no particular destination in mind. She looked over towards the desk of who I assumed was the manager.
By now, I had finished filling out my deposit slip and stood in line behind this awful woman. I made sure to pull out my phone and kept my gaze down. I looked at funny and uplifting memes. I chuckled to myself. Once or twice, I could feel her looking at me, actively seeking out a compatriot in her outrage. I was not the one.
The Black lady finished up with the teller, again exclaiming holiday cheer, and the white woman rushed up to the teller’s window before the Black lady even had a moment to walk away.
As the Black woman was about to exit, I catch her eye and we exchange a look.
Then, of all things, the Black woman proceeded to amble towards me and spoke in a not so hushed tone about the rude White woman at the teller window.
Mind you, I just came to deposit a check so I don’t overdraft this week. I had no intention of getting in the middle of old folks business. But such is life, I guess.
The Black woman cannot believe this white woman’s behavior. Frankly, I understood her sentiment. The Black woman took her moment, said her peace to me, and ending with “And if she keeps acting up, you take care of her.”
What she expected me to do, I do not know.
Just as our brief conversation ended, another teller magically appeared, a pleasant younger appearing Asian man. I step up and slide him my deposit slip and endorsed check, intentionally ignoring the messy bitch to my left. The white lady finished up and walked away; she was followed by a Black older gentleman to her teller. With her exit, things simmered down in the bank and I strolled on home.
Why that woman was on ten in the middle of the afternoon I will never know.
Why she decided having to wait at the bank was a grievous offense, I cannot even begin to guess.
Part of me is worried we’re about to get four more years of this stupid petty entitled bullshit. And I live in a Blue state.
But, thinking back on it, she was an older white woman in the middle of the afternoon making a quick stop to the bank. Holidays or not, a bitch is gonna be a bitch. Lord help us all.