The Medicine Guy

We have a subscription to an over-the-counter medicine delivery service. We don’t have milk delivery, we don’t have mail pick-up but we do have a guy who comes in his little white car with a bag full of goodies to put in our little plastic medicine box. After laying all his wares out on a green mat, we got to choose the ones we wanted. I didn’t want any of them, but to be nice, I chose a box of Bufferin – 16 tablets for $7. The other medicine had been selected by dear husband but never used, so those got put back in the box: a snake oil remedy for all aches, pains, snivels, headaches, earaches, asthma, sore throat, chills, fever, and fatigue; a tablet for over-drinking, over-eating, stomachaches and nausea; a box of “liver tape” (bandaids). After he scanned all the items and carefully replaced them in the box and printed out numerous receipts and requested numerous signatures, I thought he would get up and leave, but kneeling politely in my entry hall, he pulled out some balloons and made an “anpan man” (the cartoon character shaped like a sweet-bean filled bun). I was so astonished that I didn't even think to pick up the camera – although it was pretty amazing. I have no idea why he began to entertain us after selling drugs, but I was fine with it. He started to make a balloon goldfish by the time I figured out how to turn the camera on – at the end you can see the goldfish blowing bubbles. Maya is holding the “anpan man” made of two balloons.He handed me what appeared to be a flat advertisement but- aha- you blow in the little hole and it becomes a paper balloon! There was no end to the amusements this guy had in his little bag. I might just have to take some of those drugs so he'll come back.