The America I Discovered

By Ercan Baydogan

The America I Discovered is a lively, surprising, eye opening look at America from the view point of a man from a totally different culture. From his first entrance and sight of America the book will keep your interest with some insightful moments and many, many, fall down funny experiences.
This is a book you will read again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781469120324

Ercan Baydogan

Ercan Baydogan is from Turkey. This country bridges Europe and Asia geographically, it represents cultural synthesis of two continents. His home is in Ankara, the capitol of Turkey. He has two daughters, ages 21 and 17. Ercan was enrolled in military school at the age of 13. He went on to graduate and enter the service as a Lt. He learned to speak 4 languages although lack of use has made some rusty. Ercan has leaded an amazing life. After his military career ended, he decided to start his own business in his hometown Malatya. He ran a convenience store, an office supply store, a bookstore, a lottery place at a time. After he moved to Ankara, he went on to teach and eventually run a private computer school. Ending this career, A new computer company was born. Later, when the economy fell, so did his business overnight. He decided to come to United States and start a business. He has successfully run seasonal businesses in America. At present he is working on his memoir.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Welcome Interrogation

My name is Ercan Baydogan. I am from Turkey. My home is in Ankara—the capital city of Turkey. I have had many different careers. Sometimes I think, it is one big adventure after another—some good and some not so good. I would like to tell you about my strangest, scariest, funniest, most confusing adventure in my life so far. So sit back and enjoy a Turkish man’s time in America.

I am now preparing to return to Turkey. I have always tried to do my best in life, whether in work or personal affairs. Whatever the result is, if you really do your best, you are going to be at peace with your past and future. Otherwise, you could regret your decisions in the future. I don’t regret anything I have ever done. While doing business, due to a changing economy, I lost my home and my life savings. It was a humbling experience. It is not easy to start at the bottom again, but I learned a lot. I have already made my peace with everything. Sometimes, you win, sometimes you lose. At a time like this, you have to have faith in God and say, Everything happens for a reason. If you don’t take any risks in your life, you can’t win or lose, you’re just there. I want to share my experiences and observations during my time in the United States with you. I am a certified teacher, an ex-military officer, and a good observer.

I remember the day I first arrived. It took a few months to decide I would get a visa and make all the necessary arrangements. The day arrived, and finally I was at New York’s JFK airport, (JFK stands for a past American president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy) in the United States and frustrated. It could have been one of my best days, if it was before 9/11. However, it was post-9/11. I was not expecting a grand welcome after the terrible terrorist attack. But, I didn’t expect this would become one of the worse days of my life. I try not to blame anybody. The security guards were doing their job. I wouldn’t have felt so bad if it wasn’t my first visit. I have now made over fifteen round trips to Turkey. Lucky me, I get the same question every time. It seems each time is worse than the one before, but you feel better and confident when you get experienced and get used to how things are run.

I think, I just fit the profile of a would-be terrorist: forty years old, Middle Eastern background with military experience. To be honest, the security guards in Turkey Ataturk airport were just as through before allowing anyone onboard. I have never seen such disrespectful, ill-mannered, and presumptuous behaviors in my life. The guards took out everything; this seemed to please some of the horrible personal. I was extremely angry! They were discriminating! I didn’t see anyone of United States or European descent being questioned. The hardest time was given to Turkish citizens or people from the Middle East. Later, I wrote a few e-mails to the company, I never received a reply.

During my domestic and international flights in the United States, I have never seen people treated in such different ways. Everybody gets the same treatment, take your shoes off, put all your metal stuff in a plastic container, bags have to pass through the scanner, and then you walk through the detectors. I understand the customs are different; this is how you enter the country. I suppose it must be more difficult.

I had a nice flight, but it was way too long. I had a lot of time to think about what to do and say at the customs interview. I asked myself, Should I stick with the reason I gave to the U.S. Embassy, or just tell them I was here to do business? When I applied for a visa, 9/11 hadn’t yet happened. That occurred several days later. Several days after the 9/11 attack, I went for my visa appointment. There were more than a hundred people at the embassy. They gave the visa to only three people. Seeing people couldn’t get their visa, I made up an answer to their question: What is the reason, you want to go to the United States? as I have a computer company, and we have recently developed an Internet security software, so I would like to go and visit a few big software companies related to it.

I hated to do that but I didn’t have a choice at the time. My intentions were good, and I was coming here to set up a business, so I really wasn’t lying. I really had a computer software and hardware company.

I was then waiting in line, trying to figure out what they were asking and what answers would be appropriate. I also was thinking about another question. Which officer would be easier for me? There was a middle-aged white man taking care of my line. There were a lady officer, a black man, and an Asian officer. I could switch lines if I chose to. I was also carefully watching which line was moving faster. I couldn’t decide on the officer, and my line was actually moving faster, so I stayed where I was. I knew each guard had received the same training and getting the same instructions every day; there was no reason to worry about it. Finally, it was my turn: it didn’t go as bad as I expected, but at the end of the conversation the officer said:

Would you please come with me sir?

I went with him. We didn’t go to the INS office. Instead, he took me down to Agricultural Customs and handed me on to another officer. Since this time, I have been taken to the INS office. This first time was for some reason, different. I don’t know, maybe they didn’t have enough room then in the office. First, we picked up my baggage, and he put it on the table to examine it. I was wearing a suit. Since the weather in Turkey had been getting chilly, I had been wearing a shirt and a sweater underneath. Now even my jacket was soaked with sweat after two hours.

The officer talking to me looked like the twin brother of the actor Dennis Franz in NYPD Blue, the series fictional character Andy Sipowicz. Maybe that was his problem, too much resemblance. He was actually behaving like a police detective and not a nice one at that. Since security was at such an elevated level, they might have been using some help from the police. As the interview began, he started with the usual question, some examples being:

What is your name? Where are you from? and Why did you come to United States?

I didn’t have anything to hide. I was OK with these questions, but it was becoming more difficult to answer. I started feeling the language barrier between us. I had been good with English once. Since I hadn’t practiced it in a long time, I had lost touch with the language. I taught English in public schools, as a substitute teacher, for a few years. But this was different, not like teaching twelve-year-old kids. Now, here, was an angry man trying to swallow me whole! I am not a person to hold a grudge. I tried to remember he was trying to do his job; I might have lost my temper after all this time. I began trying to defend myself. I don’t want to add any details to what was said at that time. I will just mention the last of a few words we had. To this day I don’t like to think of the event. I know it did indeed happen, but it was such a terrible time for me I try to pretend it never occurred.

I didn’t like the way he was treating me; he had pushed me to my limit, and I was ready to use bad language—something I have never done before. A little more patience . . . It is going to end soon, I kept telling myself. I started to cool down. He went through all my pockets, and removed every item, questioning everything he found in my wallet: pictures, cards, and other papers. He took the Koran out of my suitcase and asked:

What is this?

It is Koran.

Why is it Arabic?

As you can see, there are Turkish meanings next to it.

Are you sure?

Of course, I am sure. If you are not satisfied, why don’t you call an interpreter?

He didn’t speak for a while, going through my wallet again. When he had examined my wallet the first time, he had seen a handwritten note, which he had already asked about, and now he asked again:

This is Koran also, right?

I didn’t say it was Koran. I said, there are a few prayers from Koran written on the paper.

This didn’t satisfy him, and he asked for an interpreter. At last, I was feeling comfortable. I made my mind up not to worry. I had tried my best; if this was going to end on such a stupid reason, then let it end. God would have made it easier for me if I was really meant to be here. While waiting for the interpreter to arrive, this officer opened the other suitcase, recklessly grabbed a bag out, and it tore open. Mixed nuts spilled out onto and all over the floor.

Oops! he murmured.

I didn’t say anything. I was bringing them from Turkey to a friend here in the United States. For a second I was worried about what I would tell my friend, I just grabbed a handful of them and said:

A friend requested me to bring these, can I put it there? I was not going to feel embarrassed.

OK, he said, letting me put the nuts inside.

When the interpreter came, I could not tell which nationality he was. It just took him about twenty seconds to give his opinion and leave. He looked convinced and tired. Then, the last question came. As soon as he asked it, I decided to end this conversation for good.

Did you come here to work? he asked.

This was the fifth or sixth time he was asking me the same question. I had denied it before, we were both exhausted, and I was determined to finish it. So I answered:

Do you know where Turkey is?

Yes . . . he replied.

"Do you remember the first Iraq war?

Yes, I do.

Do you know Turkey is an ally of the United States?

Yes, I know.

OK, you probably know also most of the supplies and aircrafts went through Turkey. After the war, you made many agreements with many of the countries at the area regarding oil, military equipments, weapons, etc., and then left. And as our ally the United States told Turkey to apply embargo to Iraq. This war cut off most of the economic relations between Turkey and Muslim countries. Turkey lost more than two hundred billion dollars in the distribution of oil. Still, this is not working.

He didn’t say anything and appeared to be listening. I was relieved with this thought, and I was putting the words in order easier. I didn’t want to stay anymore; this was the beginning and the end. There would be more of the same thing outside the airport. I had already made up my mind to go back to Turkey. So I continued:

This didn’t cause any problems at the time, year after year it added up, ten years later my country received a rude shock. The dollar tripled overnight, including my company, tens of thousands of companies just shut down. Millions of people found themselves in the street without a job or an income. I was lucky to end up without any debt. A friend of mine had a fifty-million-dollar company. Because of the bank credits the company used and the material they imported tripled, they ended up with a fifty-million-dollar debt.

So, yes! I came here to work, set up a business if I could. I don’t care what you decide anymore. This was end of the conversation. He didn’t say anything, just left me alone for a few minutes and came back with my approved papers. He helped me to pack my suitcases. When I was ready to go, he looked me in the eyes and said:

Good luck, buddy . . . When the officer wished me luck, it only took three seconds to flashback my whole life, I murmured:

I hope so, sir . . .

After all I went through, I believe he had really meant it. When he said, Good luck, buddy, he came with more than approval, he came with a six months stay permit. I grabbed my suitcases, and started walking. I was thinking, What’s going to happen next? I couldn’t think, I felt like had been run over by a truck. I had only thirty-five minutes for the next flight, but didn’t know what to do. I saw two ladies with Delta ID. So I walked toward them and handed one of them my boarding pass. She said something, which I didn’t understand, and she repeated it pointing at someplace. I saw the sign connections stirred toward there. The attendant took my pass, and said something and printed my new boarding pass. Somebody helped with the suitcases to check-in, and I figured out I was good to go. The lady said something about the boarding pass and pointed out a direction, I only got the word bye, and I walked to the direction she pointed.

There was an escalator for the upper level. I took the escalator and ran into another Delta attendant. I showed her my boarding pass, and she started to give directions. Thank God, I still had a little bit of my mind. I interpreted the body language and found the right direction. This was insane . . . If I didn’t have this inspection and experiences at customs, I would swear, I would be in a different country. I wasn’t sure the people I talked to were even speaking English.

Later, I learned that this was how most of the black people speak—unbelievably fast, and broken. The whole sentence sounds like a word! Homuetco means How much is that cost? If you separate the syllables and add the rest of the letters to the syllables, you almost get the right sentence . . . I had a lot of difficulties with the black accent, and still have problems sometimes. Now, it’s not a big deal for me. They would always repeat, speak slow, and speak clear, if I asked them to. Same for the southern accent. At least you can understand most of it. If you come to Alabama someday, you should go to the countryside and have a conversation with elderly people. They love to talk with their incredibly different intonation and accent. You would think, Why is he mad at me? By the way, you might need an interpreter.

I had rushed, running most of the time and trying to pick up my name inside the announcements. I was out of time and finally found the gate, my plane was there and the boarding hadn’t started yet. Wow that’s pretty good, I said. I checked the destination. Atlanta, OK. Checked the departure time; there was still an hour for the departure. Lucky me! It must have been postponed, I spoiled myself. I was looking at the flight list on the last page of the ticket, I noticed that the Atlanta flight wouldn’t match. I realized that this was the next flight. Changing boarding pass, this was part of the directions I didn’t understand . . . Thank God, there was another flight at least.

Now, I was in the plane trying to find my seat to crash in. Before getting my tickets, I always asked for a window seat. Aisles make me very uncomfortable. I have broad shoulders, it just makes me sick when the attendants or people around touch me every ten seconds when they pass by. It’s not a big deal, but you could never sleep. If you really need some sleep and rest, imagine the discomfort. Since my pass was changed, I got an aisle seat. This time I didn’t care much. I had solved and gotten rid of the biggest problem I would have, so what, it was an aisle seat. Atlanta was my last destination and it was a big plane. People were moving pretty slow. Let them find their seats, find a place to put their carry-ons and sit. The people cleared, and I could see my path, I was shocked:

Ooo God no! Please don’t let it happen . . .

In a second, all the prayers I know just flashed in my mind . . . But it had happened before I asked God, not to be. I wasn’t exactly sure that empty seat was mine, but there was a giant sitting next to it. Yes, he was next to me and more than 320 pounds. He seemed to me to be six feet tall and overweight. God, if you want to help me . . . Just kill me. I wished, and hoped I would get some sleep on the plane after all this time, I was exhausted.

My left shoulder was completely sticking on to the aisle. I thought about the bad trips I had, while trying to fit. Would it be the worse? Was that even possible? Sure it was. The first one I recall when I was in military high school. I was a junior when we had a surprise holiday. It was only four days, and they told us at the last minute. It was told to us in the evening, and the holiday began the next morning.

All the bus and train tickets were over. There was only one airline, and it wouldn’t fly to every city, every day. It was a religious holiday, and civilians got all the tickets a month ago. It wasn’t clear to us, but there were none left. I took the train involuntarily, an unmarked seat at the last wagon. Railway company use to add wagons with nonspecified seats for busy days like this. If you are early and figure out which train is going to be your train, you could have a chance to sit . . .

I wouldn’t have this chance anyway. I have always offered my place to the elderly people and still do. Nowadays, kids and teenagers don’t care. I don’t blame them though. Parents tell them not to. I have seen this many times. I suppose, they think they are protecting their kids. Unfortunately, they are going to get quid pro quo disrespect in the future. If you let these simple things happen, don’t teach respect and compassion for others, they are going to add up in years, and you would be wondering How did this happen? How did this kid turn into a selfish creature . . . ?

I admit that this train trip was the stupidest trip of my life. I have always been known a smart guy, but even the craziest wouldn’t travel outside the wagon door for nine hours. I didn’t think it would be fun. I was right! I was simply trying to be with my family. It seemed impossible. Wasn’t there even a square foot to sit on this train? No, not even to stand without touching and breathing over someone’s face. I have never spoke about this to another person in my entire life. Because, it really is stupid. After Ankara the capital, the inside of the wagon wasn’t overly crowded. I got inside. I stood inside for seven hours. After another major city, I was able to sit for a couple of hours till my hometown . . . Compared with this train trip, this was nothing if only I hadn’t had the problems at customs.

The trip was as bad as I imagined when I first saw this big guy. I tried, not to sit except for belt announcements, deliveries, takeoff, and landing. I think I saved my spine and spinal cord. While I was sitting, I had to sit there like an arc. It was just the right time, when the plane landed. The big fat guy was almost out of food. He devoured a suitcase full of junk food. In the last twenty minutes, the hostesses got tired of carrying things to him. If you were there, you would think Am I the next to be eaten?

Finally, I was in Atlanta—the most important city to me, even more important than New York. I had felt this way since I read the book Gone with the wind, when I was twelve years old. Being in the city meant something. This novel is still my favorite. I read the book in two days except for a few pages at the end. I didn’t want it to end. A few days later, I read it all. It’s odd that I can’t remember the final ending right now. I like Atlanta airport. It is a big airport with a subway in it. You should see it in day light on a sunny day. Planes take off almost every minute, and if you count the ones landing, it’s just amazing.

Tolga must have been worried about me, I thought. Since I didn’t have a chance to call and tell him about what happened, he should be. He was a kid when I saw him almost ten years ago. I saw him just once, and not again until that day. Our moms knew each other for a long time, and they were very close. His mom was very excited when she heard I was going to United States. It had been a very long time since she had seen her son. She was worried about him, how he was doing, where he was staying, if he was eating enough . . . She was so happy that I was going. You have to have a Turkish mom to see the difference. They always worry and take care of their children until they pass away.

Tolga was twenty-three years old then, a very good looking man with thick dark hair, over six feet tall and around 140 lbs. He came to the United States for a college education. Unfortunately, a year before his graduation he had to drop his classes, because of the sudden economic crisis in Turkey. Because of the exchange rate of the dollar, his family lost the fifty-million-dollar factory, I mentioned before. This is so sad that you are rich today and you are in debt tomorrow. But I have never seen anyone in the family obsessed with this. The strange thing is this was not the owner’s fault or bad management. It was just political consequences, which the public shouldn’t have taken. Millions of people lost their jobs, but this was different; his family lost the factory and also ended up with a big dept. So, as a good son, he dropped school and got a full-time job. He was also driving a cab in the night time to help his family in those bad days.

Soon I met him at the baggage claim area, waiting for me. We had a big hug after a stressful trip, and he backed off when I tried to kiss him on the cheek.

Woe, woe . . . ! What are you doing brother, they may think, we are gay.

We kiss people on the cheek when we meet them; usually if we know the people well—family, relatives, friends, and sometimes the people we just meet. If we feel close and have heard about them many times before we would kiss on their cheeks. It doesn’t matter if they’re males or females. I haven’t kissed anyone else in the United States since, except for my nephews who came to visit me. Now, I wouldn’t care what people think. Because, this is the way we do it in my country and I should keep this custom. I am kissing my friends that I missed. I wouldn’t call it traditional, but many countries in Europe have the same thing.

We had a lot to talk about during three and half hours of ride to Tuscaloosa Alabama, so we grabbed the suitcases and hit the road. As we drove, we talked about almost everything that had happened in our lives, and what would happen in the future. My presence here was going to affect his whole life—his privacy, the way he lives, friends, and many things. He was young and I was sixteen years older than him.

In Turkey we always respect people older than us. In my opinion, respect should be earned. If you receive it because of your age, you should try to keep it with your actions. I knew he would show me the same respect he would show his parents. But he was as free as a bird till I came. This would make him feel a little bit restless, so I told him:

OK, I know you are a good kid. I know how your parents treated you. I also know you wouldn’t do anything wrong or bad. So keep up with what you have been doing with your life. Just ask me, if you need any advice on anything whenever you need.

OK Abi thank you, I will, he said. We call older brothers as Abi.

It would be awkward when somebody comes to your house from overseas as a guest, interrupts your life, and tells you what to do or not to do. Yes, actually this is what it is. This is a cultural thing, and his parents were thrilled with the news when they heard I was going to go to the United States. Their son was going to live with somebody they knew and trusted. We were driving through the beautiful forests of Alabama. It was after midnight, I said:

I wish I could see around. It looks beautiful. I love green and forests.

Don’t worry Abi, in Alabama it is green everywhere and surrounded by forests. You will see a lot, Tolga said.

I must say, I loved Alabama—a perfect rainbow of nature. Forests, rivers, wildlife in wild lands, and perfectly protected historic cities in perfect harmony. Hunting, fishing, sightseeing, and beautiful coast at gulf. Natural and cultural heritage mixed in harmony. You would have to see it to believe it. I don’t like big cities. In almost seven years, I haven’t heard a horn more than several times. For me, this is something great. No horns and no flashing lights in the night, while driving.

We finally reached Tuscaloosa, I was happy to finish the longest trip of my life. It was a fine apartment in the forest with one bedroom and a living room. Tolga said, we had business in the morning, so we went directly to bed. It was hard to sleep, even after thirty long hours on a trip without sleep. I said my prayers, and looked back at my life over the last several years. I thanked God, for preparing this opportunity. It was good to be with somebody you know and trust . . . This is the most important thing, I realize now. I went to sleep with a nice melody of a bird that was singing after midnight outside the apartment.

Chapter 2

The Horny Old Lady

We got up bright and early. It was a beautiful day. My actual first day in America. I got out of the apartment to see where I would be living. I just loved it. Everywhere it was green except for the parking lots and the apartments. A small spring was coming all the way down, and was dividing the apartment complex in half. Just in front of our apartment, there was a neat little wooden bridge, connecting both sides. I could see a group of little fish inside the water. I am going to have a good time here, I thought. I love nature, and everything over here seemed to be very well designed. Squirrels were rushing around, stopping carefully, and checking for danger. Birds were chirping, fluttering down on the ground, and up to the trees. Meanwhile, a sneaky white cat was in the long part of the grass, lurking, watching the squirrels, and the birds. I tried to scare it, but it didn’t even flinch. Then Tolga called me:

Abi, breakfast is ready, let’s have breakfast, we have things to do. We have an opening today, he said.

That was quick, you must be handy, I am coming . . . I said.

During breakfast, he told me about the business. He had been working for somebody and he decided to go into his own business. He rented a kiosk inside the University Mall, and this was the day of opening. Probably, he had arranged and planned this according to my arrival. He said he got everything ready, before he came to pick me up at the airport.

I was pretty excited on the way to the mall. The mall was close to our apartment. It was within walking distance. There was a very big park with walking, and riding trails, and exercise places. Almost every day we got up early, walked, jogged, and exercised. I took a night walk every evening also.

It was a very nice mall I would say, compared to other malls I had been in. The first thing I actually noticed was the people’s height. At the airport, because of the troubles I had, I couldn’t notice. In the movies American people look much taller. They looked about the same height as the people in my country. I would say the younger generation in Turkey, is much taller than American youth. Black people’s height surprised me. I thought they were all tall with athletic bodies. This was not true, they were built the same as all the other people.

The second thing, which I learned was the area known as The South, where we lived; everybody seems to greet anybody they come close to. That is just perfect. At least you get a hi or a hey. My favorite is How you doin’ today? This is very nice about the southern language. If you are with someone you would get a How ya’ll? Ya’ll means more than one. I didn’t get it at first. It took several times for me to understand but it sounded good. I have never been able to say excuse me, or I am sorry, before the other person. Very nice and very polite. Unfortunately, this is a southern thing you wouldn’t see in the northern states. This is known as southern hospitality. I love that . . .

I met the guy who was scheduled to work with me part time. His name was Chris. A nice looking guy, smart, smiley, and chatty. He was young and seemed energetic. But he surprised me big time when we had a chance to chat. I met Shan, a friend of Tolga. He looked very mature, despite his age, he was seventeen. He owned a watch repair and silver accessory place close to us. He was always very helpful.

Tolga showed me the toys we were going to sell. He gave me a ready speech including everything about the toys. This made everything very simple for me. But after meeting a few customers, I learned to reach and talk the customers in different ways according to their interest. I have never liked the phrase How can I help you? Many times it is obvious how you can help the customer. So, you should be able to create a better way to start, depending on the customer.

One of the toys was called puzzle cars/vehicles, and it was getting a lot of attention. It is a small battery operated vehicle in different shapes with eight interchangeable plastic parts with a groove on each part. Different colors and different pictures were printed on them with relation to the vehicles. Kids could do twenty different tracks with one toy.

The other was a plastic helicopter with a separate handle. You put the helicopter over and pull the string, it takes off and comes back to you, like a boomerang. It appeared dangerous to me. But when the customers saw it, they would buy it. It was low cost and had a great mark up.

It was two months before Christmas, there weren’t many people around. So, whenever nobody was around, I was trying to learn something from Chris.

Chris, I learned English from the books. I want to know, how do you speak in different situations, in real life, OK?

What you mean?

For example, a friend of yours is sick, you are at his home visiting him. What would you say?

You are OK man, you are OK.

Me? I am just trying to learn Chris, I am not OK with my English.

I am talking to him man, not you. I would tell him he is OK.

Is that it? What else?

You are going to be OK, you’ll be OK, don’t worry

OK then, your friend’s father dies . . . ?

Why would he die man? What happened ? Was he sick?

We are talking hypothetical, remember? What would you say?

I am sorry about your mother man, it’s gonna be OK.

First, father was dead not the mother. What else?

What else I would say man? His father is dead . . .

Don’t you say, I am sorry about your loss, accept my condolences.

Condolences? Ha-ha-ha . . . Are you kidding? What condolences? Noooo . . .

God! Condolences . . . he laughed . . . I smiled. I was learning, and he was enjoying it.

I was fairly sure, people would use this word. I remember, I read it in a book, and I had heard it at least one time in a movie. But my concern was the real life spoken English. Probably giving condolences should be the formal way. This was the end of conversation for that day:

Chris, I just came yesterday, and I saw state limits, county, and city limits, I know what state is, what is county and city? Which one is bigger? Is one of them over the other one? He said, I don’t know man . . . I wasn’t sure at the moment, either he really didn’t know or didn’t want to talk any more, but I made it clear a few weeks later . . .

I was giving information to a gentleman about the toy, when she stopped by. I had almost finished introducing the toy, she got little closer. She was listening to me very carefully. I took one step aside, so she could get closer. It was better to take care of two customers at the same time. Chris stepped in and asked:

Can I help you ma’am?

She didn’t answer, she just shook her head, and smiled, pointing at me. I