There were some thunderstorms coming up so the Roma and the Travelers associated with, following or working with the several carnivals in the area all decided to hit the little shopping center where we go to the Giant Grocery. There's a Starbucks there so they dropped off the oldsters to just drink coffee and smoke.
THEY went to the grocery store.
BTW, this is across the street from a WalMart, so you know who parks overnight where.
I was in the grocery store and instantly became aware of their presence when a couple of young ladies came up to me and asked me if I was a Gypsy (in that cant of theirs ~ I hear it as Romnichal?)
I said "no" ~ so they figured if I understood what they said I must be one.
From that point on it was a regular freak show. One woman showed me how she swept a shelf clear of the caviar right into the back of her baby buggy. Another one snaked a couple of Virginia hams into her britches and you couldn't even tell they were there.
I'd already warned my wife to hang onto her purse because "THEY'RE BACK" and we both always know what that means.
BTW, these guys travel with black people these days ~ carrying on some scams that used to only work in the South (sell the slave cheap, then come back and get him at night ~ always a big money maker).
Anyway, I figured we'd gotten out of there OK without being pestered by much more than the displays of talent ~ they do like praise for clever artistry in stealing.
When we got home I discovered that my wallet had lost all it's threads ~ they'd been removed neatly. Then, there was a brand new $1 bill in there, neatly folded around my laundry ticket.
That's called "paying alms" ~ which I had thought was a Roma trick, but apparently the civil rights movement has brought them all into the 21st century ~ and now they swap traditions.
I swear, Travelers must be charmed somewhere. Even though you know how rotten they are, even though you see the aftermath of old folks who've been scammed out of very dime of their life's savings but worse, their dignity and self-respect, even though you see poor kids who never get beyond 6th grade (if that) because their parents pull them out of school, even though Traveler children never have their own rooms -- there's something about them that one can't help but romanticize and admire.
They truly are survivors, not only because of their ability to adapt quickly and well, but because of their ability to -- in spite of all their horrible deeds -- solicit a kind of grudging admiration. Like I said ... they're just unbelievable.
Thanks for sharing such a great story!