A massage at the Mall

At our nearby Mall, Lakeforest, their is a small place where Chinese men give people massages. I've never been interested until recently, when I took a kick boxing class and became so sore I could barely move. Ever since then I've been craving a massage. Usually Josh is my masseuse, by being a lawyer by profession, he is using very tired at the end of a long day and isn't trained in Massage. I've gone to the Mall several times, on a fact finding mission, but nothing ever came of it- until today.

My day started out as usual: oatmeal for the kids, a shower for me, getting everyone dressed and in the car, dropping off Elizabeth and then Ethan and Jonah at preschool and then Asher at a friends so I could do volunteer work at Elizabeth's class. As I walked through the school I noticed something strange. Miss Fermanack's class was dark and there was a sign: "no heat. In Mrs. Jocham's class today (Elizabeth's class)." This is not good I thought to myself. As I arrived at her classroom, I found it empty with a stressed Mrs. Jocham running around. We talked and I dropped the celery and peanut butter and raisin snack that I brought off in the teachers lounge and was told I wasn't needed for the day- they were watching a movie. I forgot about peanut allergies with my snack, so hopefully Mrs. Jocham will remember tomorrow when she gives them out.

Here, I found myself, with no children at my side and no where I needed to be: for one hour. What was I to do? The whole world was mine! Should I go to the gym? Trader Joes? Go home and clean my crazy messy kitchen and go online? I called my friend and she said I was okay to go to the mall if I needed a break, which I did. Badly. Josh has been clocking hours like a crazy man at the law firm.I excitedly called Josh and ran for the Mall. For those of you who don't know- I love to shop. Having four kids and one income and living in Montgomery Village hampers me at times, but when I can I like to window shop.

I was happily window shopping, glad that the mall wasn't even open to tempt me. I passed by the Food Court to see what was open. Only a Mickey Dee's and I grabbed a water and fruit yogurt thing. I didn't want to eat where some creepy guy was giving me the eyeball, so I took off and went to the other end of the Mall- Macy's, where I sat down and enjoyed my 99 cent yogurt with real fruit and probably a little too much sugar. It was 10 to 10 and I was contemplating buying Josh a book or ending my trip early and talking to my friend for a while, when lo and behold, I notice the massage place to my right. It was dark and no one was there, so I calmly meandered in. There was an elderly Korean man sitting inside. I asked him if he worked there. He replied that he was a client. I asked him the pricing. He pointed to a sign that basically read $10 for 10 minutes, $20 for 20. I thought it was a fair price, and my fact mission finding over, I turned to leave when a Chinese man asked, you try? and escorted me to a long table. Sure, I said, hoping that it could be a free trial. I stammered on about how I have four children and lots of stress and he nodded. Come to find out later that his English vocabulary only included the words of "softer, harder, okay, thank you and money." Ok. Maybe not money, the word itself, but money as in: "You want one hour?" No! No! I replied, ten minutes! Ten minutes? What?

He continued to comment how I was very tight in the shoulders and I continued to say "softer" and "ahaahahahahha" when he did the shaky jabby thing on my back. I laughed. He laughed. I left him with a large tip and several attempts at his name (it sounded like Son-jeee.) Very tonal. I want to learn Chinese know. I never did before, but if I can get a massage like that, it may just be worth learning Chinese and traveling to China where I hear it costs $10 for one hour, not ten minutes.

This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

p.s. it may help cure my depression! That would be worth any money in the world!