Sunday, May 3, 2009

What? A story that has nothing to do with my kids?


On my way to Starbucks the other morning a song came on that was from the movie City of Angels. My wee little mind whirled and sputtered and produced a funny story from long ago that I hadn't thought about in forever.
When that movie first came out, I went with a friend to see it in the theater. And anyone who has seen the movie knows its a tear jerker.
The main guy (Nicholas Cages character, I cant remember his name) is grieving the loss of his love. So he goes to a store that he and his lady friend used to go to together. There was a previous scene involving pears. (The details escape me. She never tasted a pear so sweet or something to that nature.) Anyways, so he goes and he gets to the produce section and sees the pears. In an act of desperate longing for his dead lover, he takes a pear and puts it in his basket. Then he takes another, and another and another filling his whole basket up. It was a pitiful scene to watch and of course I'm sitting there blubbering silently in my seat.
Out of the darkness, my friend says, "42105" (not sure what the exact number was. This was a long time ago so bear with me here, ok?)
I sniffle some more and ask, "What?"
He repeats himself, "42105"
I'm no longer crying and am just confused. Why interrupt this deeply emotional part of the movie to spit a number at me? What the hell is he talking about?
Then he explains "42105. Its the produce code for pears."
Did I mention my friend at the time was a grocery store cashier?
I bust out laughing and the sappy moment was gone. Forever replaced with a produce code.
Which I suppose worked out considering if I remember correctly, the movie never did have a happy ending and otherwise I'm pretty sure I would have walked out of the theater ready to crawl into a hole of despair and pray to be swallowed by the earth.

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