“How much?” the teenager asked.
“$45…” said Victor.
The young man shook his head, walked away with his two friends. Victor shouted, “they’re $120 at Foot Locker. Same Jersey.”
They thanked him but kept walking. They were carrying bags and presumbably spent most of this rainy second Sunday of Advent shopping at the mall. The drizzle was light, but gelid.
Damp, cold... just grim and depressing weather, totally the opposite of Victor’s upbeat optimism. He was selling Foot ball Jerseys and some other items in the lot of an automtoive store on Marin Boulevard, itself a desolate pice of Jersey highway dividing downtown from the Power House District and Newport Mall and seen by thousands driving by thinking they are taking a short-cut from the Turnpike to the Holland Tunnell.
“I’m here until Christmas, only on Sundays. I have a store in Jersey City (Chi-Chi'S Store, 287 Central Avenue).”
“How’s business?”
“Not so good today, the weather is bad.”
“Well, at least there’s plenty of parking.”
Another pedistrian paused by the rack. A plastic tarp covered the non-apparel items for sales – the Game of Life, a Spiderman helmet – and the Jersey’s were hung on the rack near the sidewalk, and by the garage doors of the Automative emporium, on the other side of the lot. Perpetually friendly, Victor assured the potential customer on qualit, authenticity and range of available sizes.
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