'Yes, I do!'

"Yes, I do!" I raised my voice and said to the girl, who just turned from me and was walking away.

Hearing this, she stopped and looked back, with such a smile on her face as if she was a little confused. I also noticed that other girls and women around us also looked at me with similar confused, smiling expressions.

She stood there, waiting for my clarification. I reached into my pocket, took out a handful of coins, and picked out a one piso coin. Showing her the coin, I said, "Yes, I do have a one piso coin."

Her expression changed from the confused smile to a clear one, and she turned back and took the coin from my hand. Other girls and women smiled, too.

Suddenly I realized why they had been having such mysterious smiles. Isn't that concise sentence I just said usually used by young women in another context? But at that time I was at the check-out counter of a supermarket!

A few moments ago, as the total cost of my purchase turned out to have one piso odd, the young female cashier apparently wanted to save some change and asked me, "Do you have one piso?"

Since I usually do not have coins with me, I replied without thinking, "No, I don't have." When she went to get some change, I remembered that I had received a number of coins from an earlier transaction. That is why I said "Yes, I do!"

Before long, she came back with the receipt and the change. I thanked her, picked up my stuff from the counter, and walked toward the exit. This time, I smiled.

2010.10.23