Last time Larry and I visited New York, we returned to China Town for an afternoon of shopping. Any woman who visits China Town returns home with imitation [fake] designer handbags, sunglasses, or wallets.
I entered a shoe store and the owner asked me in hushed tones,”You want Chanel?”
“Do I want Chanel? I even taught my pedicurist to paint a Chanel symbol on my two big toes!” I exclaimed.
He led me to a back room. While Larry watched a vendor hawking raw fish next door, I followed the store owner to the back room. He used three keys to unlock the door. I peeked inside and at least 15 women fondling fake Chanel, Prada, and Ralph Lauren merchandise turned to glance at me as I entered the room.
I heard a click as the manager locked the door. I chatted with a beautiful woman of color who told me she and her group of friends were on a church mission. She asked where I was from. When I told her “Atlanta, “she said, “We’re from Lawrenceville,” so I said, “Actually, I live in Marietta. So we don’t live that far from each other!”
Then, I thought,” A church mission? Why are they purchasing illegal merchandise?”
As I turned my attention to shopping, I realized that possibly 500 handbags lined tables, walls, and hung from the ceiling! This was a shopping mecca!
I grabbed a large Chanel bag hanging from the ceiling. Perfect! I unzipped it and located the forged authenticity papers in a side pocket. The price tag read $150. Reasonable. But then, as I ran my hand across the outside of the bag and sniffed it, I realized that this bag was imitation leather!
I turned to exit the room, and one of the church ladies, carrying two Pradas and a Chanel wallet headed to the door. She turned the door knob and realized the door was locked. Turning to face me, she asked, “Why did he lock us in here?”
Joking, I answered, “Because he plans to stuff us in shipping crates, load us on foreign ships, and make us sex slaves in China.” What were they thinking? We were perusing and purchasing illegal merchandise!
I heard a piercing wail emanate from the back of the room. Then all the other women, screaming, rushed the door. Thankfully, I could hear the store manager’s keys unlocking the door. They ran like hell into the street.
My husband stood behind the store manager. “What happened in there?”
“I guess they didn’t like the quality of the merchandise,” I said.
Nice Bag...
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