One October I was in a dollar store in Central Square, buying Halloween decorations for a party. I found a bunch of excellent life-size rubber bats and put them on the counter to check out. The woman at the cash register recoiled and in broken English asked me to tell her what their price was. I gave her a look like Uh that’s your job lady and she explained that she couldn’t touch them. I don’t know what it was, but I got the impression that she couldn’t touch them for religious or spiritual reasons. Like to touch them would be to invite evil into her life.
I don’t remember what she looked like because I was more focused on the way she had quickly drawn her hands back when she saw the bats. This was years ago and now when I picture her I picture Tanita Tikaram.