Sometimes the ‘ci’ makes the ‘sh’ sound.

There was no one behind the counter at Barnes & Noble, but then a late-teenage girl called to me from the gift section nearby.  “Go ahead and go to #2, and I’ll meet you there!”

 

B&N’s cash registers aren’t numbered, so I used my best deduction skills.  She came behind the counter with a very obvious limp, catering her left side.

 

“Did you find everything you need today, ma’am?”

 

“I sure did.  Thank you.”

 

“You know what I was just thinking about?  I was just thinking about how I can’t wait to take a hot bath tonight.  And I mean, hot.”

 

I smiled and nodded.  I mean, who can’t go for a nice hot bath?  Sure, I’ll roll with this.

 

“I broke my toe this morning, and they gave me a boot to wear, but I just didn’t feel good about wearing just a boot and a sock to work, so I have been in my regular shoes.  But I’ve been leaning my hip way out, so now my back is hurting too, and what I really need is a hot bath.”

 

Yes, I see.  This is what I hear.

 

“I called my sister, and I said, ‘You know what you should get?  You should get bubbles.’  I can’t remember the last time I had a bubble bath.  Whew.  Tonight is my night.”

 

“Sounds like a great plan,” I offer.

 

“I’m sorry.  You’ve just got to love listening to someone talk about nothing.”

 

Well, she wasn’t really talking about nothing.  There was definitely a clear topic.

 

She ran my membership card, because you know I would have one for Barnes & Noble.  And then she looked at my name, and – get this – she said, “Okay, Tricky.  You have a good night.”

 

Tricky. As if Tricia is pronounced Trickya.

 

She’s actually the second person to make this phonetic mistake.  The first one was in the church nursery when I was an infant.  “Trickya is such a lovely baby,” she said to my parents.

 

This story is how I came to be nicknamed ‘Trachea’ for a short stint in my early twenties.

 

It’s Tricia, actually.  Sometimes the ‘ci’ makes the ‘sh’ sound.  Like in ‘special.’

 

Which is what that whole conversation turned out to be: just real special.

Tricia Lott Williford

Comments are closed

  1. I just had the best laugh! Thanks!

  2. LOL! (I actually don’t normally use that little group of three letters. It bugs.) But really, I laughed out loud, Tricky!

  3. I have had so many people call me Rene. Like “green” without the g. I mean Rene’ is a pretty common name. It always blows my mind:)

  4. Wow…I would never have thought it to be Trikya. A “c” is generally soft in that instance, so at best I might say tri-ci-a. But I can’t see trikya at all. And then I named my son, Caeden…spelled the most amazing way anyone could spell such a name (of course…lol), but it kind of complicates things sometimes. I’ve had people say “How do you spell that?” And write it incorrectly even as I’m spelling it because they already think they know it. Anyway. Thanks for sharing 🙂

You Are Safe Now

Available April 9, 2024

This Book Is for You

Now Available
A book about falling in love with the Bible

Just. You. Wait.

Now Available
#1 New Title on Amazon in Christian Inspiration

You Can Do This

Now Available
#1 New Title on Amazon in Women's Issues!

Let's Pretend We're Normal

Now Available
#1 Bestseller on Amazon in Single Parenting

And Life Comes Back

Now Available
#1 in Denver Post: Nonfiction Paperback and Finalist for 2015 Christian Book Award
© 2015-2024 Tricia Lott Williford. All Rights Reserved. Site by Concept To Web.