The Scent of an Older Woman

Riding New York City Transit is something I do at least 5 days a week. It has it has its blessings. It’s fast and spans an enormous distance. Of course, it also has its curses. Sadly those are numerous and I’m not even going to develop all of them for lack of time and space. I’m going to turn to one aspect that drives me a little bonkers. It’s the smell of people on the train that bothers me.

It’s not like other places in the world where perfume can be used to mask horrendous hygiene. For the most part, people use colognes and aromas to enhance their natural cleanliness. And that’s great.

However, today when I got off the train, there was a strange smell passing from one nostril to the other. I was taken aback immediately but not to the point where I was having a visceral response to the smell. No, it was that vague moment where you know you’ve smelled these fragrances before but you can’t quite remember where or when. I instantly tried to ascertain where the smell was coming from – from whence was this whiff wafting?

I made my way through the horde of commuters until I was right behind the smell. It was emanating from an older woman who was decked out in lace stockings, a long fur coat, and lovely black patent leather pumps. She also was sparkling from the jewelry on her hands.

Why was this smell so familiar to me? Was it the perfume my mother-in-law wore? Did my mom used to own this scent?

As we continued up the stairs, she stopped at the very top to gain her bearings. I moved past her to see if perhaps she was someone I recognized and this was their signature scent. But no. I only noticed that this woman’s face didn’t quite match her clothing. She was much, much older – leathered skin from too much sun bathing. That’s when it hit me, this woman smelled of moth balls over Channel #5 just like my grandma in her coffin at her wake ceremony.

UGH!!!! That’s when I began to hold back my gag reflex. I really wish I hadn’t been able to place this scent after all.