Gladys Hampton stood at the entrance of Macy’s in the Del Amo Fashion Center, gazing at the rain, the puddles, and the line of cars searching for parking.
Somewhere out there was her vehicle, and she’d need to speed walk to stay dry.
However, unlike many other shoppers at the Torrance mall, Hampton didn’t mind the conditions at all.
“On the bright side, the mall isn’t too crowded,” she remarked. “It has a festive feel with this weather.”
Hampton couldn’t think of a downside, just another positive aspect of the rain.
“It might be my personal preference since I enjoy gloomy weather.”
Inside the mall, Christmas music played, sneakers squeaked on the dry floor, and families waited in line for photos with Santa Claus. Amid an atmospheric river storm, the sprawling three-level shopping center served as a dry refuge and a convenient spot for last-minute Christmas shopping.
Taking a break on a bench, 59-year-old Trini Johnson rested while shopping with her 14-year-old niece.
Recovering from a knee injury, Johnson would have preferred to be at home in bed but her niece needed to complete last-minute shopping.
“Everywhere we go, I’m on the lookout for a chair,” she said.
She described getting out of the car in the rain as “horrible” and “awful.”
Traveling from Mid City, Johnson opted for side streets, refusing to drive on the freeway. She recounted a previous experience when rain splashed on her windshield while she was in the fast lane, momentarily obstructing her view.
“I didn’t know whether to hit the brakes or keep going,” she said. “It scared me to death.”
Despite those harrowing moments, the year has been challenging for Johnson. This will be her first holiday season without her husband, who passed away earlier this year.
Although they were separated, they remained very close. It’s been a significant adjustment for her.
“Now I have to call a regular plumber and people to help me around the house,” she explained. “Before, I would just call him, and it would be taken care of.”
She mentioned that the dreary weather hasn’t been helpful. Still, Johnson expressed hope that everything would be alright.
“I’ll see him again, along with my parents, one day,” she said.
Elsewhere in the mall, Ana Leon, 37, and her mother, Socorro Diaz, 63, had just entered and made their way to a coffee shop.
“Un cafecito primero,” Leon said. “A coffee first.”
Leon noted that her shoes and socks were wet as she enjoyed her coffee.
The mother and daughter hadn’t traveled far, living in Lawndale and initially not planning to shop on such a rainy day.
“A lot of people drive too fast or too slow,” Leon remarked. “And then there are those big puddles.”
So what prompted their mall visit on such a rainy day?
“We forgot some gifts for people,” Leon said, laughing. Her mother, cradling her cup with both hands, joined in the laughter.
“But we don’t have to tell them that.”
When asked about the discomfort of shopping with wet socks and shoes, she replied that the coffee was helping, and she only needed to buy three gifts.
“Maybe some new sneakers and socks,” Leon said with a smile.
