Sew right

I could tell by the looks on their
Wizened faces that they didn't get
Many men entering their shop

"I need buttons for a coat I really like."
"We have a few," and the older one
(I could tell she was older by her
Dyed hair) motioned to the wall rack
With a smattering of buttons
Not many
Not a lot

After I examined the rack
And went back and forth between
The spinner and the wall
I found some that matched

"Are they for you," the elder one said
She was leaving the store and I was
Interrupting their leave-taking
"Yes."
"You'll need four then."
Such knowledge is rare.
She knew men's coats had
Four instead of three, I guess

"That's OK, I'll buy extras. I'll need them."
And she continued her way out of the shop
The younger old woman rang me up
I paid cash
Two dollars, fifteen cents.

She gave me incorrect change,
But I didn't bother
Because they reminded me of my
Mother
And her gentle manner
And her lost button box