the afternoon started out innocently enoughhe wasnt looking for trouble for love  not nothing

but things often have a way of rumbling on in a deaf dumb blind physics of their own  sweeping up or engulfing whatever happens to be in their way caught up in a maelstrom a riptide a revolving door with a sense of humour that recalls a motion picture clip of a white rat running inside a treadmill  whitewater pushing a mill wheel  perhaps the rodent hadnt sense enough to step off  however the glee it enjoyed was that it knew human beings had the sense not to go around and around and roundbut it wasnt going to give them a chance

round and round it goes when it stops nobody knows

it was so terribly pleased with itself

a small brewery opened in the neighbourhood several months ago and he delayed going in order to share the experience with his girlfriend 

unfortunately one thing had lead to another and she was unable to come

with no apparent end in sightshe couldnt say he leaned on her singlemindedness  which he admired  he admired her temerityfrankly encouraged it though given its on-an-on-an-onness he finally threw in the towel and called brotherinlaw asked him if hed been to Dead Oak yet

Dead Oak    Oh yes   No  I havent  Im curious why not

Then great  Care to join me for a beer

You free Thursday afternoon

Im free

his brotherinlaw Fourth Quarter called his eldest son and invited him

his nephew called a buddy he was familiar with who recently returned stateside from Afghanistan

when he and his brotherinlaw met for a beer they called itrather his brotherinlaw called it a putsch  the great Beer Hall Putsch happened in Munich in 1923  end result was Hitlers imprisonment then him writing Mein Kampf a deaf dumb blind physics of its own

he figured that Sam despite his recent military service wouldnt be a Nationalist  he was a best friend of his nephew and his nephew despite his service skewed left

their clutch arrived simultaneously from four different ways

very auspicious

though not as suspicious as after having ordered beers and taking seats that his nephew and Sam sat with their backs to the entry the plateglass frontage  that they would concede having their backs to door surprised him

hence his first point of discussion Why would sit with your back to the door

the seating was arranged by rows of long tables and benches parallel to the frontage

Sam said he took a seat across from him and his brotherinlaw because they sat first

If I were you he countered I would have sat at the bench behind us and turned on it so the four of us were facing out

Perhaps  Though thats not really conducive to conversationnot face to face

All conversation needs are mouths and ears not faces  We aint solving any world problems or crises todaythen almost as if to punctuate the moment over Sams shoulder through the glass window a young woman appeared she wrestled with an A-frame sign for the baby boutique next door that was tormented by a rising wind at the head of an oncoming storm

what initially caught his eye was her hair  bluestreaked  a colour as if looking out off a board through the crash and cascade of an ocean curl 

it was thick  an long  an swung with her movementswas whipped and disturbedfrantically fingered by the air 

he considered helping her but suddenly the wind lifted her hair and revealed the rest of her he was arrested she was petite he didnt expect shed be statuesque  her breasts moved like pair of playful puppies under her sweater

come on now  chivalry isnt dead

his was being patient

he didnt want to step into the fray unnecessarily  impugn her efforts

he would wait

if she looked desperate

then hed be chivalrous

after a minute more of wrestling she collapsed the sign down on itself  obviously frustrated but not desperate leaving it on the pavement   

her expression through her blue hair was fetching

then standing upright she ran her fingers through her hair cut a fantastic imprint on their collective mind and exited stage right returning to the Baby Babble boutique he managed to read that from the A-frame during her struggle

he returned his attention to his beer their conversation his comrades and realised nothing was being said  theyd been as attentive to her as he had That was unexpected he remarked

Yeeah  was conceded

Boys  your necks okay 

Theyre young their necks are rubbery yet Fourth Quarter said

the boyslater than he  turned back into their touted face to face rubbing the right sides of their necks Couldnt say something to ushuh just looked past us

I didnt say because you could have been facing the window too

You know her

No  If I did I probably still wouldnt have stood to help  That was too good a show  Id only have been an interruption an I would have had to throw away my male chauvinist pig card  I dont know if you two ever got heat for being pigsbut nevertheless were all pigs to one degree or another a deaf dumb blind physics of its own

I wish I knew her said Sam

Shes next door

Nah Couldn’t do that

Couldnt admit you watched her struggle but really liked it  My names Sam

Nah Not at all

he turned to his brotherinlaw  Whats that old lineyouth is wasted on the young

I think thats it

There you have Evidence Youth is wasted on the young Take a shot You miss every shot you dont take

Nah That’s a little too ballsy for me

Ballsy Arent you the same guy who volunteered for the military and did tours in Afghanistan

I am

But you havent balls enough to go next door and introduce yourself

It’d be forced

through the window he saw the wind had backed off and Baby Babble Blue had returned to the signyanking it up from its layspreading its legsher breasts getting in the way

he didnt say a thing

by the time the boys turned she had stomped it into position and was returning to the shop

Still not a word the boys chorused

Still sitting with your backs to the door

Well  if you mooks are going to sit tight Im going next door to say hi  Be back in a minute

his nephew laughed  My brother calls our uncle the Silver Fox

they turned on their bench and watched him go out through the door  the A-frame shivered

a deaf dumb blind physics of its own ensued

late Thursday afternoon,  15  3. 18

1150,  Monday,  26  3. 18