he was awarehe usually kept his
eyes peeledears open for a story though
often he was blindsided which was refreshing he didnt have to do all the worktease or goad
its possibility into the light of day where itd walk out hesitantly a hand up
shading its eyes stepping unsurely
then finally making
its presence known
he was having breakfast with a
guy he met on a plane to visit his daughter in Seattle
that had been months earlier
they jived
their nexus was that they were fellow
Midwesterners
the guy was from Iowa the son of
a man who worked his entire life at a Hormel meatpacking plant a father of seven
he was from Chicago the son of a
man who was an efficiency expert turned cost analystwhich tickled himcertainly
coincided with his fathers overt anal tendencies some prefer anal retentiveness he wouldnt argue for anything anal Christ Buy an anal thermometer! Get it over with hed drive his father nuts not doing chores in
manner he prescribed they be done Get
away from me Dad you do it your way an Ill do it mine Aint no matter itll be completed If you want it done so badly in the way you
want it done you do it
his father probably would havehe
cringed when he saw his kid working but
he hadnt the time he worked two jobs to
provide for his wife and eight kids
whenever he felt that paternal
analness sneak up on him as he raised his kids he shook himselfbarked like a
big dog which cracked his girls up then he let them have their headtheir
way As long as we get it done is all
that matters But youll clean up your
messnot me Understood
they said they did
but they were
always peeved when he was finished and having a beer and they were still at it
Ron his name from Iowa they had a late
breakfasthe arrived late Almost not at all he jested a truck moving bees blew a tire and lost
control on the narrow two lane highway that lead to the coast broken hives littered the road and agitated
bees worried the police and cleanup crew he pressed forward he insisted he
had a critical financial meeting and would assume liabilityresponsibility if he
were stung he was driving an open MG MGB
sportster they bought it he droveswerved around broken impediments and
smiled with the humoured bees puny
insects bettering Mankind
when he arrived at the restaurant
breakfast had entered the realm of brunch
Whadaya havin? Ron asked I think I’m havin a burger.
he liked when people asked a question and followed it up with their
intention or answered what they asked he
got riled when people threw something out and hadnt the common sense to him
to also offer their take asif they were interrogating
him he a subject sweated in a dark room with a bright desk lamp
shone in his eyes
he said as much to Ron Wow, you certainly have a way of painting, starkly,
where you’re coming from. You’re visual.
Yah I dont want there to be any confusionany ambiguity
about how I feelwhat I think I prefer
explicitness Sunlight the best
disinfectant We seempeople seem more
infectedor infested than ever
Pretty dark.
Dark because were constantly fed the bright pretty
bauble forcefed it seemingly we cant pause
to look behind the curtainlook into the dark our eyes can grow accustom to itwe can see into it Its not optimism versus pessimism rather we should recognise that theyre not
flipsides but rather a linear spectrum the
whitest black to blackest white
Haven’t heard that before; makes sense. Whadaya havin ?
Blueberry buckwheat pancakes
That’s not on the menu.
It is They have a fruit cup and in the fruit cup are fresh blueberries Im extrapolating though to be completely honest Ive had them
here before
Ah. Clever.
Possibly Im not stopped on a highway by bees Possibly held for ransom
Ron laughed openmouthed a great HAH! HAH! Good one!
Thank you How have you been comparatively
Compared to what?
Compared lets say to the strangest thing thats ever happened to you
The strangest thing . .
Yes Surely youve dealt with strange thingsyoure
old enough to have youve mentioned you
travel youre here youre not a hermit youre not asexual . .
.
. Ouch! You lookin to hurt me?
No just painting in broad strokes leavin the
detailingthe finish to you
Strangest thing. Huh. What’s
strange to me?
Didnt see that cominghuh
I didn’t. Wasn’t expecting that.
Yes Thats the thinkingunexpected My girlfriend and I attribute our
relationship to unexpectedness
Seems odd.
Not really We both adore found art What could be more accidental or unexpected Nice that its incorporated in our
relationship
Interesting.
Stop Interesting is ambivalent Youre saying nothing . .
. . I think . .
.
. Save your breath until you can say exactly what you mean Firsthowever your strange thing dont get off coursedistracted Im innarested in your strangest experience
I’m trying to think, you’re distracting
me.
Im good in silence Take your time
Thank you
their food came Ron didnt get catsup with his burger he had the waitress take away the syrup that
accompanied his pancakes
You
don’t care for syrup?
Nah I like my food straight typically as raw as I
can have it
Since when?
Since I was a little more than a
kid I like crunchthings in their native
state Though lets not get off track Im waitin on you
they ate for a while
Got it! The strangest thing!
Pray tell
As I’ve said, you’ve said, I
travel a lot. I travelled extensively after my hitch in the military before
returning to Iowa, gaining entrance into the Iowa Writers’ Workshop . .
. . No small task
Yeah. I have to admit I was
surprised I was accepted.
I understand its prestigious
Second only to Columbia.
No I think Iowas cream of the crop
Maybe now. Though then, in the
Seventies, I believe Columbia outlegged Iowa.
Possible However
Strange
Yes. Strange. During my travel throughout
Europe, the British Isles, South Asia, I bought and sent a ridiculous amount of
postcards to myself to my parents’ address; hundreds, and annotated them to remind
me of particulars, of my experiences.
I met a girl.
She was a freak for postcards.
She’d fuck me or blow me for a postcard.
Crazy currency, man.
And when she had all my postcards
she split. In the middle of the fuckin night; truly. I woke in the morning and
she was gone.
I hope she was a good fuck
She was amazing.
Maybe you werent so good a fuck
Jésus, mon doux Jésus.
Huh
Sweet Jesus. What a terrible thing to say.
Just saying She split
Thats strange
It was. Then I booked
for the West Coast, San Francisco; then later Seattle. I only visit the Midwest
on occasion; my whole family’s there.
Though admitting
that I cant say I know which is stranger Huh
1410,
Saturday, 1 12. 18
1413, Sunday,
2 12. 18
