on occasion his worse demon slovenly summons him to breakfast at a national franchise

he preferredargued No lets go to a Mom an Pop a local place a small greasy spoon where the oatmeal sticks to your ribs grits go with that sunnyside up eggs opaque whites their yolks jiggle when the waitress walks up to the table freshsqueeezed orange juice twisted amber spools of flypaper hanging like garland near a poorlyrepaired torn screen door

it groaned National franchise  a national franchise or Ill make the eggs upset your guts and youll spend lotsa time in the head shitting

                  right about now his mother would pale talk of food and shitting shouldnt be had at the same table despite the real processes that turn one into the other No matter shed say that kind of talk is uncouth, and I’d assume a child from my womb would prefer to be thought couth, be couth, than otherwise; correct?

when she put it that way

                   hed think about it

what she meant of course was that heeven at this late date a fullblown adult a many-times-blown adult remained a reflection of her  and upon her  and if he was uncouth then she was responsible for his poor manners  KaRIST! 

                                                                                          admittedly he never cared for the sound of the word couth  which was hard to believe  because he loved the sound of cuntthey werent dissimilar

                            his belief however wasnt randomwasnt some wild imagining psychological angst on his last birthday he received a quick note from her through the mail and unlike heras his father was notorious for sending newspaper clippings cartoon strips she sent him an birthday Astrology clipping a bit larger than a postage stamp he almost missed it it tucked itself in the corner of the envelope  

Aries (March 21 – April 19) You’ll recognize your impact and become aware of what you were too modest to see before – specifically, that there are those who cannot act normal around you because your attractiveness is too distracting.

flattering he was averse to flattery

when they spoke afterwards he called her out  she was coy  You do recognise he said – he had to read the clip to her because she said she didnt remember its content – that in a fashion you compliment yourself

Of course I am. If it wasn’t me, and your father, you wouldn’t be here with your physical attractiveness.

My fortunatelyformed face

                            he didnt go into the possibility that the assessed attractiveness wasnt necessarily physical  that might be lost on her she certainly had her vanity but who didn’t

their conversation ran its typical course 

she wanted to talk about the weather

she wanted to talk about the family 

talking often descended into complaining

he lived half the country away Rather than talking to me you ought to be talking with themHEAR with them  not to them I know somewhere in that gray matter thats been simmered beneath uncounted chemical colouring hairdryers hairdresser appointments that you know your children are adults and you ought to treat them in kind  or unkind All I can do is listen If youre seeking constructive results thatll have to be between you and them

I know you know  when were the tables turned he missed the memo

then it was his turn So you got a demon

Excuse me?

A demon an occasional bad habit  it prodding you with its hotred tridentpoking you with its pointy tail

What are you talking about?

Breakfast

A breakfast demon?

Sure  A bastard breakfast demon that has to feed at a franchise  a corporate franchise  where youre greeted by pastywhite extruded sugar cookie characters bland I-do-what-Im-tolders

I don’t know what you’re talking about?

You can hear me cant you

I can hear you. Although hearing you, particularly you, doesn’t mean I always understand a word you're saying. 

What was I saying

Something about going to breakfast with a demon . . . at a Denny’s? . .

. . Bingo

At a Denny’s?

At a Denny’s

Why not an I-Hop? . . 

. . Bingo!

Ha! What do I win?

Clever I like that youre playing the game with me

I’m trying.

Yah The cretin prefers corporate to Mom an Pop places local eats cant convince the clown Although I ought to be grateful he doesnt ooze up into my consciousness perch on my shoulder with any frequency

Perches oozing on your shoulder?

Youre getting good at this

I try.

Thank you

Frankly I just try to go along with the pictures you paint; you might not have realised all those years ago when your brothers and sisters, when we were riding home in the car at night from visiting relatives, and they wanted you to tell them a story, stories that they often fell asleep to, that your father and I were also listening.

No I didnt know that  When I was telling the stories I just thought you and Dad were up front talking about the visit

No. We listened too. You were, are, such a good storyteller. I suppose that’s what you’re doing now, talking about this demon and Denny’s.

Perhaps But the crux of this tale is corporate disinterest even at the entry levelthe boots on the groundthe lackluster obedience to the sociopaths who run it American-style capitalism at its best

Ya dig

I dig.

I ended up blowing off the demonleft to him to his own devises stranded maybe Ive shook him at long last No I didnt Hes destine to emerge again Probably wearing new spurs and wielding a stiff riding cropnot that a good riding crop is a bad thing every now and again  But I digress

What made me turnaround and leave were the banners hanging all over the restauranthanging in every plateglass window facing out fitted in the illuminated placards beside food items colour palates consciouslycontrived to please the eye  even the blind to see 

I’m listening.

Im catching my breath

I have a hard time accepting this in America Businesses operating on Sundaysemployees being squeezed part-time trying to make ends meet while dancing between three four five part-time jobsno benefits minimum wage I think maybe a few bombs ought to go off in boardroomsCEOs and boards smeared on wall like Jackson Pollock paintings Maybe

Preaching to the choir, son.

Yes 

I bugged out of Denny’s because the banners were braying KIDS EAT FREE 4PM to 10PM 

Why would a child be eating at 10 oclock at night when they ought to be home in bed 8  8:30 latest

After asking the wait time to be seated I asked the extruded pasty cookieperson about the inanity of children eating at 10did that mean as long as they were seated by10 they could eat FREE or did they have to be finished by 10

She shrugged

She shrugged  and apparently reading my eyessome intellect presenting itself asked me if Id like to talk to the manager

I said yes

The manager arrivednot much older than the greeting cookieperson but a cookieperson themselves

I reiterated myself

Brusquelyagain some intellect presenting  must have picked up on my sarcasm As long as they’re seated by 10.

I asked if he didnt think that was a little late for a childif the child was limited to a strict menu or could order for FREE anything off the menu

I could see he desperately wanted to ask What do you think, smartass?  Had he I would have respected him more

He said We have a FREE child’s menu.

And I asked  Isnt 10 oclock a little latewhy not 2PM to 8

He said because those hours were the hours corporate had determined. Kids are eating FREE, sir.

Kids put me off I prefer calling them children . .

. . They’re not goats.

As you have always said  You can understand youve tainted me

Then I did my job.

You did  You prejudiced the hell out of me

I thanked him Thank you sir I said 

I said he could seat him  pointed with my thumb over my shoulder at the demon he couldnt see and said I wasnt staying to eat

He looked over my shoulder

There wasnt anyone behind me

He looked a little disturbed

Before I left I told him he might want to question his superiors why 10 oclockwhy not the hours I recommended OR at least open the menu up for the children to eat what they wanted rather than what corporate allowed them to eat

I suggest you push my recommendations up the food chain

Show some initiative

Im sure he thought I was THAT customer that day

It’s a different time, isn’t it, son.

Yes Different  Certainly not better

Certainly greedier

Jackson Pollock

1551,  Monday,  22  4. 19

1226,  Friday,  26  4. 19

Kristin Anna  Uterus Water  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swjLt4mjQZM