Edward faced him  looking east

                                   Ohman . .

he didnt have any idea what was over his shoulder but Edwards expression compelled himhe had to look

                                                                                                                Ohman he echoed

they looked out through the train window

That is a very old cemetery.

It certainly is

the headstones were tall some graves seemed welltended despite the thatch of brown grass scattered here and there polkadotted were vibrant coloured flowers too vibrant to be freshcut likely artificial

he didnt see visitors or mourners

How old is it do you think?

looking across the 101 he was familiar with stretches of it he caught a glimpse of storefronts saw the tripod walking eye water tower Gonzales painted on its side

                                            This is Gonzales  Push came to shove Id guess it was foundedits existence was tied to the railroad depot ranchland cattle other livestock agriculture Eighties Maybe earlier  Cemeterys better than a hunred years old

it was gone  passed   

he turned back to Edward

                            Yasaw it was fenced in

I did, yes.

To keep dogs coyotes out

Out?

Hellyah ya don want them in the graveyard digging up old bones nawh do ya

  Edward was Chinese his halting blink over the muslincoloured beige Trump virus mask was something to behold 

Are you kidding me?

Think it was built to keep the dead in

                                        Anticipating the Zombie apocalypse

Chinese eyes he didnt think they opened that wide

                                                       You’re teasing me?

Cemeteries in Ottawa fenced in he learned during their ride from San Jose Didiron Station that was where Edward was raised after his family immigrated from Taiwan

I do not know, I’ve never been, we have no family in Canada.

Theyre walled in in Chicago Got tons of family inside

                                                         Ya know    Catholic 

too wideeyed

              he couldnt keep looking at Edward was going to lose his shit

casually he turned his gaze through the window again

saw a handpainted sign on a rusted old flatbed truck

                                                        CA$H FOR COFFIN 

couldnt have seen that right

     

     blinked  looked                                                Ah that was better

                           CA$H FOR PALLETS

 

he was going to have to visit the cemetery

had seen the exit sign 310

not a quarter mile off the 101

1342,  Twosday,  5  4. 22

1239,  Easter Sunday,  17  4. 22