Alice 

he knew her tangentially  he referred to it as tangentlyloved playing around with the language that incensed her not really friends but farmore than acquaintances 

their incommon acerbically they saw eye to eye on more things than they didnt

their cool difference humourously Alice did not appreciate that when they met he hummed Elton Johns All the Young Girls Love Alice   

                  she had not heard the song before

he introduced her 

she sneered

Stop Alice you were the girls Gym teacher for years . .

. . PE, Physical Education instructor!

Gym

Someone had to do it . .

. . Anya got fingered

                      he said it as a matter of fact straightfaced 

she eyeballed him like a hawk

he smirked

You’re not funny.

Was tha funnyI think not

                               then the laughter blew out of him

she wasnt a stick in the mud though she laughed too

                                                           Fingered . .

. . Thaswha I said . .

. . You are vile. she mirrored his smirk which looked absolutely fantastic on her . .

. . Vile Who the hell has vile as party to their vocabulary

  Me.  I was also an English teacher.

I read your college transcripts English secondmost not referred then as a minor your degree was in Home Economics Home EC

            Then a librarian                                                          

The librarian, the only high school librarian for years, had to really take my game up a notch.

Which you did an excelled

she smiled

their stringent unbreakable commonality Literacy  Books

they were terribly disappointed how reading had fallen off better than half the countrys adults were unable to read at a sixth grade level

We’re doomed.  Alice sighed

Im doomed Ill be here longer than you Youre days were generouslyfor the most part  in the sun

                                                                                                      Ill have to watch it set

You're always so damn frank, Joe.

You know wha I meanunderstand me Id prefer you at my shoulder throwing a long shadow with me

That you’ll be throwing it with a book in your hand makes me smile.

her smile was odd broken  muscular dystrophy affectstwists more than the body

nonetheless he loved it  like a precious duck with a broken bill and came fast to her face when she was tickled

it always made him smile an laugh

You’re laughing at me.

Yes Your smile is priceless

Alice took it with her

she broke his heart when she died as they joked she would

0057,  Day-between-Two-Ts,  20  7. 22

0950,  Day-between-Two-Ts

Elton John  All the Young Girls Love Alice  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQBoetp2GRQ 

Literacy  https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2020/09/09/low-literacy-levels-among-us-adults-could-be-costing-the-economy-22-trillion-a-year/?sh=60ee79dd4c90 

Alices Celebration of Life last night