disappointed  Listen, if I sketch out step in please.

You won’t. 

If I do . . . please.  sounded to her like she was begging two heads were better than one

she hadnt spent time any substantial time in the MidWest since she moved but St. Louis Park Minnesota wasnt Waterloo Iowa  didnt occur to her that a chef salad could be as different as night and day

Iowa served iceberg lettuce

                             she couldnt remember if she ever bought it for a salad for tacosyeah

Iowa also heaped it with luncheon meat  she mistakenedhadnt ask for the dressing on the side  it was slathered over the top of meat over the iceberg lettuce

Thasnot a chef salad babe her father said

Preaching to the choir, Papa, preachin . .

. . his suddenunrestrained laughter interrupted her

   You’re laughi . .

. . With you with you Im laughin with you

I don’t think sodoesn’t sound like . with.

snort  Yaoughta saysnort  ya don believe so . .

. . You’re laughing at me.

I am I am

           Im laughin atya I can see your face your beautiful face all screwup all Whadafucks tha  snort snort 

Yawanna quitwith the pig impersonation.

Do I have to

   I suppose notno.  Tossed me for a loop . .

. . Speechless

Speechless, fuckin’ mute . . couldn’t believe that . . that was . thathat was a chef salad.

Youre not in Kansas any more Dorothytry an click those ruby heels fly back home 

Didya try to eat it

I had to ask the girlthe waitress an honest-to-God waitress not a server stitched in the breast of her swear-to-God Fifties diner’s dress uniform . .

. . Quaint . .

. . Not quaint, I’d say throwback but I’d be wrong . . . I had to ask Dolores for a side plate she screwedup her face Another dinner plate I interrupted her Yes. Please.

I excavated my salad to reach the pitifullyfew poor suffocated vegetables . .

. . Tomato slices.

Chopped.

Wasnt a chop salad ya ord . .

. . No. Chef.

   Truly luncheonmeat

Julienned SPAM.

Stop

No.

two night later in Reinbeck she ordered another chef salad

she didnt need backupwas on her game 

                                          Could I not get any meat on that, please?

Dearie, stitched Lucille said  that’s what makes it a chef salad cleared her throat  the julienned meat.

not ham not turkeysaid nothing nothing about swiss cheese hard-boiled egg slices

                                                                                        MEAT a mystery

1932,  day-between-2-Ts,  6  12. 23

2010,  2sday – Boxing Day,  26  12. 23

Does it feel like shes gone     It does to me

his guts twistedfelt like a spasticsnake

                                                   It does to me he whispered

was he trying to dissuade himself

he hadnt intuition

                    he left thapreferred tha  quality  to the very few women in his life

not those who passed through it

as he passed through theirs

fellow travelers

                 there for the sightssounds shake dust from their boots  hot showers    hotter motel beds

Gmorning

It’s afternoon.

he looked at his watch on the nightstand

                                              So it is  So it is    Afternoon  Buyya lunch

if a lot of dust she had a smartphone  Grubhub lunch dinner in bed

                                                                       then

in the morning

breakfast

            friendly fellow travelers 

no numbers exchanged

she had intuition

                   guts shuddered

if she was gone

it gone

          took it with her

Are you doubtin yourself

Yathink

   Stoptha

             Ball was never in your court yaknow tha   Nomo than in hers

Yare right

Were right

              Roll with the punches She may not be    You may not be

It was nice an easy

Thenbe  nice   an easy

                                Youll know before ya know it

   Aah  Gloria

2222,  day-between-2-Ts,  13  12. 23

1721,  2sday – Cold Moon/full moon,  26  12. 23

John Lee Hooker  (The Hot Spot)  Moanin'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LMNSEJQhgg

Miles Davis  Gloria’s Story (The Hot Spot)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cr5yeFwvtk

Boxing DayNEVER heard of it

he received an invitation from his brother day after Christmas his son-in-law is English  It’s an English thing.

How long have you been celebrating it

                                         he lived on the Left coast as affectionately referred to by his immediate landlocked family they lived in the Midwest

Ninetynine.

Since fuckin Ninetynine

   Yah yah. Ness met Mark late sophomore year, they lived with us after graduating, hed earned a lucrative internship to remain stateside.

What year is it

Twentythree.

An this is the first Ive heard of itfirst invite Ive gotten . .

. . Ya live a long way away anif yawanna nitpicksplit cunt hairs . . when was the last time you were in for Christmas?

Two

Was it Two?

You know it

he could hear him shift uncomfortably rolledsteel legged chair on kitchen linoleum

                                                                                       I’ve invited you now.

Which I appreciate nice  nicetabe included

Yahsure.

What is it

Day after Christmasthis goes wayway back lords and ladies large houses enormous estates to be maintained groundskeepers servants butlers maids cooks livestock shepherds. You’ve heard.

Not fond of the period though have heardyes

Boxing Day, the one day the hierarchy celebrates their help, gifts them.

Aah  White of emhuh

I guess you could say that.

   I did

         Unfortunatelythough  while I appreciate the offer Ill have to decline  Yaknow  Tradition   Or traditionally

Then if you would, understand from here forth you’re invited to the house for Boxing Day. I’ve cleared it with Helen.

Suhweet  Landmines defused unearthed

                                            If I make Christmas Ill make Boxing Day thank you

You’re welcome.

There’s more to it thantha.

                            his first schoolboy chum moving into the neighbourhood of the same Cub Scout pack

You know Boxing Day

Yah. Of course.

Fuck of course When did you learn of it

Grad school. Threefour, four, yah four guys, were from England, learned then.

Anya didnt say

Why would I say?

I didnt quit coming in for Christmas until we moved to Cali Ninety Grad school was much prior Youd come to the folks house on Christmashave dinner with us lotsa bullshitting an being as many polacks as we were we didnt get out of country didnt rub elbows with graduate students

                                                      Id think youd have said something then

I’m saying now. It’s also a regifting time, boxing an unwanted gift anew.  Boxing Day.

The masters would regift gifts to their help

Not masters. They don’t like being called mast . .

. . Now

No. Not now. Smacks of . .

. . Imperialism

                 But they were masters

Not now.

          That wouldn’t be appreciated, they wouldn’t like it.

Awwbut ya know I coud care less

That’s you.

But if I may

Whadaya got?

They shoudnt be upset if called masterbecause because when you and I were younger we were referred to as Master you were Master Jeff we were Masters before we came of age and were called Mister

                                                                                            Yah

Yah. You are.

Now Id allowthem being upset if were referred to them as doing his best black voice which was shabby Mastah Whole other kettle of fishyah

   Yah. You’re right.

Some appleshuh

Some apples.

2218,  Monday – Christmas,  25  12. 23

1327,  2sday – Boxing Day,  26  12. 23