he overheard a kidwas a kid to him younger  lateTwenties maybe earlyThirties was complaining he was having a hard time making ends meet

was dressed well the car he leaned against was a couplethree years old  likely paying on it

he thumbed towards itdidnt like assumptions 

                                                  Yours

The car?

Yah

It’s mine.

Goodlookin car

Thank you.

Had to setya back

Don’t they all?

I imagine  My cars old

                           I overheardwasnt listenin in  Tough to make ends meet

Yeah. Hell. You must know.

I hear

others stepped aside he leanedup off the car rubbed where he leaned with his sweatersleeve   returned his attention to him

        You’ve heard.

Make ends meet

You heard me.

You Others    So I ask

You want to ask me something? sizing him up

didnt care for guys who pulled that they shouldnt foolish to think these days it may be a physical encounter

                                                                                                          I do

still sizing maybe reading his mind  continued letting it scroll subliminally on his brain chyron

                                                                                             What’s that?

Wha ends

              Ya living within your means

You want to know . why?

If youre just complaining

Complaining?a lot of nerve, man.

Im askin Dislike assuming

                                Woudya rather I did

stepped towards him

he didnt retreat

Whas your read now

So what are you saying?

   Im asking

If I’m living within my means?

In debt

        Heard tell from my parents a tale of Keepin up with the Joneseswhich confused the shit out of me as a kid  There were two Jones families in the neighborhoodcrazier still Jones  They werent related   But they were similar  How many kids they had one ten one twelve wemy parents  had eight

                                                                            Wondered if my parents were tryin to keep up with thathey werent

I was the eldest

Seven siblings

Thawas a plenty handful The Joneses eldests were scarcetheir brothers an sisters hellions he laughed   You know this word  Hellions reminded him of In Bruges Alcoves  You know this word alcoves

I don’t.

could have knocked him over with a feather

                                              had he not been rolling foolish to think these days it may be a physical encounter on his chyron knocking him over with a feather might have registered Alcove a small recessed section of a room an arched opening as in a wall  AlcoveHellion A rowdy mischievious troublemaking person Especially a child

Learn something new every day if youre interested

                                                           Keepinup with the Joneses

I don’t know any Joneses.

Know somebody whos got more than you an youre tryin to keep pace thereby not living within your means whaya can afford whaya need not want or arya dragged around by want

he took another step forward evidently didntcant read brain chyrons You got your nerv . .

. . To poise a question

                           It is a nice car

casually turned his back on him walked away

easily offended

                  but didnt strike him as a bitch

1549,  Reggaefriday,  5  7. 24

1114,  Sunday,  7  7. 24

In Bruges  alcove  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQXlW0GzlD4