. . . the black bag in his dream

                                 he didnt believed it was a bag

rather a symbol

                 who the hell would dream then absentlyfocus on a black plastic lawn and leaf bag stuffed inside an brightshiny aluminum trashcan

likely he was compelled by cash  wetted denominations fivestenstwenties stuck together stuck to the bottom of the bag

itd be an effort to unstick them particularly when he had no idea what they were wetted with

    glue?

     

that day hed been invited to attend what he understood was a benefit barbecue for something called The Optimist Club

had heard of it though had no idea what it was

    turned out to be an Event

                                      The Third Annual

he wouldnt think something could be called annual until it ranWha   ten years

                                                                         Annual  Anniversaries

he knew too many marriages that brokeup before then

something survives ten yearsthen it deserves to be called an annual

    or maybe they were being optimistic              

 

the function was held inside a building  The Pavillon

                                                           a barbecue  inside

maybe because they were serving wine alcohol prohibited in public parks at a makeshift bar  a festive Christmas tablecloth screw Thanksgiving over an eightfoot folding table

he asked the bartender

                          Any beer

Wine.

asked the bartender

                       Mixed drinks

Wine.

Man canya really call yourself a bartender monosyllabic at that  whine

and to boot

                  a raffle

along the walls narrow tables threefeet deep and atop them short artificial thematicallydecorated Christmas trees  unwrapped gifts placed beneath

tickets were purchased

tickets were slipped inside slotcapped glass urns under the individual trees

the raffle proceeds were to fund various Optimistic projects

the largest portion to provide college scholarships

all and all a worthwhile cause

 

but he thought it was a barbecue

                                          and the more he thought of those denominations stuck to the bottom of the black bag in his dream

he thought

            Man ya bend over to pickup a pennyno matter heads or tails

excusing himself from a clutch of people who were drinking wine he found the can  it had been placed in a remote corner  dumped trash on the floor that had been tossed on top the sticky bills yanked the bag free tossed it to one side put the trash back into the brightshiny aluminum can and wandered off  flaccid sack over his shoulder  like a vagrant Santa     

2300,  Tuesday,  25  11. 25

1053,  Wednesday,  26  11. 25