absolute
absolutely
it started in a coffee shop
a sign hangs at eye level on the front
door as you walked in No Mask No Service
he wore his in when he ordered
coffee for himself and his brotherinlaw
he wore it in again to utilise
the restroom
he only rented coffee and beer they
passed through him like a sieve
exiting the bathroom a little
girl was fast at the door anxious to get inside
she and her parents were unmasked
he held the door open for her
sidestepping himoblivious of him she
was asking her mother why she couldnt look at the music video playing on the
monitor screen fixed on the wall above and to the left of the entryway
Because it’s something you
need not see.
releasing the door to the mothers
hand he glanced at the video
a black singer
unmasked
three of them
he assumed the parents could read
the restroom door closed at his
back
daddy was dressed in a black
dago-T black jeans work boots his arms and neck tatted thick he seated himself at a tall café table
they made eye contact
daddy sported a closecropped
scalp
he hadnt cut his hair in a year
daddy sneered
he was humoured
they disregarded each other
outside on the patio taking his
mask off he sat down across from his brotherinlaw at a yellow café table and
folding chairs
abruptly he said JesusChrist Republicans
Huh?
I said Republicans
Who?
Inside
Republicans?
Yabetcha Nahstop I may have been rash Dear Leaders
Why do you say that?
Because they are absolutely
Absolutely?
his brotherinlaw had a hangup
with absolutism nothing was absolute to
him
Absolutely
Why would you say that?
he iterated what hed
seenexperienced inside the coffee shop
So you’re convinced they’re he sneered absolutely sneering
again Republicans?
motherfucker
was conveniently deaf
Absolutely
and as he spoke the family exited the
coffee shop he nodded See for yourself anif you got a bug up
your ass regardin my assessment Im happy to ask
No, I don’t need you asking
anyone anything.
they walked past them
while his brotherinlaw took in an
eyeful
Yaneed me to
ask
Shaddup.
his face reddened
his
brotherinlaw didnt have a confrontational bone in his body or he didnt want to
risk a fight
the family crossed the street and
entered their 4-Wheel four-door white three-quarter ton Ford truck
it wasnt a work truck
he worked years of construction
he knew work trucks
this was a pretty truck
And
Absolutely Republican
I don’t know that.
I can confirm
No sense stirring the pot.
Republican
Possibly.
Absolutely
I wouldn’t say absolutely.
You never say absolutely ya got a bug up your ass with anything I might possibly deem absolute
Because nothing is.
Bullshit I got your twenty dollar bill taped to glass
that I beat you out of because I absolutely knew Ossoff and Warnock were
winning their respective Senate run-off races in Georgia Yawanna bet another twenty Ill stop them before they leave
You’ll stop them . .
. . Yawanna test meya know I
will
No, I don’t want you running into
the street to stop them.
Because they absolutely are
his brotherinlaw paused long enough the truck pulled away
No. I don’t know that.
exasperated You certainly
could have
I wasn’t going to start anything.
Nothing to start simple question Yathink theyd take exception to a question of
their politics
Out of the blue?
Yes out of the fucking blue Someone asked me a question Id give them a
precise answer
But that’s you.
Im like everyone else
No, you’re not like everyone
else. he was getting exasperated
sternly I am
later the conversation continued
over a beer
he said that the Michigan state
governor Rick Snyder by law had placed nearly eighty percent of Michigans black
voters citizens under emergency managers his appointments which disenfranchised not only the populace
but also publicly elected municipal officials
the managers answered to no one but the governor
Did
you know that
he did not
Synder and his clown manager
poisoned Flint
they were told by local health
officials it wasnt prudent to proceed with their plan to use the Flint River as
their water source
they did it because they could
So they are absolutely responsible for the deaths and future health
risks for tens of thousands of citizens
An for
their crimes they ought to be executed
They should be executed?
Absolutely An eye for an eye Love the Old Testament They didnt have to drink the water or bathe
in it Take it personally woudja man What if
one of the children who died was yours
They weren’t.
Whaif they were
That’s a hypothetical.
Quit Whaif one of your childrens death was attributeddirectly due to the governor and his emergency managers premeditation Say Ohwell shit happens
I’m saying . .
. . Yare saying someone who absolutely caused your childs death shouldnt
die for their crime It happened for everyone to seewith everyone watching
Nothing
Awright howbout this epidemicide Trump virus has killed 450,000 Americans
Absolutely
2349, Saturday,
20 2. 21
1517, Sunday,
21 2. 21
