God bless the neighbors

                                         whoever they are

               this was California not some suburban enclave or neighborhood in the Midwest where  mothers boast they have eyes in the backs of their heads 

                                                                                              not really   it was a bright insidious network arranged between the neighborhood mothers that the CIA or NSA would have wet themselves to have arranged   the mothers inspired eyes outdoors  fervent  hanging laundry on clotheslines with wooden pins or indoors washing dishes preparing homecooked meals and watching out through kitchen windows over their backyards and alleyways

then   the kids werent sharp  but they didnt have to be   it never occurred to them that they were being surveilled

                    

               in California   that type of collusion didnt exist

white picket fences didnt separate neighbors on flat lands that ran as far as the eye could see

where playing golf in the Midwest  from scrappy Forest Preserve hutches to the Country Club clubhouses  all eighteen pin flags could be seen

                                                                               California homes were either monoliths
nearly bumping into each other at their property lines  bathroom windows lined up across from their neighbors bathroom windows or split by wire fences and barren land that sprouted desperate weeds and wildflowers after winter rains    maybe

there was never never enough water

California has underground rivers

                                                        one learned if someone in the house wasnt on or feeling poorly

betrayed and outed by the colour of their urine  sacrosanct and still between flushes 
necessitated only by bowel movements
   

Yet

       whoever their neighbors are

God blessem

                                                                    

they wound their thirty-foot palm three Christmases ago with coloured lights  twisting the strands up its shaft   neglecting its fronded crown

and for the past three nights  incredulously  it was lighted

they slept reversed in their bed to enjoy it through their window

                                                                                                       a Christmas contrail rising in the night and bumping her black belly  knocking to have her spread her legs or roll over and take it taboo

they had no intentions of asking them why or even informing them of the lights

they felt that when graced by something   

                                                                   one should never ask why

simply thank it

and accept it

Oh   the dreams that it unraveled

 Evening,  Monday,  23  2. 15         

 1314,  Twosday,  24  2. 15         

Three-thirds -- Melons

Nearly thirty miles later they arrived at the advertised grocery store

it stood off by itself on the corner of a busy intersection at the edge of town

its front lot was filled by a parking lot filleted with white parking lines and pylons of overhead streetlamps

a couple of train tracks ran beside it paralleling the larger avenue on its other side

the beauty of its set up was a siding where freight cars could be rolled up onto where an extensive concrete ramp was built  which also received truck traffic

three bays

somebody did their homework years and years ago 

an steel awning was erected on ironwork struts and posts and angled to throw rain or snow or sun so no matter the weather crates and pallets could be worked

a real slick operation

 

--   Comon grrls  Lets get ourselves some melons 

 

You gonna be stronger enough to carry your own

--   MELONS!   as if they were right back at the kitchen table percolating  and frenzied

 --   MELONS!   he echoed

 

they could almost smell them as they entered the store  Produce to the right  and at the back near swinging double-doors were eight huge bins fashioned by the original shipping crates

efficient  rolled them right from the trucks or train into the store

smatterings of others throughout produce on rolling carts

almost as artfully arranged as the ad

they descended

the little one was drawn to the casaba melons

Sis to the muskmelons

he imagined iced watermelons

and spitting seeds at his nieces

the gentle thumping began

he picked up a piece of straw from inside the melon bin to dowse for their ripeness

a long held  simple  appealing touch

Hmmm

despite their scent their color

they were lifeless

the grrls enthusiasm  on their own  waned

they reconnoitered

--   Grrls  Whatcha thinking

--   I think theyre sick  the little one offered

--   They dont seem happy 

--   No

They dont seem all that do they

Ill tell ya what

And you never do this on your own

Or take it upon yourself until youre really big big grrls

You hear me                                                                                                                                    they nodded like congenial bobbleheads

Not on your own until your big enough and are buying for your own food

they continued bobbing

Excellent

Im gonna have a deliberate oops

he picked up a watermelon  refusing to risk one of the grrls favorites

and dropped it

OOPS!

the grrls were stoic knowing accessories

he loved them  through and through 

maybe even more so now

a young man who was working in Produce heard PLOP and the OOPS and came over to them

--   Im sorry  It spun out of my arms

--   Thats alright sir  Accidents happen                                                                                             

                                                              he looked at his nieces and restrained himself from winking at them
Ill get this cleaned up in a heartbeat
--   Thank you  I apologize for the inconvenience
 

the young man went through the double-doors in earnest

he stooped over to finger some watermelon out of its rind

--   Okay grrls whats it taste like

they stooped beside him and grabbed some out of the rind too   as they did he thought

Just another reason to always have handkerchief in my back pockets

--   Ooh  not so good  said Sis

the little one screwed up her face  evidently she hadnt words for her digust

--   Mazzy real quick  grab one of your casabas

Thats a grrl

Be careful you dont drop it

Mazzy

Drop it hard

it broke at her feet

Taste

--   Oncle

he turned to look at Sis and she stood holding a muskmelon over her head in both hands

Can you catch it

--   Youre way ahead of the curve grrl

Toss it

she grunted as she lobbed it

no way it was going to reach him

they both knew that

Mazzy didnt care for the casabas taste

he could see that in her face as she walked towards him

walking towards her he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe her hands and face

--   Not so good huh little grrl 

                                                           

--   Nope

as he wiped off Mazzys hands and mouth he looked over at Sis

 

Sis always had a real zest for things  not only had she tried the flesh but she yanked some of its guts out and then was frantic to get their clinginess and seeds off her hands

 --   Ill be there momentarily love

Mazzy kept up

he stuffed the moist handkerchief from her hands in his backpocket and pull a fresh one from the other

 

no sooner had he given it to her so she could wipe her hands and face clean

she had always insisted she could do it herself

even when she failed dismally

and you knew it

but you have to let her try

doing it for her always seemed a matter of expediency                                                                         

he tried to have time for her to fail 

 

the young man emerged   and appropriately  staggered  the slightest bit

when he realised he hadnt one mess

but three

he could see that he was trying to visualise  reenact the crime scene 

--   Truth of the matter young man

We came thirty miles for your best darn melons anywhere

 

And they werent

Theyre not

So if you cant see your way to clean up this mess well be happy to do it for you

the grrls grumble  very slightly

--   No sir  part of my job to clean up messes

 

Im just a little surprised

--   By the three messes

--   No

Like I said I clean up messes all the time

But youre not from around here  are you

--   No not if we came thirty miles

--   You did say that

--  I did

--   Lemme set this squeegee trashpan and mop and bucket aside for a moment

Got to set up these cones

to himself  Ill need more

he leaned the cleaning tools against the wall and placed the cones  obviously  near the smashed melons 

Now

you should come with me

 

--   Shall we see the manager

the grrls took either of his hands when he descended them down to them

--   No  no reason to see him

Though you have my apologies for the drive over  I hope  at least  you enjoyed the ride  took in the sights

--   Yes  It was a pretty ride 

Its a beautiful day

--   Well enjoy it for me  Im on the front end of my shift

One for the books  if I may though

--   Youre certainly welcome to it

--   And I expect itll be one for the books for you too

--   You do

--   Not only do I 

                                          

I think Ill guarantee it

--   A guaranteed day for the books

Grrls  Seems were in for a treat

quietly

--   Not so much them Im afraid

--   No

--   I hope its over the little girls heads

--   Now you got me real curious

they walked almost to the far corner of the store that overlooked the checkout lines and where the Customer Convenience stall was

--   Around here

he said with a huge smile

Around here  that advertisement you saw

that brought you here

its kind of a shorthand for locals

Aint nothing to do with our produce

The produce is passable  but nothing to write home about

Around here  well   take a gander 

 

Ill leave it to your imagination

You be well

and he extended his hand to him  they shook  he shook the grrls sticky hands too

he laughed deeply humoured as he walked away

--   Ah  I get it

--   Oncle  Whatcha get  said Sis

Mazzy was looking into her sticky hands and getting uncomfortable

--   Comon  Lets get you grrls into the restroom and have you wash your hands up

You can do that right Sis

--   I can

Comon Mazzy

Lets get the melon blood washed off our hands 

                                          

--   Blood

--   Sis is teasing  Mazzy

Go wash up

he followed them to the restrooms beside the Customer Convenience stall

on its countertop was some hand cleanser

--   Excuse me young lady

she was bent over behind the counter looking for something or other

absently she replied

--   Yes

not even looking up

which he was terribly alright with him

he liked the V-neck of her blouse

how it accentuated her breasts

--   May I use a squirt of this hand sanitizer

--   Help yourself

and to herself

Where did that get to

--   Thank you

Ill help myself

he tarried a bit longer

overlooking her

then he turned to take in the checkout girls while his little grrls were obviously taking their sweet time 

  

as typical  he required no expediency

none needed right now

        

Let them linger  he thought

and one by one he took in the checkout girls surreptitiously

                                                                              BEST DARN MELONS to be found ANYWHERE

accurate advertising

                                                    

mindboggling

late evening before bed,  Saturday,  21  2. 15                                                                                                 1833,  Monday,  23  2. 15