I’m in the local gas station covered in melting snow, old navy pea coat and orange hat, getting the essentials, hot dogs, pizza rolls, cup of soup, coffee, smokes, v8…
And so as I’m whistling and sliding around I’m done, because I’m an efficient shopper. I come to the end of the aisle, I say “you go first”, and at the cross section is a guy; I always let people go first, it’s just what I do, I’m a gentlemen and a scholar. He just stands there and I wait, I wait, “you go” I said, “no you go” he says; he’s wearing dress pants and nice shoes, he has a marine logo windbreaker on and long gone is the age where lifting weights helps a man of his disposition; maybe a cop or a football coach, maybe a gym teacher or something like that; he’s a stocky buzz cut who suddenly either got in a crazy mood, or thinks he’s too good to go first …or is just flat out having a bad day. He’s acting like I’m trying to show him up and…”You go” he says… I wait (guessing this is a dual) “no you go” I said, but no, he still doesn’t move. “I’m not done shopping yet” he says. “You sure” I said “I’m just being nice.” “Yeah” he says. “I’m real sure”. “Fine” I said, and so I go first, and even though I don’t have anything else to get I circle around the store before I hit the cashier so that I can cut him off right before he gets in line to cash out.
“Nice day” I said. He doesn’t say anything. “Did you see that? Two nice guys eh…” and I ask this to the cashier. “Yeah” she said… “that was weird”. The guy is behind me and I act like he’s not there. I take my time and say “maybe another pack of smokes, a lighter, wait, do you know about the big lottery game?” “What” she said, “THE BIG ONE…is it coming up soon?” “I don’t know”…”oh never mind” I said, and then I pay and walk out holding the door open for an old lady. She says “thank you so much” and before I close the door I peek back-in and say, “hey man”, to the guy in the marine windbreaker; he turns around and looks at me, “YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY!” I said.
The door shuts and I walk home in a snowstorm.
Adventures In American Writing 