saturday afternoon in jp.
into harvest for one or two pieces of handfruit. an apple or a peach or maybe a pear - ideally a pear, but only if it's the kind i like. they never have that kind.
"hi again tom."
"hi. going to work?"
"well, i'm getting some fruit first."
"i'm getting a sandwich."
"alright."
tom's a casual acquaintance that i've run into about 10 times in the past week or so.
turn the corner to the produce, wondering if i'll run into him on the way out and if it'll be awkward or if i'll just say "bye," and wondering if i won't run into him again and that'll be more awkward in that inconclusive-run-in way.
get an apple. look at some hard green and too-soft brown pears. get a plum. hold them in each of my hands, moving them up and down like i'm comparing their weight, which is funny to me because the plum's obviously much smaller. laugh.
to cash register, glancing at the sandwich counter, fearing low-level awkwardness.
"hey! how are you!"
"oh, hi, you two."
"you have such a good memory! i bet you see customers in jp all the time!"
"yeah, i remember faces well."
"melissa right?"
"yes! alissa."
"oh, is that with an e?"
"yes! with an a."
"my name is ______, and this is _______."
"yes! that's right."
"we met your sister at the gate!"
"oh?"
"we knew it from the tell-tale matching chicks tattoo."
"we're twins, you know."
"of course!"
"and it's a birthmark, not a tattoo."
"ha-ha! you're not even identical! the chances of that..."
"our parents were baffled."
"so, what are you doing in harvest?"
"buying some handfruit."
"ha-ha! i get it: fruit you hold in your hand! i like that."
"yes. i wish i could juggle, because i would right now."
"it would be better if you had three handfruits."
"i guess so, but it doesn't matter because i can't juggle at all."
"you could learn."
"yeah, but i'm too scared."
"of what?"
"dropping my fruit on the ground and bruising it."
"well, you could buy one of those books with the little sandbags."
"yes. but i won't. i don't have that kind of motivation."
"i guess you have to be impulsive to buy those sorts of books."
"or really calculating."
"i guess so. ha-ha!
"so are you guys buying groceries?"
"no, fishfood for ________'s daughter."
"oh, good. fish are very convenient pets. well, i better be going now. maybe i'll risk it all and learn to juggle."
"great to see you, take care, have a good fourth!"
"you too!"
walk out of harvest. forget to say goodbye to tom.
later, drop my half-eaten apple. get really sad for a minute. i wasn't even juggling. i just knocked it off the table with my elbow. but at least it wasn't one of those pears i really like.
"hi again tom."
"hi. going to work?"
"well, i'm getting some fruit first."
"i'm getting a sandwich."
"alright."
tom's a casual acquaintance that i've run into about 10 times in the past week or so.
turn the corner to the produce, wondering if i'll run into him on the way out and if it'll be awkward or if i'll just say "bye," and wondering if i won't run into him again and that'll be more awkward in that inconclusive-run-in way.
get an apple. look at some hard green and too-soft brown pears. get a plum. hold them in each of my hands, moving them up and down like i'm comparing their weight, which is funny to me because the plum's obviously much smaller. laugh.
to cash register, glancing at the sandwich counter, fearing low-level awkwardness.
"hey! how are you!"
"oh, hi, you two."
"you have such a good memory! i bet you see customers in jp all the time!"
"yeah, i remember faces well."
"melissa right?"
"yes! alissa."
"oh, is that with an e?"
"yes! with an a."
"my name is ______, and this is _______."
"yes! that's right."
"we met your sister at the gate!"
"oh?"
"we knew it from the tell-tale matching chicks tattoo."
"we're twins, you know."
"of course!"
"and it's a birthmark, not a tattoo."
"ha-ha! you're not even identical! the chances of that..."
"our parents were baffled."
"so, what are you doing in harvest?"
"buying some handfruit."
"ha-ha! i get it: fruit you hold in your hand! i like that."
"yes. i wish i could juggle, because i would right now."
"it would be better if you had three handfruits."
"i guess so, but it doesn't matter because i can't juggle at all."
"you could learn."
"yeah, but i'm too scared."
"of what?"
"dropping my fruit on the ground and bruising it."
"well, you could buy one of those books with the little sandbags."
"yes. but i won't. i don't have that kind of motivation."
"i guess you have to be impulsive to buy those sorts of books."
"or really calculating."
"i guess so. ha-ha!
"so are you guys buying groceries?"
"no, fishfood for ________'s daughter."
"oh, good. fish are very convenient pets. well, i better be going now. maybe i'll risk it all and learn to juggle."
"great to see you, take care, have a good fourth!"
"you too!"
walk out of harvest. forget to say goodbye to tom.
later, drop my half-eaten apple. get really sad for a minute. i wasn't even juggling. i just knocked it off the table with my elbow. but at least it wasn't one of those pears i really like.