Anthony went to the open cooler and picked up a small pink styrofoam tray covered in plastic wrap. It held 4 goi cuon and 1 miniature plastic container of nuoc cham. Holding the tray in one hand he walked the length of the cooler looking at the other things wrapped up in styrofoam trays and stacked on the shelves. He bumped into someone beside him. A woman behind the counter was taking buns off the top of a pile and filling them with things and wrapping them in paper. A young man wearing a tank top was standing at another counter behind a cash register.
Anthony went and stood at the counter watching the woman make the banh mi. Someone bumped into him. He turned and saw a man with a moustache and a dirty T shirt. He was looking at at Anthony and swaying back and forth. His eyes were half closed. The people behind the counter were watching him closely. Anthony saw them watching the man. They did not see that Anthony saw them.
"Hey," said the man with the moustache.
Anthony looked at him and smiled.
"Hey you got any money?"
"Hey," said the woman at the sandwich counter.
Anthony did not look at her.
"How's it going." said Anthony.
"How are you? You got any money today?"
"Let's see if I got anything," said Anthony.
The young man behind the counter said "Hey, Stephen."
Anthony took some money out of his pocket and looked at it. He found a $2 coin and handed it to the man.
The woman at the sandwich counter said "Stephen, what did we tell you?"
The man with the moustache took the $2 coin from Anthony and held it tightly in his hand. He swayed slightly and closed his eyes. He was grinning. He opened his eyes and looked at Anthony. Anthony was looking at the pile of buns on the counter next to the window.
The young man behind the counter looked at Anthony. "I'm sorry about this sir."
"God bless you." said the man with the moustache.
Anthony nodded at him.
"God bless white people," said the man with the moustache.
Anthony smiled and moved toward the cash register, still holding his styrofoam tray with the goi cuon and nuoc cham.
"Are you white?" said the man with the moustache.
"No," said Anthony.
Erin walked through the produce section of the Loblaw's. She was looking around at the different kinds of fruits and vegetables. She looked in the open coolers where the green vegetables were kept. She picked up a little plastic container filled with fresh thyme. She put it back down. She picked up a bundle of kale and put it back down. She went to a table that was piled with cantaloupe melons. She put her hands out and touched the cantaloupe melons. She ran her fingers over them slowly, feeling the rough skin. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. She saw a woman in a Loblaw's uniform standing behind the deli counter. She was looking at her. She picked up a cantaloupe melon and held it in both hands, looking at the woman. She looked away. She lifted it to her face and smelled it. She put it down and picked up another one. She smelled it. Then she held it with both hands, arms hanging straight down in front of her. She walked around the baked goods section and looked for a long time at the baked goods, still holding the cantaloupe melon in both hands. She moved her shoulders like someone who had a headache would do. She walked along the deli counter towards the Natural Food section, which was near the side door. She was sweating. She held the cantaloupe melon with one hand now and with the other hand she rubbed the back of her neck. While she was doing this she looked at a shelf of Almond Dream brand almond milk. It was on sale. She turned and ran out the door. She shifted the cantaloupe melon into the crook of one arm and ran as fast as she could down the sidewalk. She looked back. There was no-one at the door behind her. She kept running. She looked at the windows of the Loblaw's beside her and saw her own reflection in the mirrored glass. She saw her arms and legs flashing against the dark street. She ran to the end of the block. She ran across the intersection against the lights, moving in and out of the slow-moving cars and trucks. Someone honked at her. She ran into a park and into a dark soccer field. She kept running. She heard people talking nearby in the darkness and farther ahead of her there was the sound of a dog barking. There was a line of lights across the horizon at the far side of the park. She was breathing heavily and sweating. She shifted the cantaloupe melon into the crook of her other arm. She ran to the edge of the park and vaulted lightly over a low traffic barrier onto a laneway between two garages. She ran down the laneway.
It was hot out. The sun was just above the roof of the brown brick housing project. Anthony and Erin were walking on a path through the lot between two housing projects. Behind them was a garden allotment with a plastic snowfence around it. The path led out to the street. Anthony was looking at his hands which were covered in dirt and there was dirt under his fingernails. Erin was holding a plastic yoghurt container with holes punched in the bottom. It was filled with dirt and there was a plant in it. She was looking at it closely as they walked, touching some of the leaves with her fingers and then smelling her fingers. Anthony looked at her. He brushed his hands off on his shorts. They passed some kids on the playground. At the street, they turned left and walked past one of the housing project buildings. They walked over some words that someone had written on the concrete in pink spraypaint. On the other side of the building there was an abandoned school with metal grates on the first floor windows. There was a woman standing on the steps of the school. She was leaning against the railing. She wore an extra large T shirt and had orange hair and small eyes and her face had a lot of pimples on it. The skin around her eyes was red as though she had recently been crying. She was sniffing. As Anthony and Erin were approaching she straightened up and walked out to the sidewalk. They were about to walk past her when she stepped out in front of them. They stopped walking and looked at her.
“Got a cigarette?” said the woman.
“Sorry,” said Erin.
“We don’t smoke,” said Anthony.
The woman didn’t move. She stood directly in front of them.
"Give me your shit," said the woman.
Neither Anthony nor Erin said anything. They moved as if to step off the sidewalk and go around the woman.
“You heard me,” she said.
"What shit, we don't have any shit."
"Ha ha you're a funny guy hey," said the woman.
Erin looked at Anthony.
"We don't have any money," said Erin.
"Give me all your money," said the woman.
"Or what," said Anthony.
"Listen." Erin held the plant in one hand and reached into her hip pocket with the other.
"'Or what'. You want to find out?" said the woman.
"Listen. We really don't have any money," said Erin.
"We're fuckin broke," said Anthony.
The woman was shifting her weight back and forth from foot to foot. She looked around the empty street and ran her hands repeatedly through her orange hair. Then she was looking at the plant in Erin's hand. "What's that?"
“Nothing,” said Anthony.
"Here just take it." Erin held it out to the woman.
"Oh come on," said Anthony.
“That’s right,” said the woman.
The woman took the plant from Erin's hand. She lifted it to her face and smelled it. She turned and ran away from them, still holding the plant. She ran along the sidewalk and around the corner of the fenced-in school yard.
It was late at night. Erin was wearing her nightgown and Anthony was sitting on the edge of the bed with his shirt and shorts off. His sweat had dried and made his hair look funny. He was sitting with his head in his hands. Beside him on the bed there was a raw pork chop wrapped in plastic on a styrofoam tray, 14 packages of Excel chewing gum, a box of frozen burritos, 6 bagels and a clear plastic muffin container of chocolate chip muffins. The container was open and one of the muffins was half eaten. He was holding an empty beercan between his bare thighs. He smelled strongly of beer. Erin was standing next to him with her hand on his shoulder. Anthony was
crying. He cried for a long time. Erin yawned. She moved the container of muffins over and sat next to him, rubbing his back with the palm of her hand and whispering to him.
“Here finish your muffin,” said Erin.
“It tastes like cake,” said Anthony.
Still Anthony could not stop crying. He was having a hard time catching his breath. Erin got up and went into another room. She came back a few minutes later holding a bundle of light green plants. They were wound tightly into a short rope-like bundle, tied with string. She went to a drawer in her bureau and took out a Bic lighter. Standing in front of Anthony, she lit the bundle of plants on fire with the Bic lighter. It flamed briefly and began to smolder. It made a sweet smell. The smoke rose, curling.
“Go like this,” said Erin.
Anthony was still sitting with his face in his hands. He didn’t look up.
“Go like this,” said Erin.
Anthony looked at her and saw that she was bowing her head and using her hand to waft the smoked over her head. She held the bundle of plants out so it was in front of his face. He did the wafting motion with his hand. Erin moved the bundle of smoldering plants up and down, side to side, forward and back. Her eyes were closed. Anthony wafted more smoke over his bowed head. After a while he grew calmer. 3/6/2012
Anthony went and stood at the counter watching the woman make the banh mi. Someone bumped into him. He turned and saw a man with a moustache and a dirty T shirt. He was looking at at Anthony and swaying back and forth. His eyes were half closed. The people behind the counter were watching him closely. Anthony saw them watching the man. They did not see that Anthony saw them.
"Hey," said the man with the moustache.
Anthony looked at him and smiled.
"Hey you got any money?"
"Hey," said the woman at the sandwich counter.
Anthony did not look at her.
"How's it going." said Anthony.
"How are you? You got any money today?"
"Let's see if I got anything," said Anthony.
The young man behind the counter said "Hey, Stephen."
Anthony took some money out of his pocket and looked at it. He found a $2 coin and handed it to the man.
The woman at the sandwich counter said "Stephen, what did we tell you?"
The man with the moustache took the $2 coin from Anthony and held it tightly in his hand. He swayed slightly and closed his eyes. He was grinning. He opened his eyes and looked at Anthony. Anthony was looking at the pile of buns on the counter next to the window.
The young man behind the counter looked at Anthony. "I'm sorry about this sir."
"God bless you." said the man with the moustache.
Anthony nodded at him.
"God bless white people," said the man with the moustache.
Anthony smiled and moved toward the cash register, still holding his styrofoam tray with the goi cuon and nuoc cham.
"Are you white?" said the man with the moustache.
"No," said Anthony.
Erin walked through the produce section of the Loblaw's. She was looking around at the different kinds of fruits and vegetables. She looked in the open coolers where the green vegetables were kept. She picked up a little plastic container filled with fresh thyme. She put it back down. She picked up a bundle of kale and put it back down. She went to a table that was piled with cantaloupe melons. She put her hands out and touched the cantaloupe melons. She ran her fingers over them slowly, feeling the rough skin. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. She saw a woman in a Loblaw's uniform standing behind the deli counter. She was looking at her. She picked up a cantaloupe melon and held it in both hands, looking at the woman. She looked away. She lifted it to her face and smelled it. She put it down and picked up another one. She smelled it. Then she held it with both hands, arms hanging straight down in front of her. She walked around the baked goods section and looked for a long time at the baked goods, still holding the cantaloupe melon in both hands. She moved her shoulders like someone who had a headache would do. She walked along the deli counter towards the Natural Food section, which was near the side door. She was sweating. She held the cantaloupe melon with one hand now and with the other hand she rubbed the back of her neck. While she was doing this she looked at a shelf of Almond Dream brand almond milk. It was on sale. She turned and ran out the door. She shifted the cantaloupe melon into the crook of one arm and ran as fast as she could down the sidewalk. She looked back. There was no-one at the door behind her. She kept running. She looked at the windows of the Loblaw's beside her and saw her own reflection in the mirrored glass. She saw her arms and legs flashing against the dark street. She ran to the end of the block. She ran across the intersection against the lights, moving in and out of the slow-moving cars and trucks. Someone honked at her. She ran into a park and into a dark soccer field. She kept running. She heard people talking nearby in the darkness and farther ahead of her there was the sound of a dog barking. There was a line of lights across the horizon at the far side of the park. She was breathing heavily and sweating. She shifted the cantaloupe melon into the crook of her other arm. She ran to the edge of the park and vaulted lightly over a low traffic barrier onto a laneway between two garages. She ran down the laneway.
It was hot out. The sun was just above the roof of the brown brick housing project. Anthony and Erin were walking on a path through the lot between two housing projects. Behind them was a garden allotment with a plastic snowfence around it. The path led out to the street. Anthony was looking at his hands which were covered in dirt and there was dirt under his fingernails. Erin was holding a plastic yoghurt container with holes punched in the bottom. It was filled with dirt and there was a plant in it. She was looking at it closely as they walked, touching some of the leaves with her fingers and then smelling her fingers. Anthony looked at her. He brushed his hands off on his shorts. They passed some kids on the playground. At the street, they turned left and walked past one of the housing project buildings. They walked over some words that someone had written on the concrete in pink spraypaint. On the other side of the building there was an abandoned school with metal grates on the first floor windows. There was a woman standing on the steps of the school. She was leaning against the railing. She wore an extra large T shirt and had orange hair and small eyes and her face had a lot of pimples on it. The skin around her eyes was red as though she had recently been crying. She was sniffing. As Anthony and Erin were approaching she straightened up and walked out to the sidewalk. They were about to walk past her when she stepped out in front of them. They stopped walking and looked at her.
“Got a cigarette?” said the woman.
“Sorry,” said Erin.
“We don’t smoke,” said Anthony.
The woman didn’t move. She stood directly in front of them.
"Give me your shit," said the woman.
Neither Anthony nor Erin said anything. They moved as if to step off the sidewalk and go around the woman.
“You heard me,” she said.
"What shit, we don't have any shit."
"Ha ha you're a funny guy hey," said the woman.
Erin looked at Anthony.
"We don't have any money," said Erin.
"Give me all your money," said the woman.
"Or what," said Anthony.
"Listen." Erin held the plant in one hand and reached into her hip pocket with the other.
"'Or what'. You want to find out?" said the woman.
"Listen. We really don't have any money," said Erin.
"We're fuckin broke," said Anthony.
The woman was shifting her weight back and forth from foot to foot. She looked around the empty street and ran her hands repeatedly through her orange hair. Then she was looking at the plant in Erin's hand. "What's that?"
“Nothing,” said Anthony.
"Here just take it." Erin held it out to the woman.
"Oh come on," said Anthony.
“That’s right,” said the woman.
The woman took the plant from Erin's hand. She lifted it to her face and smelled it. She turned and ran away from them, still holding the plant. She ran along the sidewalk and around the corner of the fenced-in school yard.
It was late at night. Erin was wearing her nightgown and Anthony was sitting on the edge of the bed with his shirt and shorts off. His sweat had dried and made his hair look funny. He was sitting with his head in his hands. Beside him on the bed there was a raw pork chop wrapped in plastic on a styrofoam tray, 14 packages of Excel chewing gum, a box of frozen burritos, 6 bagels and a clear plastic muffin container of chocolate chip muffins. The container was open and one of the muffins was half eaten. He was holding an empty beercan between his bare thighs. He smelled strongly of beer. Erin was standing next to him with her hand on his shoulder. Anthony was
crying. He cried for a long time. Erin yawned. She moved the container of muffins over and sat next to him, rubbing his back with the palm of her hand and whispering to him.
“Here finish your muffin,” said Erin.
“It tastes like cake,” said Anthony.
Still Anthony could not stop crying. He was having a hard time catching his breath. Erin got up and went into another room. She came back a few minutes later holding a bundle of light green plants. They were wound tightly into a short rope-like bundle, tied with string. She went to a drawer in her bureau and took out a Bic lighter. Standing in front of Anthony, she lit the bundle of plants on fire with the Bic lighter. It flamed briefly and began to smolder. It made a sweet smell. The smoke rose, curling.
“Go like this,” said Erin.
Anthony was still sitting with his face in his hands. He didn’t look up.
“Go like this,” said Erin.
Anthony looked at her and saw that she was bowing her head and using her hand to waft the smoked over her head. She held the bundle of plants out so it was in front of his face. He did the wafting motion with his hand. Erin moved the bundle of smoldering plants up and down, side to side, forward and back. Her eyes were closed. Anthony wafted more smoke over his bowed head. After a while he grew calmer. 3/6/2012