Post by Bird-of-Summer on Feb 1, 2011 0:10:15 GMT -7
By: Birdy
Dialogue
“So… he’s gay,” asked the boy stooped on the shop’s window.
“Hey, I just washed those,” snapped the older boy with his fingers tapping on the counter, “and just because some old dude visits the park everyday doesn’t mean he’s gay.”
They both starred out across the street to the park where the old man sat shriveled and shrunken, recoiled into the bench so deeply as if he were part of it’s design.
“Yeah, but what dude just goes to the park? I mean, I love the park, matter o’ fact I used to take Jemma there every Saturday, but I wouldn’t go there without her, or every now and then I might take some other chick out there with me. Hot girls are so hard to come by these days, Rob. And those dating sites are cheap crap. I swear, the instant someone sees “smoker” on my profile they move on to the next match.”
“Oh yeah that’s it. Well, I dunno Rob; ya might have more in common than you think. He seems bitter, old, and all alone just like you,” the older man snorted shifting his weight to one side while continuing his perpetual tapping. Rob grunted.
“Hah hah very funny asshole. I mean, think he has a job? He doesn’t seem homeless… he actually looks well put together.”
“I dunno...”
“Maybe we could offer him one here.” Rob’s sentence was long and slurred, face unsure and suggestive. The older man just starred. “Come on,” Rob continued, “You’re always sayin’ we need more help around here. Look at this place Fischer. We’re a mediocre coffee shop that chose to place business four blocks down from Starbucks. Maybe the old coop has some good ideas.”
“Nah… I think we’d be wasting our time.”
“Hey, did you ever see Jemma come by here lately,” Rob questioned.
“No… no I don’t think so. Why?”
“Uh… it’s nothing I just think she is spending too much time with this one guy—
“Man, get over it. You broke up like three months ago.”
“No I’m not worrying about it,” Rob protested, “I mean, he’s really short and his face is like fucked up.” There was a pause.
“What?”
“I just mean there’s no competition.”
Rob’s eyes were still fixed on the old man across the street as if it was impossible to look away and Fischer sighed meekly.
“You’re obsessed! There are some dishes that need to be washed in the back, okay,” Fischer sighed.
“Uh huh,” replied Rob dazed with the stationary position of the strange man.
“Maybe that will take your mind of everything.”
“Uh huh.”
“Rob, are you listening?”
“Uh huh.”
“Robert,” Fischer shouted a little louder this time, his voice like accusing fingers.
“What? Uh… sorry what?”
“Dishes. In the back. You. Do them.”
“Oh okay,” Rob sighed, “but I mean you gotta feel for the sucker. He just sits there alone every day.”
“Okay. Dishes. Now.”
“Alright, alright. I’m just going on a quick break.”
“Robert, don’t you dare offer him an application.”
“Pft, what are you talking about,” Rob said a little too high.
“Robert,” Fischer’s eyes slanted,” Rob come back here! You’re not going to… Robert,” he shouted but Rob had already made his way out the door and blended in the with city crowd. Rob invited himself a seat next to the wrinkled face and began to whistle, starring at the sky.
“Hey, you waiting for someone?” Rob asked tentatively rooted to his seat. The old man pulled his head up with great effort and starred at Rob for a moment with a deep hypnotizing glare, observing him.
“No… no, no I’m not waiting for someone,” the man croaked, his voice like dry desert.
“But you’re all alone…” I mean doesn’t it suck? He probably lost his wife some time ago and then had one of those tragic sappy lives where he makes an oath to himself to never remarry. What a pushover. I’m sure his whole life revolves around this stupid bench.
“I have the geese.”
“Oh, yeah… the geese. Right. So you seem like you have lots of time on your hands and maybe I could take some of it for ya. We have an open spot at our shop if you want me to give you the application. Really, you don’t need much. Obviously you don’t have much people skills but it doesn’t matter cause you’ll be in the back washing dishes. Hell, you don’t even have to be a graduate from Kindergarten. As long as you can make coffee mugs shine with some soap and a dish rag you’re hired.”
“You know, if I could be anything in the world it would be a goose.”
“I see how it is. Well, good talk but we are closing so I should probably get back,” Rob exclaimed with breathy words slipping from underneath the corner of his lip tucked under his teeth. He walked backwards slowly and then turned around to face the shop.
Dialogue
“So… he’s gay,” asked the boy stooped on the shop’s window.
“Hey, I just washed those,” snapped the older boy with his fingers tapping on the counter, “and just because some old dude visits the park everyday doesn’t mean he’s gay.”
They both starred out across the street to the park where the old man sat shriveled and shrunken, recoiled into the bench so deeply as if he were part of it’s design.
“Yeah, but what dude just goes to the park? I mean, I love the park, matter o’ fact I used to take Jemma there every Saturday, but I wouldn’t go there without her, or every now and then I might take some other chick out there with me. Hot girls are so hard to come by these days, Rob. And those dating sites are cheap crap. I swear, the instant someone sees “smoker” on my profile they move on to the next match.”
“Oh yeah that’s it. Well, I dunno Rob; ya might have more in common than you think. He seems bitter, old, and all alone just like you,” the older man snorted shifting his weight to one side while continuing his perpetual tapping. Rob grunted.
“Hah hah very funny asshole. I mean, think he has a job? He doesn’t seem homeless… he actually looks well put together.”
“I dunno...”
“Maybe we could offer him one here.” Rob’s sentence was long and slurred, face unsure and suggestive. The older man just starred. “Come on,” Rob continued, “You’re always sayin’ we need more help around here. Look at this place Fischer. We’re a mediocre coffee shop that chose to place business four blocks down from Starbucks. Maybe the old coop has some good ideas.”
“Nah… I think we’d be wasting our time.”
“Hey, did you ever see Jemma come by here lately,” Rob questioned.
“No… no I don’t think so. Why?”
“Uh… it’s nothing I just think she is spending too much time with this one guy—
“Man, get over it. You broke up like three months ago.”
“No I’m not worrying about it,” Rob protested, “I mean, he’s really short and his face is like fucked up.” There was a pause.
“What?”
“I just mean there’s no competition.”
Rob’s eyes were still fixed on the old man across the street as if it was impossible to look away and Fischer sighed meekly.
“You’re obsessed! There are some dishes that need to be washed in the back, okay,” Fischer sighed.
“Uh huh,” replied Rob dazed with the stationary position of the strange man.
“Maybe that will take your mind of everything.”
“Uh huh.”
“Rob, are you listening?”
“Uh huh.”
“Robert,” Fischer shouted a little louder this time, his voice like accusing fingers.
“What? Uh… sorry what?”
“Dishes. In the back. You. Do them.”
“Oh okay,” Rob sighed, “but I mean you gotta feel for the sucker. He just sits there alone every day.”
“Okay. Dishes. Now.”
“Alright, alright. I’m just going on a quick break.”
“Robert, don’t you dare offer him an application.”
“Pft, what are you talking about,” Rob said a little too high.
“Robert,” Fischer’s eyes slanted,” Rob come back here! You’re not going to… Robert,” he shouted but Rob had already made his way out the door and blended in the with city crowd. Rob invited himself a seat next to the wrinkled face and began to whistle, starring at the sky.
“Hey, you waiting for someone?” Rob asked tentatively rooted to his seat. The old man pulled his head up with great effort and starred at Rob for a moment with a deep hypnotizing glare, observing him.
“No… no, no I’m not waiting for someone,” the man croaked, his voice like dry desert.
“But you’re all alone…” I mean doesn’t it suck? He probably lost his wife some time ago and then had one of those tragic sappy lives where he makes an oath to himself to never remarry. What a pushover. I’m sure his whole life revolves around this stupid bench.
“I have the geese.”
“Oh, yeah… the geese. Right. So you seem like you have lots of time on your hands and maybe I could take some of it for ya. We have an open spot at our shop if you want me to give you the application. Really, you don’t need much. Obviously you don’t have much people skills but it doesn’t matter cause you’ll be in the back washing dishes. Hell, you don’t even have to be a graduate from Kindergarten. As long as you can make coffee mugs shine with some soap and a dish rag you’re hired.”
“You know, if I could be anything in the world it would be a goose.”
“I see how it is. Well, good talk but we are closing so I should probably get back,” Rob exclaimed with breathy words slipping from underneath the corner of his lip tucked under his teeth. He walked backwards slowly and then turned around to face the shop.