Conglomerations

Two weeks ago Abraham showed up at work. He was very brown, probably from all the African sunshine. He came inside and began to terrorize Enos. He told us a story about his wife and the airplane. He said that they flew to Vienna in an airplane that seated ten across. Him, his wife, and his boy sat in the middle three seats. When the plane took off, his wife began to shake and she grabbed his arm. Abraham told her that he should've left her at home.

"She said, 'Shut up, Abraham.'," he laughed.

Abraham gave Eugene's children bouncy balls. He likes to give them gifts.

Enos asked Abraham if he found a wife for his boy.

"No, no," said Abraham.

Everyone laughed. The boy is approximately forty, I believe, and incapable of finding a spouse according to his father.

The backstory of this next conversation involved cats and if I wrote it down, I would have some very angry cat lovers in my messages so I'm going to choose the safe route.

My cousins came to work bearing one latte for me, the cardamom summer special. It was good and it was caffeinated and it made me very talkative.

skips the cat part

A guy came to pick up his beef order. He was wearing flip flops.

"Would you like to wear flip flops," I asked Enos.

"Not to work," said Enos. "I have some at home though."

"When I was a kid, I used to think that flip flops were only for girls. If I saw a boy wearing flip flops I thought he was a morally grey person. Kind of how I thought about girls wearing pants."

"I don't wear flip flops," said Eugene.

I guess he's not morally grey.

Enos told us that this flip flop wearing guy was a Drug Enforcement Officer. He had a gun, a badge, a dog, and a small child. I don't think the child was required though. Eugene thought he was lucky not to have any drugs laying around.

"You just give that dog a bone and he won't bother you none," said Enos.

Ahem, Enos. I think they train them, you know.

"If I had a dog," I said, "I would like a Great Dane and a Belgian Malinois."

"What's a Malinois," said Eugene.

"Is it like those Malamutes? Really big, really furry?" said John.

"They are great guard dogs and they make good police dogs," I said, but no-one was listening.

"I like those sheep dogs," said Enos reflectively.

"Those big dogs, like the ones they use in the Swiss Alps," repeated John.

"Like German Shepherds," Enos said to me.

"Kinda," I said.

"Don't you want a poodle instead?"

"I don't really like poodles on account of their fur. Anyway, I want a big dog."

"The big furry ones," said John wistfully.

"They use herders for llamas too," Enos told Eugene.

"Llamas spit when they're upset--"

"I would like to be a llama," I said. "I would have a good reason to spit on things I don't like."

Later.

"Enos, please come put the trays away," I called.

"Better go now," advised Eugene. "She might spit on you if you don't."

The taupe colored tape is used up and the only tape left is a bright lemon yellow. I love using it. It makes me happy. I cut my thumb on the tape dispenser and used some tape to stop the bleeding. After a while, I drew a smiley face on my thumb. It was very aesthetic.

Thursday, late afternoon.

Enos comes out from the cooler carrying a goat.

"Des is un ges un sols alls ih ves."

He disappears back into the cooler.

"Maaaaaa," says John.

He reappears with a calf.

"Is that a goat?"

"Is that a deer?"

We all laugh.

Samuel brought that calf in the morning. It had broken its leg and Eugene said, sure, bring it on over, he'll hang it up right away. When the calf appeared on the premises, Eugene joked that hung up, it looked like a deer.

Eugene needs a bag to put the goat away but he has no bags.

"Why don't I just wrap plastic around it," I suggest.

Suddenly I'm holding a goat like you would hold a baby, albeit a large baby.

I pat the ribs awkwardly. It sounds like a nice ripe watermelon.

I wrap it up on plastic. The yellow tape around its body reminds one of yellow police tape. Do Not Enter, Do Not Touch. I wrap it in paper.

"Here," I say to Eugene, and crunchily hand the goat over.

It is a pretty Saturday. Mild wind, sunshine. The tree that is dying is full of white blossoms and green leaves. The two swings hang almost motionless in the wind. I am sitting almost motionless in my car. Somewhere a door slams.

It is 11:40 and Katie is in the strawberry patch.

The lilies I bought last year have opened--yellow and orange flamboyancy. There are bugs on the pepper plants, Mom. Jus saying. Deverax is making biscuits on my back. (I moved to the grass.) A jet is a needle in the blue. A chicken must have just laid an egg. Clover and cirrus and clarity. Next Sunday I go to girl's class, but for today, I will watch the day bloom before me, flamboyant and smelling of strawberries and honey.