THAT

Recommendations

Info

“I don’t know,” I say. “That’s a technical question, isn’t it?” “Not particularly. It’s a question of your status with the Lord.” “I’m comfortable where I am,” I say. This type of conversation doesn’t interest me. All speculation and theory. Nothing I can sink my teeth into. “But you didn’t answer my question.” “Thank you and have a nice day,” I say. “Move along please.” “There is such a thing as an interventionist God, you know.” Her angelic face becomes a bit less than angelic. Everyone must suffer a fall at some point. I drink half a bottle of lukewarm water. What I wouldn’t give for a beer. Even a shitty wine cooler. Something. I fantasize about posting a sticky note which offers customers five dollars for a cold one. And it’s gotta be cold. I’d find myself jobless if I did, however. Then a guy pulls through with a case of beer in his backseat. It takes all of my willpower not to ask him for one. I mean, fuck. A guy pulls in and hands me his four quarters. “Hey, is there a bathroom here, or anything?” Big fat guy with like four chins and flab under each arm. He’s gotta be dying in this heat. “Uh, no,” I say. “Sorry.” “Well, where do you go when you really have to go?” I tell him there’s a building on the other side of the highway, a break room, and then he asks if he can use it. I tell him it’s for employees only. What planet is this guy from? “Well, I’m just going to have to piss right here then. Can’t hold it any longer.” “Sir,” I say, but he’s already unzipped his fly and is pissing into an empty Big Gulp. Shit, I think. Nothing I can do at this point. “Sir! You can’t do that here. Sir!” I pick up the phone. People are honking. Fat guy doesn’t care. I wave and nod. I write down the guy’s license plate number. He’ll be receiving a fine from the state. “Thank you for your time,” he says. Then with one flick of his wrist, he dumps the entire Big Gulp onto the pavement in front of my booth. Speeds off. I need a break. I signal this to booth one and Cheryl comes over to spell me. Thankfully, she likes me. Being liked has some benefits. I walk across the overpass to the central office, step inside the A/C. I have ten minutes. I close the door of the breakroom behind me. I drink an entire blue Gatorade. I imagine it’s something else. In the breakroom it’s National Esquire, People, Essence, and a few old National Geographics. I look through the latter. There’s a pictorial from someone in Norway. Lots of ice and carbou and tall, gangly evergreens. I’d like to bottle that air. I flip through it for a few minutes and feel a bit better. Twenty more years and the house will be paid off. One day at a time, I tell myself. How else to do it? I look out the window. The air shimmers from the heat. Exact change, I think. And how. 71
Rest of the day I’m on autopilot. Hand out, make change, change back. Hand out, make change, change back. Sweating. I’m close to miserable, but I don’t want to think about it. Thinking will make it that much more difficult. I get home and shower and go see mom. They say she’ll be out soon. “It’s diabetes, not cancer,” one of the nurses says. It’s supposed to be uplifting. Mom kisses my forehead. “Hang in there,” I say. “You’ll be out soon.” “Don’t get old,” she says. I know that’s not the problem. I think of the guy with the bag of change. I go home and Stouffer-it. A little ice cream sandwich makes a world of difference. Shades are drawn. Dark and chilled. I’m back tomorrow and the next day, but off the day after that. There will be rest. I’ll see Mom. Maybe throw some darts down at Jimmy’s. I’ll use plastic for everything—beer, wings, everything. Next day I know I’ll be back in the booth. Dreaming of a cool place. ° 72 <strong>THAT</strong>
Page 1 and 2:
THAT
Page 3 and 4:
THAT LITERARY REVIEW Number One 201
Page 5 and 6:
Prose M. J. Iuppa What She Wouldn
Page 7 and 8:
Make Them Float in Your Mouth Iris
Page 9 and 10:
Marine Mammals of the Northwestern
Page 11 and 12:
A Kiss Good-bye M. J. Iuppa There
Page 13 and 14:
Talking Money, Judaism Christianity
Page 15 and 16:
A dinner I had with Uncle Chaim whe
Page 17 and 18:
suspicious eyes narrowing at me as
Page 19 and 20:
The Man Painting the Inside Charles
Page 21 and 22: we all walk from one world to the n
Page 23 and 24: Sonnet 11PM Drew Pisarra Pajamas ar
Page 25 and 26: efused to say. Patty, meanwhile, ch
Page 27 and 28: “Who’s Frankie Goes to Hollywoo
Page 29 and 30: eses. Jim appreciated the effort. A
Page 31 and 32: Seeing Oneself Les Bares The pigeon
Page 33 and 34: Making the Big Time Stephen Reilly
Page 35 and 36: imagine who they want to be. Amber,
Page 37 and 38: Autumn Love with May Sarton: Cento
Page 39 and 40: Quiet Justin Christensen The apartm
Page 41 and 42: Back in the old lady’s apartment,
Page 43 and 44: yesterday. And sorry I haven’t ca
Page 45 and 46: Etta Mae was Late to Church Tobi Al
Page 47 and 48: Basic Form Valerie Westmark Once, I
Page 49 and 50: Flawed Apertures Ciara Shuttleworth
Page 51 and 52: it yourself, then accept it or lose
Page 53 and 54: numbers. They raised themselves out
Page 55 and 56: panty hose around their loins. One
Page 57 and 58: Tea with a Friend and Her Husband A
Page 59 and 60: For Angelique A.C. Warner My father
Page 61 and 62: Sitting Skinny Taylor Lauren Ross L
Page 63 and 64: One day after school, Bridget convi
Page 65 and 66: The Relaxed Dive Daryl Nielsen inne
Page 67 and 68: cryptic phone call Vincent A. Cellu
Page 69 and 70: firing gun at nothing while screami
Page 71: There are days I wish I was wearing
Page 75 and 76: In the air conditioned dark we agre
Page 77 and 78: The Dandy Gorilla Nathalie Kuroiwa-
Page 79 and 80: said. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be
Page 81 and 82: white. Does that make sense?” “
Page 83 and 84: Between the Woman and the Telemarke
Page 85 and 86: Snowball fights, tobogganing— a m
Page 87 and 88: “Me?” I asked. “Yes,” she s
Page 89 and 90: Brought up from the pool, The net l
Page 91 and 92: This year in Jerusalem, Gerard Sarn
Page 93 and 94: y accompanying its Iraqi-born patri
Page 95 and 96: Journal John Stocks Firstly, you sh
Page 97 and 98: Signs Tom Spencer Something had bee
Page 99 and 100: Fishers of Men Donald Mitchell Supp
Page 101 and 102: Clearance Aaron Belz We would read
Page 103 and 104: Veteran Nels Hanson Down an old man
Page 105 and 106: I Won’t Forget You, Everett Sloan
Page 107 and 108: “Hmm?” One of the sound men. Pr
Page 109 and 110: This Is Just To Let You Know M. G.
Page 111 and 112: Archaic Carton of Oatmeal after Ril
Page 113 and 114: Litany Dylan Debelis Speak to your
Page 115 and 116: Justin Christensen is a Creative Wr
Page 117 and 118: Daryl Nielsen has published poems i
Page 119: STAFF General Editor: W.B. Gerard F
show all

THAT

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?