Love
7-Eleven
just past dusk
I watched them from inside
standing there arguing
over cigarettes
he was a disgusting fuck of a human being
head shaved bald, shining with sweat
a black sleeveless shirt and
black tweeker jeans
and those weird tweeker fingerless black gloves
she was an old Native
skin scorched to leather
eating something sloppy
from inside
next to her drink on top
of the garbage can
I paid for my things and watched them while I waited for my change
he raised his arm up at her
weak fist
and she flinched
the counter girl gave me
an apologetic look
I walked out and unlocked my door
set the bag on the passenger seat
and he did it again
I closed my door and walked up
to the sidewalk
he looked at me and I shook my head
“What the fuck, man?”
he put his hands up
“Hey, it’s cool, brother. Hard ass day.”
she looked at me indifferently
and put another
bite into her mouth
I walked back to my car and heard him talking low
“You fuckin’ bitch. The fuckin’ cigarettes are OURS, you goddamn hear me?”
I started the engine, he raised the arm again
and I shut it off
the counter girl walked out and said something
to them and went back inside
he walked off in a huff
clutching his backpack in his slimy grip
she watched after him and yelled,
“YOU DON’T WANT ME HAVIN’ NOTHIN’!”
she swallowed another bite
bit the straw and drank
trashed the food
threw her bag over her shoulder
grabbed her drink
and walked after him
I restarted the engine and backed out, took a left onto Solano, drove up my street
and thought about living alone
the glory and restlessness of it
all the good and bad
but at my house
the dogs were there
the machine was there
the night was there
and there was something
young about it
I parked in my driveway and killed
the lights.