Friday before July 4th. The air train was packed. No, I mean really. As more people approached the doors, a guy proud of his bulletproof rollaboard laid it down and stood on it to make more space.
I thought, distance don’t get any more social than this.
Later in a terminal concourse, the McDonalds line was longer than the precheck security line back there.
I didn’t catch the name of my breakfast shop. Like 12 hangry people in a phone booth.
“Egg and bacon.”
What kind of bagel?
What do you have?
She points at a sign.
While she rings up my order…
Cook puts an unmarked bag on the counter.
What’s that?
What’d she say?
Dunno, didn’t understand a fucking thing.
Vat ye order, sir?
An everything with sausage.
It wasn’t in the next 2 bags. He was heating up.
I noticed the little boy couldn’t reach his gramma’s tea selection on the high counter. I handed it down, he said something I didn’t catch, and gramma winked at me in a foreign language I speak too.
She handed me my bag.
Thanks very much, eye to eye.
Ye velcome baddy mooch. Warm grin.
Six minutes later I sat and ate at my gate.
Probably 10 more people got their bagels and I am long forgotten. But maybe not. We had our moment. Feelings land deep and often linger.
I wonder where Heated Up was heading for his holiday. I hope he has moments when he understands his fucking everything❤️
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Neil D. 2023-06-30
Feel with Neil 