Thursday, July 30, 2015

A (Probably Not Perfect Though Mostly Faithful) Transcript of a Conversation I Had This Evening With An Older Gentleman

Setting:

- A neighborhood street lined on both sides with older homes and tall trees whose branches hang over the road. We're not all that far from this home (which is for sale and which probably needs to be updated but which I love all the same):



- The sun's been down for a little while, but the sky is still dusky.
- The locusts are chirping loudly in the trees and there's the occasional flash of firefly in the bushes.


The Players:

- Me
- An older gentleman (we'll call him Terry) with a pure white hair and beard. He has just gotten out of a rusty old used-to-be-red pickup and is reaching for his toolbox in the truck bed.


Scene:

Sam (walking by): Evening, sir.

Terry (surprised but visibly pleased at the greeting): Evening. Out for a walk?

Sam: Yep. Nice night for it. Been a long day?

Terry: *exhausted sigh* Sure was. Just now getting home. Gonna fix me a bite then catch some sleep 'cause I gotta get at it early tomorrow.

Sam: Really? How early is "early?"

Terry: Oh, I dunno. I'll probably get up 'round 5 and be on my way by 5:30.

Sam: And then you work till 9 or so? Wow. That's impressive.

Terry: *chuckling* Done it all my life. Gotta keep busy or the devil'll get 'ya.

Sam: *with a chuckle of my own* Ain't that the truth. Well I don't want to keep you. Have a good night, sir. Sleep well.

Terry (heading up his front walk): Ha. You too.






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