By, Ashley Ellen Goetz
“Do you have hundreds of pictures of dem up on all your walls?”
“Oh that is so funny you should ask, I do, I got them from when theys was little watermelons til they is fourteen!”
“They look mighty much like you little lady. Alls of them. Even that little suh.”
“Really? I never did thought they looked all that much like me.”
“Well I’ll be damned lady, you are bones alike.”
“Do you want a picture? I have some in my purse. Here, here you go.”
“Oh God bless you M’aam.”
“Oh- oh, how much is kids haircuts?”
“Suh, how much is kids haircuts?”
“Kids?”
“Yes suh, kids haircuts!”
“They’s is ten dollars old man.”
“Excuse me- can I get a- a- princess discount- ah, awe, well we’s gonna to have to go back there this afternoon.”
“What kinda book is that?”
“Marlon, Marlon, git, git back here. Don’t bother the nice lady.”
“It’s a classic.”
“What’s a classic?”
“Marlon.”
“It’s a really, really good book that a lot of people read.”
“Are there’s pictures in it?”
“No. Just words. It’s funny though.”
“Are there horses in it?”
“Not yet.”
“Then what are those horses on the book for?”
“You know, I’m really not sure.”
“Orange is my favorite color.”
“Marlon. Let the lady alone!”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
“Franklin!”
“How much is it right now?”
“One fifty.”
“Aw, aw geez I’m sorry. Aw hell. I think there was two dollars there.”
“Here- here you go, oh this too.”
“Oh thanks, oh no, don’t worry, I-I can get that.”
“Sir, here’s another few dimes, they rolled under my seat.”
“Thank you M’aam.”
“Sir, don’t worry about it. Just sit down. You can ride for free today.”
“Oh, I-I, okay, thank you.”
“Twenty fourth!”
“Sir, if you could step aside. I need to put this seat up.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Do you want to sit here? I’m getting off soon.”
“Oh no, I’m fine.”
“Hi sir, thank you.”
“Excuse me, goddamn it.”
“OW! Ow, my foot.”
“Oh god, I’m sorry. I hurt you’re foot. I can’t fucking walk here! Excuse my Goddamn wheels!”
“Geeze.”
“Everybody fucking get out of my damn way. I’m fucking paralyzed. Fucking move out of my way.”
“Excuse me?”
“How rude.”
“Can you believe that man?”
“Can we get going here? I have a lunch to get to.”
“What time is it?”
“11:16.”
“Oh shoot, I’ll just walk. Can you pull that? Excuse me, I’m sorry. I have a lot of stuff. Sir, excuse me. I need to get off. Oh, sorry. Sorry, excuse me. Thanks.”
“Everybody settle down and we’ll get going.”
“Thank God.”
“Twenty seventh!”
“Oh hi Marla! How are you?”
“Gene! Oh I’m good! How are you?”
“Oh I’m okay. My cat was up all night last night.”
“Oh no. Not all night.”
“Yea, all night. He just kept crying the whole night. I couldn’t sleep.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Lake Street!”
“Goddamn, excuse me! I need to get off here.”
“Here we go again.”
“Ah, watch out.”
“I’m blind damnit! You watch out you sonofabitch.”
“Sir. Please.”
“Yea yea, you try being a fucking cripple.”
“Have a nice day.”
“Aw, go to hell.”
“Excuse me, I need to get off here. Excuse me. Sir.”
“I think he has head phones on.”
“Oh sorry.”
“Thanks. Excuse me. Thank you, have a good one.”
“You too.”
“Thirty sixth!”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Thanks.”
“Have a good day.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you go to Xerxes?”
“Station, sorry.”
“Oh okay, thank you.”
“Take the six.”
“Oh okay, thanks!”
“Yep.”
“Last stop!”
“Sir.”
“Excuse me sir. This is the last stop.”
“Sir?”
“Sir, excuse me.”
“Sir, you dropped your picture.”
“Sir, wake up.”
“Oh God. Oh no.”
“Sir, sir, wake up!”
“Nicollet station?”
“This is Bob.”
“Hi, Bob, I have a man here that seems to be unconscious.”
“Okay, we’ll send somebody over, where are you?”
“I’m actually only a block away, I’ll come there.”
“Hi, he’s, he’s in the back.”
“Mr.?”
“Excuse me Mr.?”
“Yea, I, I checked and I didn’t feel anything.”
“Does he have some sort of ID on him?”
“Can you, um, lets turn him.”
“I don’t see anything.”
“I found this picture.”
“Marlon, seven years old.”
“What should we do?”
“I called an ambulance.”
“Oh there they are.”
“Hi. Thanks for coming so quick.”
“That’s what we do.”
“Yea, he’s back here.”
“Excuse us, M’aam.”
“Lift him.”
“There you go. Got him?”
“Okay, thank you for calling, we’ll take it from here.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you.”
“Have a good one.”
“Yea, you, you too.”
“Thanks Bob.”
“Any time.”
“Sam?”
“Oh, oh nothing.”
“Yea, I’m fine.”
“I just. I just wanted to say that I love you.”
“Yea, yea I’m fine. That’s fine.”
“Okay. You too. I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye.”