Hanging at the Market

Short story for a newspaper contest-750 words

Hanging at the Market

by SG Young

                                                               

Thinking I’d just go ahead and do it do it tonight.

You go on and on and on thinking thinking thinking but when you get the diagnosis what’s the point but then I remembered I’d said I’d watch her I wanted to watch her and what the hell’s the difference you do it tonight you do it tomorrow night you do it the next night.

She’s a pretty cool girl you see her you think what is she but you notice her eyes she’s got intelligent eyes the kind of eyes that look at you and really see you and yeah she’s a pretty good girl.

And she doesn’t mind waiting she’ll just hang watching everybody she hangs at the market a lot of course at the market you see everybody’s coming and going coming and going I wonder what the average purchase at the market is I’m thinking maybe three four items no more than five right?

Unless you want a bag they’ll give you a bag maybe five six items they’ll give you a bag but you get a lot of bags who needs another bag.

Found my shoes threw’em on and I’m out I’m going I’m going to get her going down to the market it’s only a block but it’s a solid block if it’s nice out no big deal but if it’s windy seems like a long block like the longest block in the city and the whole way you’re thinking what am I going to get oh yeah the coffee don’t forget the coffee and you’d better get some soup you’re outta soup should get more eggs almost outta eggs.

You turn that corner you’re hoping to see her and then there she is hanging at the market “Hey Good Girl hey Good Girl how-ya-doin how-ya-doin huh?”

Gotta make a fuss and you gotta get her something usually just a slim jim or half of my slim jim if I get a slim jim she gets half I know they’re not good for her hell they’re not good for me either but I still get me one so what the hell.

I’m in the market it’s not busy I see the owner the vietnamese guy people think he’s chinese people are stupid vietnamese hate the chinese why would he be chinese why would they think that.

“Hey Mr. Pham how ya doin’ today?”

“Hey, Alex, how you doing today?”

“I’m okay I’m just okay.”

“You need something? I get you something.”

“No just the coffee and the eggs today and I was thinking you said you might go away you were thinking of going remember I said I could watch her.” I was pointing to the door pointing to her at the door.

“No, not today Alex. Not going. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe we’ll go tomorrow. You watch her?”

“Yeah sure I can watch her I can watch her anytime I can watch her tomorrow or Friday or whenever.”

“Okay Alex you come by tomorrow or Friday. Might need you tomorrow.”

“Yeah tomorrow tomorrow’s good tomorrow’s always good I think I’ll get some soup then.”

I paid and grabbed the slim jim they’re always at the counter you just grab’em at the counter and I’m holding the eggs in my elbow and I get to the door and I’m holding the eggs in my elbow to use two hands and rip off part of the slim jim and of course an egg slips slips right outta the carton I don’t know how but it was lucky it was just one and also kinda lucky I was already out the door and the egg slips out and of course cracks open and she got her treat that way so I just had the whole slim jim myself watching her clean up that egg.

Then I patted her head real nice and rubbed those ears she’s got those nice soft ears I guess every dog’s got nice soft ears she liked the egg I think she liked the egg better than a slim jim plus it’s better for her a raw egg’s gotta be better than a slim jim.

“Mr. Pham, she just had an egg. I gave her an egg, just a raw egg. Hope that’s okay.”

“Okay, Alex. See you tomorrow Alex.”

“Okay, see ya tomorrow.”

I just headed straight home and I was thinking I’d make the soup and maybe put an egg in it.