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Feb. 10th, 2008 08:54 amThe Little Store actually had a good Saturday. Not a great Saturday. But a good Saturday. Except I was so tired afterwards I passed on Susie B's fabulous Valentines Day party and collapsed at home.
In the middle of the afternoon a guy came into the store and stopped next to the politically incorrect teeshirt display, leaning hard on the front counter.
"Are you all right?" I asked.
"No," he said. "I hurt."
"Is it your back?"
"It's everything," he said. He was a middle-aged guy with a pleasant florid face, and a bit of a gut.
"What can I do to help you?" I asked. I was concerned. Calling an ambulance was going to be bad for business.
"I just got back from overseas," he said. "I'm too old for that stuff."
"Are you in the military?"
"Private contractor," he said. He named a couple of Iraqi cities and shook his head. "It's hard."
"It is hard," I said. "Of course, the money's good. So it's a trade-off."
He shook his head. His eyes were haunted. Maybe he'd been drinking though I didn't smell alcohol. "I don't know what to do."
"Listen," I said. "You're going to be okay –"
"I'm too old," he said. "Too old. You think you can do it, and then you can't. And the divorce."
"Hey, you're an attractive man," I said. "And you can get married again if you want to." I smiled and held up the hand with my wedding ring. "See? I'm an entirely disinterested, objective observer. Maybe you are too old for contract work but there are a thousand other things you can do, right? It's going to be okay."
Of course after that what could he do but buy $60 worth of stuff? I'll tell you, I'm a ho…
In the evening one of my favorite customers of all time came into the store with his family. A Russian guy who's been coming in to the store three times a year since we opened. He always buys Da Bomb in all three strengths – Ground Zero, Beyond Insanity and Final Answer. Sometimes other things too.
"My customers," he says, chuckling and shaking his head. "Like water they go through this. Is test."
I laughed but forebore to ask him about his line of work.
"How long you here now?"
"Four and a half years," I said.
"Four and a half years! I am very happy that you make it."
I would have laughed in his face, but I like him too much.
( 16 January 1978 – Cairo )
In the middle of the afternoon a guy came into the store and stopped next to the politically incorrect teeshirt display, leaning hard on the front counter.
"Are you all right?" I asked.
"No," he said. "I hurt."
"Is it your back?"
"It's everything," he said. He was a middle-aged guy with a pleasant florid face, and a bit of a gut.
"What can I do to help you?" I asked. I was concerned. Calling an ambulance was going to be bad for business.
"I just got back from overseas," he said. "I'm too old for that stuff."
"Are you in the military?"
"Private contractor," he said. He named a couple of Iraqi cities and shook his head. "It's hard."
"It is hard," I said. "Of course, the money's good. So it's a trade-off."
He shook his head. His eyes were haunted. Maybe he'd been drinking though I didn't smell alcohol. "I don't know what to do."
"Listen," I said. "You're going to be okay –"
"I'm too old," he said. "Too old. You think you can do it, and then you can't. And the divorce."
"Hey, you're an attractive man," I said. "And you can get married again if you want to." I smiled and held up the hand with my wedding ring. "See? I'm an entirely disinterested, objective observer. Maybe you are too old for contract work but there are a thousand other things you can do, right? It's going to be okay."
Of course after that what could he do but buy $60 worth of stuff? I'll tell you, I'm a ho…
In the evening one of my favorite customers of all time came into the store with his family. A Russian guy who's been coming in to the store three times a year since we opened. He always buys Da Bomb in all three strengths – Ground Zero, Beyond Insanity and Final Answer. Sometimes other things too.
"My customers," he says, chuckling and shaking his head. "Like water they go through this. Is test."
I laughed but forebore to ask him about his line of work.
"How long you here now?"
"Four and a half years," I said.
"Four and a half years! I am very happy that you make it."
I would have laughed in his face, but I like him too much.
( 16 January 1978 – Cairo )
