the old man was still sitting outside, slouched against the wall of the store.
“i don’t suppose kingfish came by while i was in the store?” yancey asked him.
“no, he did not.”
yancey sat back down on the old red couch.
a couple of minutes passed with neither yancey nor the old man saying anything.
“your name is mose, huh?” yancey finally said, just to be saying something and make the time go a little faster.
“i’m an old man, what else would it be?”
“um - that makes sense, i guess,” yancey agreed.
after another long minute, yancey asked the old man. “how come you don’t sit on this couch? seems more comfortable than sitting on the ground.”
“it’s cursed.”
“oh. what’s cursed about it?”
“it’s. just cursed, that’s all. folks that sit on it come to no good.”
“it seems comfortable enough to me.”
“how kong you been sitting on it?” the old man laughed in his strange voice.
“if it’s so cursed, how come it’s still here? why doesn’t somebody come and take it away?”
“ain’t nobody forced to sit on it.”
yancey decided to give up on engaging the old man in conversation. he took out his phone and checked the time again. he wondered if he should call xenia and tell her he might be late. he decided not to.
a cold wind sprung up. maybe i should start walking, yancey thought. at least it might warm me up. but he remembered how weak he had gotten before, and stayed seated.
he started to play a game of bang bang on his phone.
just as he was about to lose his first game, the old man spoke.
“here’s kingfish now.”
yancey looked up. an ordinary looking gray truck pulled up silently in front of the store.
an ordinary looking ordinary sized man got out of the cab, and started walking up to the store. he did not greet the old man and the old man seemed to ignore him until he had his hand in the door.
“this young man is looking for a ride, kingfish.”
kingfish looked over at yancey. his face was completely expressionless. “is that right?”
“yes, sir.”
“a ride to where?”
“into town. all the way to the south side, if you could.”
“i might manage that. i can’t guarantee anything.”
“i would be much obliged, sir.”
“just wait here.” kingfish opened the door and entered the store.
that was easy, yancey thought.
maybe too easy, a voice in his head said.
i should stop thinking negative thoughts, he told himself.
he turned his phone off and put it back in his pocket. as he did, he felt something in his pocket.
the little lizard looking toy soldier. he had forgotten about it.
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