Just A Wee Bit More Business

 

(Well they can hope, eh?)

Downtown 

Hi, this is Jen. It was getting later in the afternoon and I figured we better get something for Buddy to eat. He was a really skinny looking, big dog!

We usually filled our backpacks with whatever they happened to have in the state-run store. You never knew what might be there. You also never knew where it was made, at all, or where they got it. This was official shopping done with official funny money, from the little books we had gotten at the old used to be Post Office. There were other ways of buying stuff, but it was all a bit underground.  You had to know somebody.

I will say, it’s a funny business being orphans in what’s left of the country.

“Hey, Lou” I say “let’s go buy some Alpo or something, and see if they have something for us.” She got up to her feet and Buddy stood up too. Lou had been squatting like an Indian on the sidewalk just silently watching the people in town today.

I looped my arm through hers, and we went down the sidewalk like a couple of nuts with a big dog. Buddy stayed right with me and Lou. There were a few more of those stencils painted on the sidewalk. “Follow Me”. Follow who? Who knows!

*

So, on the main old highway, there is a store that used to be a supermarket. They still call it the QFC, but it isn’t really the QFC. It’s kind of a PNW Section Authority food outlet. I can barely remember real supermarkets. Lots of whatever you wanted. No more.

This place was really dull. They don’t decorate at all. All of the old shelves and cases are there, but most of them don’t have a lot. However, they had some canned dog food. I was joking about Alpo. They had plain cans that said dog food, beef, in black lettering on the top. Poor old Buddy.  God knows what was in the can, but it was what it was, you know?

I got some paper plates too. They had peanut butter and heavy whole wheat bread too. And some little apples. I had to buy a plastic knife for the peanut butter.

Outside the store, I laid down a paper plate, pulled the tab on the dog food can and dumped it out for Buddy to eat. He had been waiting a long time. He didn’t gobble. He ate carefully, and cleanly. We needed to find him some water somewhere. I put the paper plate in a garbage barrel near the door. Then we all moved over to the bus stop, though there are very few buses these days, and sat down for a peanut butter picnic. I forgot to mention that the store had canned tea, so we had some of that too. No dessert, unless you count a very small apple. Still, we felt better then.

*** 

While we were up by the Post Office, I had noticed a couple of boys. I had never seen them before. They were picking up their little booklets of fake money also. I got a pretty good look while their backs were turned. They appeared to be late teens and like they might have been walking for a long time. You know how that looks? Worn tennies, dusty jeans, limp looking puffer jackets and big backpacks, hair stuffed in plain black beanies.

Lou and I were pretty sure they were brothers. Brown hair, blue eyes, taller than us. I guess they were good looking. Thin. We’re all thin. Well, except for Lou. She is almost round!

So of course, they appeared at the same store we had gone to. Sitting in our bus stop shelter we didn’t stare. It's more like a sideways scope out. I did notice that sewn to the back of each backpack was a six-inch square piece of red fabric with word “NO” stenciled on it in white. The plot was beginning to thicken just a little bit.

So, of course, the boys came over to the same bus stop. I thought they probably wanted to sit down and eat something also. Lou and I scooted down and made room. Buddy stood up in front of us looking at them. He didn’t bark, but he didn’t budge either.

“What’s your dog’s name?” the taller one asked. “In fact, what’s your name, or hers?” he said nodding at Lou. “I’m Doug, this wart here is Elvin.” The wart looked amiably and tolerantly at his brother, and grinned at us. Well, ok, Elvin was a doll.  Doug was ok too.

“I don’t really know the dog’s name” I said. “He found us walking into town from Riverside. And he seems to think we are his now. Oh, yeah, we call him Buddy. He doesn’t seem to mind.”

“That’s my little sister, Lou, and I am Jen.”

Doug made them some sandwiches with the same brown bread and some potted ham spread. Not my preference! They had some kind of soda in cans too. Eating, and resting and looking around Doug spoke again. “So, um, what are you doing in town, I mean besides getting your book of stamps and buying lunch?”

🙈🙉🙊

*By SounderBruce - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70582948