Short Dialogue: Journal 7/5/06
Short Dialogue
My hands full with breakfast to bring back to work, a short man in civilian clothes and a baseball cap holds the door open for me as I’m leaving the chow hall.
Me: “Thank you!”
I walk across the parking lot and make it onto the sidewalk where I run into the same man. At first I can tell that neither one of us can decide to walk faster or slower than the other. I try to go faster at first and even though I have a much longer stride than him (he was quite short), we are still walking shoulder to shoulder. When he tries to slow down (allowing me to pass him), I do the same and we can’t seem to coordinate our steps so that we weren’t walking right next to each other.
It was only a 3 block walk back to the clinic. I looked at the strange little man next to me… and he looked at me… and I think we both decided that we could endure walking next to each other for the next 3 blocks.
Our conversation is as follows:
Little Man: (thick accent) “Escuse me Maddam, are you… hdiow.. jdoiqu?”
Me: “What?”
Little Man: “Are you… striwiat?”
Me: (looking highly confused) “Am I straight???”
Little Man: (little laugh) “No! Are you straight?”
Me: (Very confused but not wishing to ask him to repeat himself again.) “Yes.”
…..silence……
Little Man: “You on shift now?”
Me: “Yes. I’m bringing my breakfast to work right now.”
Little Man: “I just finished.”
Me: “You just finished working?”
Little Man: “Yes.”
Me: “Do you work at Subway?” (He was wearing a Subway baseball hat.)
Little Man: “No. PX.” (Post Exchange)
Me: “Ah… I see. You work the overnight shift?”
Little Man: “Yes. Do you work 12 hours?”
Me: “Sometimes. But today I only work 8. It’s a good day today! A short day.”
Little Man: (smiling) “Yes it is. I work 12 everyday.”
Me: “12 hours feels like a long time, doesn’t it? Do you get a day off?”
Little Man: “Yes.”
…..silence…..
Me: “Where are you from?”
Little Man: “Pakistan.”
Me: “How long will you be here?”
Little Man: “Company send for 1 year.”
Me: “And how much longer do you have?”
Little Man: (indiscernable mumbling) “……July 7th.”
Me: (slightly confused) “ah..ok. It isn’t too bad here, is it?”
Little Man: “No.”
….silence……
Little Man: “Goodbye maddam” (He abruptly walks across the street as we come to the end of the road.)
Me: “Goodbye. Nice meeting you.”
The End.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Other Posts You May Enjoy!
Simone Rubin on 
Keith on 
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment