“Why not say, hi?”

“She seems to know you.”

“Yes.”

“Why not say, hi?”

He swallows a bite of the pastry

we’d just bought from

the girl at the counter.

“She’s from the neighborhood and

I had sex with her four years ago.”

“And you can’t speak now?”

“She had sex with all the boys; it was just my turn.”

“You can at least be friendly.”

“No!”

There was more I wanted to say,

but couldn’t and didn’t,

because I did’t know how.

11-11-21