angello's

"coffee hon?"
"please"
I waive off the laminated menu
and she fills my mug
"two eggs, over-easy, homefries, rye toast"
but I say it in a practiced string so it comes like reciting a nursery rhyme
"twoeggsovereasyhomefriesryetoast"
i can feel the alcohol burning off through my eyes
i close them for a long second
"oh, and a corn muffin"

My head buzzes from the hang-over. It doesnt hurt, it's just sort of a slowness that afflicts my body and mind.

When the rye toast comes I'll dip it in the whitened coffee
I'm the 3rd Generation that does that. It probably goes back farther than that, but the people who would know are dead.