at the food cart

The two ladies in front of me are annoying me in ways the wind and rain do not.

One of the ladies is trying to poke me in the eye with her umbrella. Typically I wear sunglasses in the rain to prevent this, but today I am not. The sunglasses are in my chest pocket, and I am too sour to move my hands that far to retrieve them.

She and her friend are laughing loudly about something and she uses the opportunity to jab at me again. I lean back at the hips, Matrix style, and avoid the pointy assault.

I do not believe in umbrellas, so I am unable to return fire, so I consider kicking her square in the back instead. I watch it happen in my head.

She is taking forever to order her food, and I am getting wetter and wetter. I dont mind getting wet, but I do mind not getting food when I've decided to eat. The woman is asking the vendor all the different options she can get on her food, and if it's free. In the end she settles on a 'Hot Sausage', which is just a fat hotdog with spice chemicals. I know a hotdog when I see it.

She wants it dry. No ketchup, No Sauerkraut, (No Lemonade). That pisses me off further, after her long line of questioning concerning the possibilty of toppings.

The hotdogs cook and they argue with the vendor about the price, and can they get chips for free.

I think about my lawn.

A homeless man in flannel stands behind the two ladies. He and I are equally wet at this point in the steady rain. We are the same height, but he is rail thin. I admire his beard.

"Scarey People Around Here!" He proclaims, making the two ladies nervously look over their shoulders. I dodge another umbrella swipe and smile at their discomfort. I wonder if he's talking about me.

"It's the Chicken Devil.....It's the Chicken Devil." he confides in the ladies, as they lean away from him, cringing and snearing. He walks away and they are rattled.

Everything's ok for me now.