The two girls sat close,
touching hands in a gesture of both familiarity and affection. They
were similar in age but not in attire. One was all blonde ponytail
and Juicy track suit, the other, well...in her mother's clothes. I
would have guessed them to be around seventy years.
They were talking, as
girlfriends do, about boys.
Miss Ponytail: “I need
a break from Lenny.”
Miss Drab: “You should
meet Don.” “He's nothing like Lenny, you'd like him.”
Miss P: “Is he fat? I
don't like fat.”
Miss D: “He's not fat.”
Miss P: “Does he have
hair? I like hair.” Her voice trailed off, lost in the image of her
ideal man.
“You know, she
continues, switching back to Lenny, “it's not that he's not a good
man. “He calls me twice a day.
Miss D: “Twice a day?”
Miss P: “Twice a day.
But what I don't like is his obsession with money. It has to be the
best restaurant, the most expensive coat. You know,
it's just too much pressure.”
Miss D: “Pressure?”
Miss P: “All I'm looking
for is a nice, normal Jewish man. Is that too hard to find?”
Miss D: “It's not too
hard to find, but I think you're being fussy.”
Miss P: “Fussy?”
Miss D: “You can't
afford to be fussy at your age.”
Miss P: “What do you
mean, 'my age'?”
Miss D: “Oy vey, you're
no spring chicken. How often does a man come along with his own teeth
and hair?”
Miss P: “Lenny doesn't
have his own teeth.”
Miss D: “But Lenny can
look down and check that his shoes match his belt. That's no mean
feat in this day and age.”
Miss P: “His shoes have
to be the most
expensive shoes.”
Miss D: “I don't think
your trouble is men.”
Miss P: “What do you
mean?”
Miss D: “So take Lenny.
There's nothing wrong with Lenny. Plenty of girls would like Lenny.”
Miss P: “What are you
saying?”
Miss D: “But it's all
'Lenny's got problems'. 'He's too obsessive about money...'”
Miss P: “'You don't
understand.”
Miss D: “What do you mean, 'I don't
understand?”
Miss P: “You're not with
Lenny.”
Miss D: “Who said I want
to be with Lenny?”
Miss P: “If you were
with Lenny, you would know what I mean.”
The train pulled up to
their station and they both got up to leave.
Miss D: “And if it
doesn't work out with Lenny, come meet Don.”
Miss P “I'm not
interested in Don.”
Miss D: “How do you
know?”
© 2013 Jackie Maw Tolliver
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