Process and Procedure
“I changed religions for that baby.”
A dirty hand goes into the dust of a knapsack. Comes out with receipts and candy wrappers and broken words from her own history.
“I just need the paperwork,” I tell her. “I'm sorry, I'm just doing my job.”
“You come to my house and you want to talk to me about that baby.”
I have a time limit here. I don't have time to think about why she said that baby instead of my baby or even him. I have two more houses to visit in this county today.
“Should be three white pages stapled. And a yellow carbon copy.”
“I only have your pink here,” she says.
Or why she said your pink instead of the pink copy or your fucking pink copy. I have something to go to when the sun goes down. I am not a one-job one-life kind of man and I have people who expect me at a specific hour.
I'm just trying to piece together a career with my spare time.
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Author's Note
Appeared in elimae, October 2009.
Honored to have the great Cooper Renner accept this without changes.
So much happening between these two characters that they don't even know is happening.
Wonderful piece.
This is just great
"Or why she said your pink instead of the pink copy or your fucking pink copy."
So fantastic. I love this piece.
The official is alienated from client by his function, and the spareness of description suits. Well done.