John liked to sit in the corner at Starbucks. He could curl up against the wall and the chatter of housewives and businessmen didn't bother him as much. He was thinking of leaving when a very large woman sat down next to him. John concentrated on his writing but then the cheesy popcorn bag opened. The woman took off her glasses and slowly savored her cheesy popcorn. She was so big she had to push the table out in the aisle. John tried to ignore the crinkling bag and the wafting aroma of chemical cheese.
Hello.
Fuck. She's on the phone.
Oh no. I am sticking to my diet. I am only having a bag of cheesy popcorn.
John tried not to listen and redoubled his concentration.
Well I have to eat something....it says for sodium it is only twenty percent of the daily allowance.
The words had frozen out the screen. The putrid cheese scent of chemical popcorn was overwhelming.
Well I am only having bean soup and ham tonight.
The crinkling bag was extremely loud.
Well I have to eat something...fine. I wont eat cheesy popcorn. I promise...I know what the doctor said. I will never eat it again.
She hung up the phone and continued to eat. John could not help but watch how she slowly brought each piece to her mouth and slowly chewed. The bag was now empty and she folded it up. She sat staring and then stood up. John managed to get back to his writing. He was hard at work again and lost in his prose when the rotten egg gas wafted over again. The crinkling bag broke his concentration forever. The new bag of cheesy popcorn floated beneath her mouth. The woman stared at him then shrugged in defeat.
www.williamhazelgrove.com
Hello.
Fuck. She's on the phone.
Oh no. I am sticking to my diet. I am only having a bag of cheesy popcorn.
John tried not to listen and redoubled his concentration.
Well I have to eat something....it says for sodium it is only twenty percent of the daily allowance.
The words had frozen out the screen. The putrid cheese scent of chemical popcorn was overwhelming.
Well I am only having bean soup and ham tonight.
The crinkling bag was extremely loud.
Well I have to eat something...fine. I wont eat cheesy popcorn. I promise...I know what the doctor said. I will never eat it again.
She hung up the phone and continued to eat. John could not help but watch how she slowly brought each piece to her mouth and slowly chewed. The bag was now empty and she folded it up. She sat staring and then stood up. John managed to get back to his writing. He was hard at work again and lost in his prose when the rotten egg gas wafted over again. The crinkling bag broke his concentration forever. The new bag of cheesy popcorn floated beneath her mouth. The woman stared at him then shrugged in defeat.
www.williamhazelgrove.com
