Page 11 - Contrast2005
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On her next lap around the counter, She could almost see his brain
Mary brought the hot dog. Sliding it changing gears to talk to her.
across the table to him, she motioned
toward the mustard squeeze bottle. "Oh no. Here's m ... my money.
(on I finish my drink?"
"There's your mustard. Anything
else?" He hod half a glass of mostly
melted ice.
"(nuld you do it? Sometimes ... 1
make a mess." His eyes seemed larger, "Sure, finish up. But we close in
looking up at her with on open face that half an hour."
concealed no guile. She sow his smile
and his slight embarrassment for He looked bewildered when she
asking. mentioned closing time. He looked out
the window like he was trying to get his
"OK. Soy when." bearings. The darkened streets were
"When." He giggled at his joke and deserted.
she couldn't help smiling and resisted
the urge to tousle his hair. "Are you from the group place,
Over the next hour the place down on Magruder?" She asked the
emptied. Once, she refilled his gloss, question vaguely to not embarrass
without asking. He was so engrossed in either of them if she was wrong. She
his comic book that she wasn't sure he knew full well it was a halfway house
noticed. His movements were slow, for mentally challenged and physically
planned and studied. Both hands to hold disabled people. The residents occasion-
the gloss, both hands to hold the hot ally visited the diner. She hod never
dog, both hands to hold the comic book. seen any of the residents alone.
And no task overlapped another, each
was a separate, distinct, thought-out He lowered his eyes, still looking
motion. out into the darkness.
As the clock wound toward closing,
she began to pay more attention to him. "Yes, I live there."
He seemed to not be moving, but then "Sooo, what? You're out on a pass
she saw his finger tracing over each or something? I thought you always hod
panel in the comic book, his lips working to have one of the ... " She almost said
slowly. Sometimes he smiled, but keeper, but knew that wasn't right.
mostly, it seemed to her, it was just "I just wonted t ... to go for a walk,
awfully hard work. to be out alone for a while. I have to
"We'll be closing soon. (on I get go bock I'm not sure I know how." He
you something else?" looked again into the darkness as if
trying til decide which way was home.
"Do you want me to call? (on
someone come for you?"
"Yeah. I'm in t ... trouble. They'll
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