awkward pause, it will all come out. The months of suspicion; the affair; the
divorce. What Charmaine said in court.
Then it will be Dominique’s turn. A betrayal, an accident, the death of
someone dear: whatever the tragedy, the words will just flood out. She will
find herself saying things she never thought she could. Because she’ll see that
we are the same. Broken people ill treated by life who still cannot give up.
Number of times the man in front of her has laughed: 4. He is reading a book,
or newspaper, I can’t tell which from here. He is in his late-twenties, with a
short beard and glasses. I’m guessing he’s a student.
Number of signs for Big Don’s Chicken between Turlock and Modesto: 5
Number of times they said ‘mental cruelty’ during the hearing: 24.
Number of times Dominique has looked up, no doubt in annoyance, at the by
now too numerous laughs from the man in front: 3. It’s all very well to enjoy
things, but. After a point, it’s look-at-me-and-all-the-fun-I’m-having.
Correction. There are now 6 signs for Big Don’s Chicken. The new one
features his face on a 10-foot rooster brandishing a drumstick. The big nose.
coupled with his red cheeks, is enough of a resemblance for my hands to
spasm on the wheel, and the bus to lurch to the side. Apart from the elderly
woman— who opens her eyes, looks around, shuts them —the only other
person to notice is the bearded man who waves his hands in the air. He says
something, then laughs, and when Dominique does too I am so taken aback
by the sound— as warm as wine held in the mouth —that I almost forget
about Big Don, or rather the man that Big Don resembles. The man who’d
been a friend of mine since before I was married.
Number of times I hit him: 15. The branch was from an oak we were
supposed to prune. If rain hadn’t flooded the road, if I hadn’t come back 2
hours early, the 2 of us would probably have cut that branch together.