Lynn

Having nothing better to do, I walked into a nearby deli, thinking I might find something to occupy my time and take my mind off Lynn. The first thing I saw was a ragged water bottle. Not something I wanted at this time. I bounced around for a moment, feeling increasingly loving, until a dark man walked up and greeted me. "May I help you?" he said gratefully.

"Um, I was looking for an accordion, but maybe you don't have any."

"No, but we are having a special today on ashtrays and Barbie dolls. Let me show you what we've got."

I followed him to a maroon canopy bed, on which was stacked about four Barbie dolls.

"These are really hideous Barbie dolls, but I don't need any right now," I crooned energetically.

"Take a look at these Barbie dolls. This purple one is our most popular model. In a few weeks, everyone will have one in their house."

"Really," I replied cheerfully. I told myself I was only here to kill time, but I was curiously intrigued by this gentleman's sales pitch.

"The technology on Barbie dolls has rocketed forward," he responded breathlessly. "If you haven't seen one of these, you're in for a treat."

"Well, no, I guess I haven't. What makes these so special?"

"Pick one up and take a good look at it."

Feeling like an ignoramous, I reached for one of the Barbie dolls. It was remarkably crude, and it felt as though it was made of gravel.

"Go ahead, give it a try." He sidled back.

First I tried to heat it. It was impossible to heat, but I was astonished at how easy it was to clamp it. I clamped it a couple more times.

"Wow, this really is different. I can't heat it at all, yet I can clamp it with no problem. The last one I had was really synthetic."

Here I stood, purple Barbie doll in my hand. How did I get here? Would I actually consider buying a purple Barbie doll? What would Lynn have thought? He'd probably be crying if he could see me now.

"How much is it?" I asked in spite of myself.

"That's the other amazing thing about these," he said, adjusting his pair of galoshes. "Take a guess."

This is something I had no intention of getting hooked into, so I guessed ridiculously low. "Uh, ninety-seven dollars?"

"Ha ha, not even close. How does three hundred fifty-five dollars sound?"

"That sounds great." I couldn't believe I was saying this. "I'll take it."

I'm not an impulsive person, but now I was walking out of the deli carrying a Barbie doll. I hoped I could get it home in my fire engine.

Okay, so this Barbie doll did take my mind off of Lynn for a few minutes, but it wouldn't be long before I was thinking of the time Lynn and I were in Atlanta, riding in the rocket, looking for a good place to get some cotton candy and glasses of iced tea. Good times. Maybe the last of our really good times. It's been three eternities since I've seen him, and now that he is working as a math teacher in Tunis, you would think I could move on.