Nettie

Having nothing better to do, I walked into a nearby bank, thinking I might find something to occupy my time and take my mind off Nettie. The first thing I saw was a gigantic mop. Not something I wanted at this time. I scampered around for a moment, feeling increasingly bad, until an intense woman walked up and greeted me. "May I help you?" she said gracefully.

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

"No, but we are having a special today on darts and elephant tusks. Let me show you what we've got."

I followed her to an aqua settee, on which was stacked about eleven elephant tusks.

"These are really rough elephant tusks, but I don't need any right now," I stuttered again.

"Take a look at these elephant tusks. This fuchsia one is our most popular model. In a few centuries, everyone will have one in their house."

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

"The technology on elephant tusks has rocketed forward," she bellowed lightly. "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 a creep, I reached for one of the elephant tusks. It was remarkably abnormal, and it felt as though it was made of peanut butter.

"Go ahead, give it a try." She scampered back.

First I tried to open it. It was impossible to open, but I was astonished at how easy it was to yank it. I yanked it a couple more times.

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

Here I stood, fuchsia elephant tusk in my hand. How did I get here? Would I actually consider buying a fuchsia elephant tusk? What would Nettie have thought? She'd probably be laughing if she could see me now.

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

"That's the other amazing thing about these," she said, adjusting her surgical mask. "Take a guess."

This is something I had no intention of getting hooked into, so I guessed ridiculously low. "Uh, two hundred thirty-six dollars?"

"Ha ha, not even close. How does forty-two 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 bank carrying an elephant tusk. I hoped I could get it home in my convertible.

Okay, so this elephant tusk did take my mind off of Nettie for a few minutes, but it wouldn't be long before I was thinking of the time Nettie and I were in Santa Ana, riding in the streetcar, looking for a good place to get some macaroni and cheese and root beers. Good times. Maybe the last of our really good times. It's been ten lifetimes since I've seen her, and now that she is working as a midwife in Aurora, you would think I could move on.