D E S I G N /// ck

Friday night I am riding my bike home from work. My wife has asked me to pick up a paper for her, so she can look at job advertisements. After a futile search for a paper stand at Kroghetto, I roll into the Pilot down the street from my place. After noting the irony of riding a bike into a gas station, I "park" and walk in.

The place is jumping! Apparently Friday night = gas station in my neighborhood. There was a line to the door at the second cashier, but only one woman at the first. I get in line behind her and soon find out why no one was there.

First I notice Kadeisha's (as I started calling her in my head) bleached blonde hair and ear full of jewelry. I count her earrings carefully three times (10) because she is buying lottery tickets (10) and taking her sweet time. Now that we have a state lottery, they've made up dozens of little games to play, most of which involve scratching off that silver skin that conceals the numbers to fortune, or bankruptcy. Kadeisha is cherry picking her games and playing them slowly (at the counter) with relish. She carefully considers each card like tarot reader, trying to sense with her fingers which will change her life. I watch, as she has the most exciting time of her week.

After waiting (10) minutes, Kadeisha moves to the door 50 bucks poorer and I approach the counter. The clerk looks at the paper in my hands and says, "Oh- papers are free on Fridays." I walk back to my bike and ride home.