Overheard and Approximated, South Minneapolis Coffee Shop, 2013

“Can I help you?”

“I’ll take a decaf please.”

“Sure thing.”

“I’m trying to cut down on my caffeine.”

“One decaf. What size?”

“Small. If I have it too late in the day then I don’t sleep and I end up tired the
next day and it defeats the purpose of having coffee in the first place.”

“Sure. That’ll be one eighty three.”

“I think I got exact change. I like the taste of coffee though so that’s why I get the decaf. You know what actually could I get a medium? Is that a hassle?”

“No hassle at all, I haven’t poured it yet.”

“Great. I hate to be a bother to anybody.”

“Sure. That’ll be two forty three.”

“Thanks. Here, let’s see. One, two, twenty. Nope. No exact change. Sorry.”

“No problem.”

“I hate to be a bother. I was telling my sister that yesterday, she checks up on me. At my age she thinks I might forget where I am or fall over.”

“Medium decaf coming right up.”

“I think it’s partly that I’m disabled, she thinks I can’t take care of myself, I always tell her not to worry about it.”

“Did you want room for cream and sugar?”

“Yes please. I can take care of myself, I get my soashsecurity check and that pays some of the bills, my medical care’s cheap because the VA, and then I find odd jobs sometimes.”

“Here you go.”

“Thanks. I should get a bigger check, I keep going down the VA, I’m disabled from Agent Orange from when I was in Vietnam, they deny it but I know that’s what it is, that’s why I can’t get around as good. They know it too, I moved out here to be close to the VA hospital for treatments and one of the doctors even said it was probly the Agent Orange but I can’t get that in writing.”

“Have a nice day.”

“You too. Those cheap bastards in the government, you know? They don’t even care.”

“Yeah.”

“Well I won’t talk your ear off. Thanks for the coffee. I’m gonna go sit by the window and read my book, maybe play chess with Marty if he comes in.”

“Okay.”

“Nice talking with you.”

“Uh… uh huh. You too.”