was there truth in what he was saying?
only a tiny amount.
and then what was the rest, then?
a different version of truth.
what about the little episode regarding life in the wilderness?
an exaggeration of sorts- he was technically living in a friend's pick-up truck.
like in the classic "I sorta need a pick-me-up" kind of way?
more or less.
wow. musta been a pretty good friend.
decent friend.
he's always been pretty lucky in that department, hasn't he?
that ain't the only department.
yeah- I hear ya.
yeah- good- because I'm speakin' to ya.
we're the only two people in this room- who else would you be speaking to, keng?
I dunno- some sort of performance art, maybe?
that's a new one!
a curve ball.
hey- a curved ball- like a planet!
a rough-hewn sphere, as lao might have it.
a plan, a planet, a plant, and an almost flawless plane of existence simultaneously-
you mean the pick-up truck episode?
indeed- you're getting pretty quick on the uptake.
he parked on a country road behind the cracker barrel that went out of business.
before it went out of business?
as it was on its way out of business.
oh yeah- now I'm remembering- it tried to go 24 hours?
it did go 24 hours, calv- there was no trying about it.
was there truth in what he said to his boss at the taxi cab company?
an increasingly smaller amount.
(short pause)
so- a decreasing amount, you're sayin'?
correct.
why not just say "decreasing", then, keng?
would you prefer that?
(short pause)
no, I'm not saying that, necessarily, either.
something needs to be said? necessarily? as in "absolutely necessary"?
did I say that keng? did I say that? now you're just putting words in my mouth!
well, you're a fictional character, calv- what else could I possibly do?
you could let me speak for myself!
(long pause)
you're right, calv. you're right. I'm sorry. proceed. speak for yourself.
(pause)
thank you, keng. ok. uh... let's see... where were we, exactly?
let me think for a second... ok, I think you were asking about the country road behind the old cracker barrel.
oh right, right... and the decreasing amount of truth with the guy at the taxi cab company.
that's right, calv. we're back on track. proceed. take advantage of this rare forward momentum.
good idea, keng. was he lonely? living in a pick-up truck out in the desolate countryside?
well, it wasn't necessarily desolate- and no, not lonely in the slightest, as far as I understood.
and how far is that, keng?
fairly far.
(pause)
meaning, maybe, farther than most?
no, I wouldn't say that.
anyways- not lonely at all, then?
no sir.
I guess he still had his friend who was letting him live in the pick-up.
yeah, that was definitely a factor. he had a small fur-covered domestic animal also.
you mean rogers?
I do mean rogers.
oh wow- I didn't realize that- sure, that can make all the difference.
and it did, calv. it did.
you mean rogers more or less saved his life?
well, I'm not sure I'd go that far- but he was pretty good company. did you ever meet him, by chance?
you mean rogers?
I do mean rogers.
huh... let me think for a second... wow, I'm not sure- was he the orange one?
there were a couple of orange ones over the years.
ok then... was he super shy?
on occasion.
was he the one who never got upset about anything?
yeah, that was rogers. indeed. he was a real peaceful fellow.
and he lived with doug in the pick-up for all of those months?
he did indeed.
wow. he must have been a pretty good friend.
decent friend.
he's always been pretty lucky in that department, hasn't he?
that ain't the only department, calv.
yeah- I hear ya.
that's bizarre- because I ain't even speakin' to ya.
ok then, mr. performance art.
yeah, I guess you're pretty much onto me, calv.
it's been awhile, friend.
it has.
are you still drivin' a cab, by the way?
no. I pretty much sucked at it.
yeah- somehow that doesn't surprise me.
cab driving is very complex activity- not everyone understands that.
this was in your hometown?
yeah, st. louis.
were you ever in danger?
all the time.
you just got used to it? pretty much- as much as someone in that situation can. danger from customers? no, more danger from other drivers- from traffic. from weather conditions. sleep deprivation. all the usual suspects....................................................................................................................................................................................................you didn't last long, you were sayin'?.....................................................yeah- only a couple of months.........................you
weren't
paying
rent
at
the
time?
correct- I was residing in the back of a pick-up. with rogers? with rogers. he was an adorable fellow. yeah- of all the cats we've had over the years, he's the one that seemed to make the most distinct impression on people. he was so mellow! he was incredibly mellow. "mellow" doesn't even begin to describe it. "peaceful", maybe? oh, completely. more than that, even. an actual peacemaker. sometimes other cats might come up to him, hissing, spitting, whatever- the dude would just close his eyes and start purring! totally relaxed! not a twitch of tension or fear in his body! yeah, I saw that a couple times. he musta been pretty good company for doug during those months in the pick-up.
he was.
yeah, I'll bet.
good communication between those two, I imagine.
good support, also.
a good sense of humor as well.
shared goals, shared intentions.
a shared appreciation of keeping things as simple as possible.
yeah, meowsers tend to be good at that.
little rogers sorta took it to the next level, I think.
