commonplace

mom dropped me off at the farm because the rathore males have made unavailable two thirds of the family vehicles with their poor driving. the hausers tell her she has a wonderful daughter and she responds by asking me to get her free strawberries in punjabi. i accomplish this plus a tomato plant.

we load up, drive, and arrive. soon enough, the sucky process of unloading is complete and my swiss almond chocolate coffee from the bakery across the street is tasting great. i doubt its swiss-ness. fifty something year old janet predicts romance in my future with the organic dairy product guy across the way as we share a peanut butter cookie during a farmer's market lull. i deny this possibility but flirt with him anyway to pass the time and indulge in free cheese samples.

personal observations of consumer demographics have led me to believe males aged twenty to forty love to invest in potted strawberry plants when hungover. our red leaf lettuce is gorgeous enough to be a centerpiece, but zero heads have went and my pride is affected. three women who don't know much about plants but obviously cannot resist cute shit have paid an absurd amount for pots with gimmicky herb mixtures. the marigolds always sell out, and i don't understand it. janet hates when people touch our vegetables and "never friggen buy anything." i realize i am getting overprotective as well when children i would normally call cute pick all the flowers off a hanging basket to stick in their pockets. the little murderers earned a weak smile.

i get to consider myself in the know on the town's political gossip after the ex-events coordinator stops by and spills the dirt over her eight ball zucchini purchase. she was fired last week and the word bitter would be appropriate in describing her. another lull occurs and i assume it is okay to whip out my phone and respond to a text. within the next five minutes, janet sends her first textual message and looks at her phone the way i imagine someone watching her own hand change colors might appear. the new events coordinator stops by to collect the lot fee. she is recently graduated, too enthusiastic, and aspires to move on to a public relations position in the nfl someday. she really likes football, she says. janet comments that i'm too enthusiastic as well and in a month will be saying, "here is your friggen asparagus now get out of here" to a senior citizen. i doubt this, i like the job.