The wife’s been up all night, coughing, drinking Robitussin, I got a headache, and that’s the kind of week it’s been, one week too many of winter, one week too long feeling sick, dark, and depressed. As much as anything, that’s why I decide to take a walk up to International Foods. I shop as often as I can, just to get out of the house.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Naturally I get sucked into a conversation. “I’m looking for a gold medallion,” he says. “Some Puerto Ricans jumped me, and it went rolling down the sewer.” He dips his scooper down into the sewer and comes up with another blob of muck. No medallion. “I know it’s in here,” he says confidently. He’s a little guy, no telling how old he is, but he sure isn’t young. He has a ponytail. And old clothes, but who wouldn’t wear old clothes while mucking around in a Chicago sewer? I wonder if I should talk to this guy, but this being Chicago, if you stop and talk to any stranger, sooner or later he’s going to ask you for money.
“Hope you find it,” I say, and I’m on to International Foods.
To my surprise, International Foods has the stuff for $1.39. Looks a little brown around the edges, but it’s still lettuce. What am I supposed to do, stop eating salad just because California can’t take better care of its weather?
So I’m feeling a little guilty as I walk toward home on Diversey. When the hell is the weather going to change so I can go fishing? Crossing Milwaukee Avenue, I start wondering if the guy who’s looking for his medallion is still there, and I take my eye off the traffic just long enough to almost get hit by a low fast car driven by some kid with a black mustache. One more step and he breaks both my legs. Then I’ll never get this celery and carrots home and–oh jeez, I forgot the carrots and damned if I mean to go back and hear more about the union!
“Three months! It could be anywhere.”
“1,800 dollars! You could buy a computer for 1,800 bucks! You could get one of those new Pentium chips!” Obviously he doesn’t know what I’m talking about.
