In Orange County just after it started raining, the blacktop appearing as obsidian, I was perusing the books on sale at Barnes & Noble. Over in the periodical section, I'm surprised to see an old guy who goes to AA meetings where I live, in La Costa.
La Costa is 75 miles south of here. I also thought he was dead. Have you ever met someone like this? It happens more often than you'd think.
"Hi." I say.
"Hello." he replies.
"How's it going?" I ask.
"Fine." he says, a bit irritated that I'm still talking to him.
"What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like? I'm looking at books!"
"Oh."
"You don't think I'd be here looking at books!?"
"But you live in La Costa."
"Jesus Christ! Just because I live in La Costa, I can't show up here and be looking at books?"
"Hey -- no offense. I was surprised to see you."
"Offense taken!" He pushed up his glasses. "Any more questions you want to ask me, before I get back to enjoying myself alone?
"No -- no." I wanted to say "Hi"."
"OK -- "Hi". Now beat it!"
I leave him alone, but I can't help but seeing him in the corner of my eye -- he's dressed in a red flannel shirt and faded blue jeans -- like he always is. Meanwhile, the rain has let up.
*
A week later I go back to La Costa, and I attend the morning meeting. The chair where the guy always sat is empty. Plenty of people could sit in it, but the chair stays unoccupied.
I don't tell anyone about meeting the dead guy at Barnes & Noble, because I'm not sure he's really dead, but nobody is talking about him anymore so I don't bring it up.
*
The next time I go to Banes & Noble in Orange County, I guess I'm not surprised to see him in the bargain books section. He's wearing the same flannel shirt and jeans -- looking exactly like I saw him last time. Why not?
"Hi." I say.
"Oh sweet Jesus Christ! You again." he says sarcastically, with a short glance. "Why don't you fuck off?"
"Where have you been?"
"What are you, my fucking mother? Get away! Scram!"
I see a staff person frowning at me, so I leave him alone.
*
The next meeting, in La Costa, I see someone sitting in his chair who looks just like him. It is his brother. I go over an introduce myself, which makes him angry.
"How's _________?" I ask him.
"Whadda ya mean, how's __________?" he yells at me.
"Is he around?"
"Fuck you! He's not here!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I fucking mean!
He's not here!"
Now people in the meeting are looking at me with disgust. I excuse myself and sit down.
*
The next time I'm in Orange County when I go to a bookstore, I decide to go to a different one altogether.
