scruta

Kobold

Gingham

I was walking down the street

With chocolate in one hand

And pride in the other.

I smacked my lips on both.

Feeling particularly animal,

I pointed my snout towards the sky.

The trees were waving at me

Singing couplets:

“Today’s the day your love has come along

So put your burdens down and hear our song.”

So I listened, and began humming with them.

+++

The people on the street glared at me –

Glared at me with sagging lips

Glared at me with pale cheeks

Glared at me with balding brows –

Not because they thought I was mad,

But because they knew all too well:

The trees no longer sang to them.

[Ferret is tired. He’s trying to get dinner with Chipmunk at 五观堂素食. He walks up to the Hostess.]

Ferret

你好.

Hello.

Hostess

你好, 你们几位?

Hello, for how many?

Ferret

两位.

Two.

Hostess

不好意思, 两位没有位子. 你需要等一会儿.

I’m sorry, but we don’t have any tables for two. You’ll have to wait.

Ferret

[beginning to speak an actual sentence in Chinese for the first time all day:]

多少钱?

How much does it cost?

[The Hostess gives him a puzzled look, and Ferret realizes his mistake instantly.]

Ferret

哦! 多少时间?

Oh, how much time will it take?

Hostess

半个小时.

Half an hour.

Ferret

[to Chipmunk]

Do you want to wait?

Chipmunk

Well, I could do whatever. Are you really hungry?

Ferret

Yeah. Let’s try somewhere else.

[As Ferret and Chipmunk walk out, Another Customer waiting in line looks at him in puzzlement and maybe with a hint of disapproval. Ferret knows why. It looks like he just accidentally tried to bribe his way into getting a seat.]