"Morning."
"Morning."
"I'll be right with you."
"OK."
Richard waits for the waitress to serve a table.
"Now. What was it? Sausage, egg and cheese?"
"No. No. Bacon, egg and cheese. Actually, I want two. I need an egg and cheese and a bacon, egg and cheese."
"OK. Let me get that right in."
"Wait. I'll pay first."
"Oh. OK."
The waitress about faces and walks towards the front counter by the front door through which Richard enters the diner and he pays the waitress.
"Those'll be ready in just a few minutes."
"OK. I'll be right back."
"OK."
Outside, it is a wee hour and the sun is not risen yet at a dark hour of dawn. Richard sits with his wife and dog in their vehicle parked in a spot in front of the brightly lit diner. He begins to roll a cigarette from his pouch on his lap when three policemen stride up to Richard's window shining flashlights at Richard's face through the half rolled down window.
"We had a report that you were driving erratically."
Richard reaches to roll down his window.
"What is that?" the officer states shining his light into Richard's lap.
"Oh. This? This is just cigarettes.
"Were you driving erratically?"
"No. I came from where I live, up the hill, down the street past the convenience store and I stopped for all the red lights and red flashing lights."
Richard places his hands on top of the steering wheel in plain sight while looking out at the inquisitive officer questioning Richard while two other officers stand at ready with shining lights at Richard's face.
"Well, we had a report that you were driving erratically and that you might be drunk."
"No. Nope. I just woke up from an eight hour nap. I just ordered a breakfast sandwich. I ordered two of them. One for my wife. This is routine for me. I am here often."
"OK. You got your breakfast sandwich to go?"
"Yes."
"Well, you seem fine to me. I don't know why they would call. But still, I need to see your license. Do you have your license?"
Richard reaches into his left pocket to retrieve his license from his wallet. He hands it to the questioning officer.
"Alright. Sit tight. I'll be right back."
Richard overhears the questioning officer some steps away from his driver window radio dispatch while another officer keeps a light on Richard in his driver seat with hands on top of the wheel.
"That's thirty-nine times, Jenny."
"I know."
Richard's vehicle radio drones news programming while Richard, wife and dog sit awaiting the questioning officer to radio dispatch.
"Alright. You're all set. Here is your license back."
"OK. But can I mention something?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
"This is the thirty-ninth time I have been stopped. The thirty-ninth time someone has called the police on me in this town."
"Since when?"
"November 1999."
"I see. Do you keep track of this stuff?"
"Yes. I keep a log."
"When was the last time you were stopped?"
"March 1, 2013. I was at the tire centre and someone called the police. I was sitting in my camping chair in the parking lot waiting for my truck to be serviced when I was stopped. Said he had a report of my being messed up."
"Was there another time? Sometime a little while ago? Where you called us?"
"Oh yeah. January 5th or 6th of this year. That was after that fifty below day. I had windburn. But listen: I tried to clear this up with Joe Freedman, but he is hard to get in touch with. You know, the mental health liaison?"
"OK. I see. Well, you're all set tonight."
"OK."
Richard re-enters the diner after the inquiring officer strides off into darkness of a parking lot along the side of the diner and the waitress hands to Richard a brown, paper bag with two tin foil wrapped breakfast sandwiches in it. Policemen who question Richard enter the diner for breakfast at a large group table in the back of the diner, a hotspot for early breakfast.
Outside, Richard and his wife eat their sandwiches then drive off into the city's night for a coffee at a convenience store on their way home.
"Morning."
"I'll be right with you."
"OK."
Richard waits for the waitress to serve a table.
"Now. What was it? Sausage, egg and cheese?"
"No. No. Bacon, egg and cheese. Actually, I want two. I need an egg and cheese and a bacon, egg and cheese."
"OK. Let me get that right in."
"Wait. I'll pay first."
"Oh. OK."
The waitress about faces and walks towards the front counter by the front door through which Richard enters the diner and he pays the waitress.
"Those'll be ready in just a few minutes."
"OK. I'll be right back."
"OK."
Outside, it is a wee hour and the sun is not risen yet at a dark hour of dawn. Richard sits with his wife and dog in their vehicle parked in a spot in front of the brightly lit diner. He begins to roll a cigarette from his pouch on his lap when three policemen stride up to Richard's window shining flashlights at Richard's face through the half rolled down window.
"We had a report that you were driving erratically."
Richard reaches to roll down his window.
"What is that?" the officer states shining his light into Richard's lap.
"Oh. This? This is just cigarettes.
"Were you driving erratically?"
"No. I came from where I live, up the hill, down the street past the convenience store and I stopped for all the red lights and red flashing lights."
Richard places his hands on top of the steering wheel in plain sight while looking out at the inquisitive officer questioning Richard while two other officers stand at ready with shining lights at Richard's face.
"Well, we had a report that you were driving erratically and that you might be drunk."
"No. Nope. I just woke up from an eight hour nap. I just ordered a breakfast sandwich. I ordered two of them. One for my wife. This is routine for me. I am here often."
"OK. You got your breakfast sandwich to go?"
"Yes."
"Well, you seem fine to me. I don't know why they would call. But still, I need to see your license. Do you have your license?"
Richard reaches into his left pocket to retrieve his license from his wallet. He hands it to the questioning officer.
"Alright. Sit tight. I'll be right back."
Richard overhears the questioning officer some steps away from his driver window radio dispatch while another officer keeps a light on Richard in his driver seat with hands on top of the wheel.
"That's thirty-nine times, Jenny."
"I know."
Richard's vehicle radio drones news programming while Richard, wife and dog sit awaiting the questioning officer to radio dispatch.
"Alright. You're all set. Here is your license back."
"OK. But can I mention something?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
"This is the thirty-ninth time I have been stopped. The thirty-ninth time someone has called the police on me in this town."
"Since when?"
"November 1999."
"I see. Do you keep track of this stuff?"
"Yes. I keep a log."
"When was the last time you were stopped?"
"March 1, 2013. I was at the tire centre and someone called the police. I was sitting in my camping chair in the parking lot waiting for my truck to be serviced when I was stopped. Said he had a report of my being messed up."
"Was there another time? Sometime a little while ago? Where you called us?"
"Oh yeah. January 5th or 6th of this year. That was after that fifty below day. I had windburn. But listen: I tried to clear this up with Joe Freedman, but he is hard to get in touch with. You know, the mental health liaison?"
"OK. I see. Well, you're all set tonight."
"OK."
Richard re-enters the diner after the inquiring officer strides off into darkness of a parking lot along the side of the diner and the waitress hands to Richard a brown, paper bag with two tin foil wrapped breakfast sandwiches in it. Policemen who question Richard enter the diner for breakfast at a large group table in the back of the diner, a hotspot for early breakfast.
Outside, Richard and his wife eat their sandwiches then drive off into the city's night for a coffee at a convenience store on their way home.
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