i had just rented an exorbitant amount of film from the local Blockbuster. the change handed back was enough for a pack of smokes, so i plodded through the ridiculous heat, contemplating my addictions, fifty paces to Kmart. while waiting in line to make my purchase, i stared at the woman in front of me. she was older, chewing gum forcefully, herself buying cigarettes. the skin around her mouth failed to efficiently cling to the bone any longer, making her appear much older than she probably was. from behind she could pass for thirty. i watched the folds surrounding her furiously moving mouth, hoping i could quit smoking before this happened to me. the cigarettes were $3.84. camel filters. full flavour.

as i headed for the door, lost in thoughts about nothing particular, i glanced quickly at some children sized bikes on clearance. they were schwinns. pink with white tires. my lack of thought was interrupted by a voice to my left saying, "fun fun!" i quickly turned to address it, saying "huh?" and witnessed an older man, red-headed and freckled, with a red, lemon-sized goiter on his neck. i only looked at him for a moment, as i was confused, and slightly taken aback by his deformation. he said again, "fun-fun!" i had no idea what he was talking about. "yeah." was the only response i could muster. was he speaking of the cigarettes? trying to shame me for being a smoker? maybe he was once a smoker, then he got the goiter, so the comment was the jealous revenge of an embittered, sickly man. was he talking about the bikes? reminiscing over the days of his childhood, when he too owned a pink bike with white tires? was he even talking to me? as i walked through the field of asphalt i contemplated this heavily. was it a sign? an evil prophecy or sarcastic prediction. the vague flashbulb memory of his potato shaped head consumed my thoughts, as i crossed the busy southern street towards home.