The Trying

“Life”, he said, “is about choices.”

I nodded and said I agree.

“I’ve made some poor choices”, he said.

I didn’t motion or make any

sign of agreement.

“I left my wife, my son, my job

for nothing. Nothing”, he said.

I tried to edge away when I realized

how much this man smelled like

piss.

“I wanted it all. Women, money,

Good drugs, threeways, guns, power.

All of it”, he said.

I looked around the train car for

another empty seat. None. I was trapped.

“I used the same condom for three

weeks”, he said as if it were some

sort of a punch line to a joke I’ve

never heard.  He laughed and laughed.

His laughter sounded like it was

cancerous. And his rotting teeth were

the cause.  I tried to look at the news

paper, but he kept at it.

“I had a BMW’, he said, “Drove it

into the river”. He adjusted himself

very casually and I wished the train seat

was ten times larger.

“At least I tried it all. Yes sir, I tried”, he said.

He excused himself and got up from

his seat. “Yup, tried it all”, he said again.

I thought he winked at me.

The train came to the next stop and

he exited, taking the piss smell with him

and I wondered what I would have to try

to wind up as seasoned as him.