XLVI. Adele. August 1, 2020

>driving Lyft

>11:30pm on a Friday

>pick up two guys

>one is Black, looks like Latrice Royale out of drag

>one is white, looks like either young Seth Rogen or current Danny Masterson

>I cannot decide

>when I pull up

>white guy is urinating off the front porch in my direction

>he sees that I see him

>neither of us addresses this

>Black guy is stentorian no matter what he says

>de profundis

>ex cathedra

>Mufasa-ish

>he greets me with “Hello, sir! Thank you for transporting us this fine evening!”

>white guy is drunk or high

>only mumbles

>”When we arrive at Walgreen’s,”says Black guy, “I plan to search for a fancy showerhead.”

>”Won’t be none at Walgreen’s” says white guy.

>”Perhaps there will.”

>”Ain’t nothing of value at Walgreen’s”

>”All things have value. Some, of course, have more value than others. If I find a fancy showerhead at Walgreen’s, I will buy it, and we can return the one I got from Amazon.”

>”don’t wanna return it.”

>”We shall see, we shall see.”

>At Walgreen’s

>I sit in the parking lot by myself for maybe ten minutes

>when they come out

>Black guy has a bag of stuff

>white guy is rapidly thumbing through photos on his phone

>Black guy says “Do you suppose they have more, um, revealing pictures of Adele?”

>white guy stops thumbing

>says “Adele?”

>resumes thumbing

>nothing else is said the whole way back

>I don’t even know if he found a fancy showerhead