People move-on…,that’s what he told her…,They just get tired one day…say they’ve had enough…and just move-on…,the old man lit up a Viceroy and ordered another shot and beer…,That’s the truth…you can’t always count on people to stick around…we’re constantly exploring other options…you ever explored other options…,he blew out white smoke…a hazy gray cloud drifted above…

I’ve explored some…just some…,the young blonde said…drinking a rum and Coke with a red and white straw sticking out high above the pint glass…

Some…maybe a little bit…,they both laughed…he felt the roughness from missing a day of shaving…,The question is…where do you go now…what’re you gonna do…you’ve just been given a new shot of freedom…

It’s scary…never been alone…,she said…,Went straight from mom and dad’s to being with him…and now I’m alone…single…I don’t even know how to approach a man anymore…,she tilted her head down…moved the straw to the side and drank from the glass…

You approached me…a complete stranger…told me all about your life…

You’re different…older…feels safe with you…like you’re not tryin’ anything…a good listener…that’s what you are…a good listener…can’t afford a therapist…

Is that what I am…,he laughed…,I used to listen to my wife all the time as we got older…when I was young…I didn’t…would go off on wild tangents…be gone for days…come back home all hungover and filthy…she’d take me back…always did…til one day I came home and she wasn’t there…came home broke…wasted all my money at a casino up in Windsor…that’s over the bridge from Detroit…Canada…well…came back to Kalamazoo and she was gone…took me a couple of days to figure that out…but yeah…she was gone…believe me…everybody has their fill…

So what happened…

Took off to find her…she was over at her mother’s house in Grand Rapids…I had a lot of explaining to do…but she came back…yes she did…

That’s good…

Yes…yes it was…she passed away three years ago…I know what lonelyness means…it was time for her to leave…