2-18-19

In an H-Mart. Carla is on her phone, inspecting the produce.

CARLA
I passed it on the way here. Yeah.
OK well at the beginning of the winter it’s not so bad because of all the snow. Yeah.
A fair amount this year. It’s February, but there’s already a fair amount. Yeah.
Yeah, I need to shovel the front walk. And, definitely, yeah.
And the driveway.
But then the snow melts and all the trash is revealed.
We could do a cleanup weekend. Get some people together to pick up the trash around the creek.
You think?
We could buy them lunch.
We could do it drunk.
We could do it high.
Well it’s always going to be a little unappealing.
I think kids like this stuff more than you think.
We could make it Wall-e themed. A Wall-e themed seventh birthday party. So that they can go around with the—
Exactly. And make the little cubes. An art project.
That’s a good point.
They might get upset.
We’ll make sure they wash their hands. Have them wear gloves.
Does that really happen?
Have you ever heard of a kid getting mites?
They sent a letter?
I must have missed that.
Oh I love sour cherries. I’ll take a look.
I’ll get the full-fat kind. Exactly. Yum.
That sounds productive. You should bring a copy.
She should be there.
My friend.
My friend who likes great American literature.
Well, good American literature.
Well, good Americans.
Me too.
Six years.
We all are.
I’m so tired.
Me too.
I’m so tired I can only keep telling you how tired I am.
You don’t have to.
Don’t feel like you have to.
I don’t know why you feel that way because you don’t.
Not now.
Please not now.
Because I’m not going to talk about it right now.
Because I’m not going to fight with you via my iPhone in the middle of an H-Mart, that is so fucking bourgeois.
Don’t—
(CARLA takes a long pause as she listens.)
(Fiercely)
Do not use your community conflict-resolution methods on me.
(Another pause)
Do you think blackberries will be any good at this time of year?
I AM NOT DEFLECTING.
I AM NOT DEFLECTING I AM IN A GROCERY STORE.
BRICE.
BRICE.
BRICE DO YOU WANT BLACKBERRIES OR NOT BECAUSE I AM NOT MAKING TWO TRIPS THIS WEEK.
OK. OK I’ll get one of blackberries and one of raspberries.
OK.
I’m listening.
I’m listening.
We’re gonna destabilize.
To de-individualize pain and to understand its political ramifications.
Trauma workshops.
Collective healing.
Ongoing exploration of the complexity of collectivity and the human and social consequences of imperialist ventures.
I don’t know.
Yeah.
It’s just heavy on the jargon, that’s all.
I know.
It’s just my opinion.
I hear that.
I’m just giving you my opinion, and I ask for the same when it comes to my work.
(A long pause.)
I don’t know if that’s true.
I don’t think that’s necessarily the case because—
Really?
Oh by then we had established?
BY THEN WE HAD ESTABLISHED?
(vicious)
The pluperfect? Are you KIDDING me????????????
I’m just—
I’m not going to do this in public. We’ll talk later this week.
Fine.
OK.
Yes.
I’m putting the berries back.
Well maybe by then I will have had enough.
Yes.
Whatever.
Love you too.
Bye.