Reversed Polarity
I was just heading back from picking up some groceries – eggs, ice cream, fresh tubing for the station – when I bumped into someone I had never seen before. Not literally, of course! But he stopped as if he'd just run into a wall, and stared at me. It made me... a little uncomfortable.
"Hello! You're new in town, aren't you? I'm Kevin, from the local radio station. What brings you to our little desert oasis?" I smiled and held out my hand.
The stranger drew in a slow breath, looking me up and down. "Cesar," he replied after a moment. "I'm an artist. I'm here on a grant. To capture everything that can be bound in ink and paint."
"An artist! I used to love drawing. I guess we've all been artists at one point, haven't we?"
His head tilted slightly, the smile still in place, his eyes still fixed on mine. "I would love to paint you."
Well I just didn't know what to say. No one's ever said something like that to me before. "You would?" I managed to squeak out. "...Why?"
"Your bone structure is incredible. Your teeth are like... like freshwater pearls. Your hair... it's so perfect that I hate and despair and love it. In this strange, bright town, you still manage to be dazzling. You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature I've ever encountered."
All I could do was stand there, uttering a faint croak. No one... no one really talks that way, do they? And me in my oldest shirt, with the collar worn and threadbare, with my sleeves rolled unevenly, my hair a mess, I'm sure! Not to mention sweating in the noonday sun and still blood-soaked from work! How forward! How unexpected! How...
...Well, just a bit exciting. I couldn't help the grin that rose nervously to my face. As it did, something about his gaze changed, just subtly.
"Perfect," Cesar sighed.
He seemed reluctant to leave, but wrote his phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I can't think of why I would need to call him, but it made him so happy to give it to me! I just couldn't refuse.
So it looks like I've gained a friend today, Desert Bluffs. And isn't that the best thing to gain in life? I hope all of you listeners out there have such a friend to talk to about your day, or bake you cookies when you're feeling down. I'm sure we'll hear more about our curious new citizen soon. Until next time, Desert Bluffs. Until next time.