at sherman’s deli, 4 young servicemen in fatigue jumpsuits and work boots eat eggs. old gay men in floral shirts stare at the 4 young servicemen like they’re on the menu. there’s an old woman wearing a straw hat on a string of pink yarn. when she knocks the hot sauce over, the latino busboy runs to assist with the mopping up. the plate glass windows shine.
at sherman’s deli, mitch, my server, says “we’ve been doing this a long time,” with a weariness that inspires me to tip. he is at least 60 years of age and serving hearty, good food in a diner. i doubt he has health insurance. no one is called mitch anymore, are they? a man in a cowboy boot and red-check western shirt talks with his hands, sending his partner into gales of laughter. a small child meows like a cat.
830 a.m. on a friday morning at sherman’s deli in palm springs. it’s day 5 of donald trump’s impeachment trial and no one is talking politics. it’s like a TV show in here.
what are you watching?