the abrupt end to her meeting with lucas left ms johnson with an extra ten minutes for lunch, before meeting with her next client.
it was a nice day, and she did not really feel like getting a cup of coffee, so she decided to go for a short walk in the park. the park was located across the street from the courthouse and ail, and was rather a large one for the size of the city.
she found an empty bench just inside the park, but hidden from main street.
she sat down on it and let her mind go blank.
she fell asleep.
she had a dream she had had many times before, though never on a park bench in the middle of the day.
in the dream she was a can of campbell’s pea soup on a shelf of a little store in westboro missouri (the exact place varied from dream to dream). she both feared and wanted someone to come along and take her off the shelf and purchase her. disembodied hands picked other cans off the shelf - usually cans of campbells tomato soup. what was so wonderful about cans of tomato soup? a can of pea soup was just as good or better. .
a creature that was a sort of combination cat and cockroach was behind her on the shelf and its name was cleveland, the city where ms johnson had been born. cleveland kept telling her she was better off not being purchased because then she would be opened up and have water poured over her and be boiled… maybe. but what did a cat/cockroach know about cans of soup?
at this point in the dream a girl with pink hair behind the cash register looked up at her and told her to stop her noise…
she woke up. she immediately knew she had been dreaming but it took a few seconds for her to remember where she was.
then she realized there was someone sitting beside her on the bench. it was not a wide bench, but it was a wide someone.
it was a man about her own age. he was wearing a brown suit that was not brand new but he did not look quite a bum. he had a big brown and gray beard that covered his face, which seemed to be very pale under the sprouting hair.
it’s a nice day, the bearded man said, looking straight ahead.
yes, it is, ms johnson agreed. she reached into her purse, which had been in her lap with the straps wrapped around her wrists, and took out her phone and checked the time.
it’s very peaceful here, the man continued, but without turning around to face ms johnson.
i am sure it is, ms johnson replied. the time was 12:30. she had a half hour before she had to get back to the jail.
do you know why it is so peaceful here? the man went on.
no, i do not. it was a pleasure talking to you, sir, but i have an appointment and must be off. ms johnson started to get up from the bench.
i don’t believe you.
excuse me?
i said i don’t believe you.
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