He had a pleasant suspicion that people were doing favors for him all the time. All the free stuff from a man who came to his door. The supplements. All the capsules, powders, shakes for as long as he needed, he was promised. All the health. He asked the man at the door which one of his neighbors was kind enough to be treating him. The man at the door told him the name of some company and pointed to his shirt, a logo on it. He told the man at the door to pass on a thank-you to whichever of his neighbors had sent it. He yelled this past the man at the door, hoping that they, everyone, would hear how grateful he was. He cupped his hands against his mouth, barely leaning out of his door.
In his kitchen he looked at the products. At the bountiful labels. For him, from someone else being neighborly, supporting the community. “This is what I’m talking about,” he said to himself.
With some of his new supplements, he went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. He thought about how one of his neighbors might’ve given him all that free stuff. And which one of his neighbors? Probably the one who runs. A real go-getter. Wears those weights on his ankles.
He touched his thighs and his chest in the mirror. He thought about doing favors for others and he licked his forefinger and thumb, pinched some dried supplement into his mouth. He said to himself how powerful he felt. Looked.
Like a cowboy.
He wanted to be seen by someone.
He looked at the cowboy in the mirror, hands hovering over his hips now. And he knew what to do with the rest of his day. With it all free. You know, as the man that he is.
One of my favorite stories of yours