Overheard Six Years Ago: Two Vignettes

Six Years Ago in The Infinite Art Tournament!

Another trip to the vaults, for two little stories that I had completely forgotten!  You probably had too.

I: In the Taqueria.

Two young women at a booth, pierced and tattooed, upbeat and pleasant, each with a small child.

Woman #1 lets her child talk on the cell phone.

Woman: Tell Daddy we're having lunch.

Child: We're havin' lunth.

Woman: Tell him we'll see him later.

Child: See you later!

Woman: Tell him you love him.

Child: I love you!

Woman: Tell him Jesus loves him.

Child: Jesus love you!

After a while, the child joins the other kid at the restaurant's video game, which is one of those boxing games with a joystick and a single button on which adolescent males pretend to beat the shit out of each other. They play with the controls as the moms gather their coats.

Woman: OK, kids, let's go.

Child #2: We're playing a game!

Woman: Well, it's time to go. (sees game) Besides, that's probably not a game I'd want you to be playing anyway.

Pause.

Woman (abstracted, to no one in particular): It's certainly not a game about Jesus.


II. Tailgating

Outside a large football stadium, before the big game. A parade of student protesters go by, carrying signs and chanting. A sour middle-aged couple watches.

Woman: Everybody's got to have their different causes.

Man: Yep.

Woman: They've all got their thing. There's "global warming," there's the environmentalists, there's "climate change".....

Man: Huh.