Dialogue

It is well passed midnight and a cool breeze brushes past them and fans the flames in the pit. Stephan Charbonneau kicks at a stick, pushing it into the fire. He recoils from the smoke, laughing heartily at himself. He pulls off the Maple Leaf bandana from his head and covers his face, hiding the scar beside his nose, a scar he suffered on a long ago road trip through Wyoming.

 

“I think the second choice works,” said Stephan Charbonneau.

“Ya think? Ya?” asked Montana Slick.

“Because maybe, belief, thinking about my brutter. Believing in his beautiful house.”

“You think your brother is ignorant?”

“Yup. I cut my hand if I’m wrong. And my penis too! Put my dick on the table and cut it if I’m wrong.”

“I agree with you. Your brother lives ignorantly. We live ignorantly, compared to other people, much the same as your brother is ignorant to us. We are ignorant to others.”

Stephan Charbonneau said, “Cause I was raised in that kind of world. No more. I do not agree with that kind of behavior. When I’m with my brutter and his wife they are talking about— ‘did you see the sale today at the store? I save one dollars on that t-shirt.’ Always talking about money and save and interest.”

“And how was your inspiration today Stephan Charbonneau?”

“Inspiration today?”

“Something you need to look back on to see?”

“I’m going to have to take a decision very soon— real decision. Do I want to work and have a quiet life or do I want to move and travel.”

“You don’t know how much my life is up in the air. Right now I’m just waiting for the next big move to happen,” said Montana Slick.

“I am waiting too.”

“Whether it be Central America, whether it be Europe, whether it be Dominican Republic with you or alone or with Shaster or with anybody. I’m just— I’m waiting. And my limit I think— two months— even at the money I’m making now I will have made enough and I’m going to quit.”

“Two months?”

“Two months. Even if I’m still making that kind of money, I’ve had enough. I need to go.”

Montana Slick was neither from Montana nor particularly slick but he was smart and knew exactly what he wanted. His dreamy eyes grew complacent and distant as his thoughts on the matter drove deeper.

“I know what you mean.”

“Even putting it off these three months is killing me so much you know? Jack Macy, you understand that?”

                    Jack Macy absorbed the conversation and sat quietly in the sand, drinking a beer and staring into the fire.

“I feel like I sold my soul for money. It’s like contrary to every belief I ever had. It’s like I put off a dream for the sake of money. You know what I mean?” asked Montana Slick.

“Yeah,” said Jack Macy.

“It’s hurting me.”

“Don’t throw money away like that,” said Jack Macy. “Don’t put off that idea of money flagrantly because money does make the world go around. Don’t fucking think for a second it doesn’t.”

Jack Macy tossed the empty can into the fire and repositioned himself away from the smoke. He cracked open another beer all the while keeping his gaze on the steady flame.

“Well, I know. I mean there’s a perfectly rational reason why I’m sticking around and why I’m still here.”

“I don’t like your reason,” said Stephan Charbonneau.

“I think it’s as good a reason,” said Montana Slick.

“Financial?” asked Jack Macy.

“Yeah, too easy,” said Stephan Charbonneau. “That’s why I can not argue with my brutter because he always has the easy way to answer me. Money. Numbers.”

“Do you think I’m doing the wrong thing by staying?”

“No because during that time you are thinking about it.”

“That is a good point. I am thinking about it. I didn’t lose it.”

“People think when you are a traveler you never think for to do it— before you do a move. They think we are irrational,” said Stephan Charbonneau.

“I want to travel with you. I wanna go somewhere.”

“You just need this fucking money! Travel!”