Thursday, August 21, 2008

We went to the Halal Guys for lunch today. When I got to the front of the line a fat woman appeared from the west side of the cart and paused a few feet away.

"I don't come no more 'cause it's too crowded!" she shouted, then stepped backwards in defiant retreat, like some insolent youth who'd just hurled a rock at the police.

The main Halal Guy was jamming lettuce into my chicken pita, a shred or two falling to the sidewalk. There was an awkward, volatile moment as he tried to think of a response.

"That's because it's so good," he said



Illustration by Louise Asherson