Relics

While waiting for my car's oil change and brake pad change, i slumped into a soft couch with other customers in the waiting area.

An old (really ancient) white man was peering at me through his thick glasses. From where i was seated, it looked like the couch was swallowing him. His walker was conveniently parked in front of him. The old hispanic woman beside him apparently was his wife. They were both smiling at me.

Old Man: Hello, young man!

Me: Hello, old..err..sir!

Old Man: Are you Mexican?

Me: Nope. Filipino.

Old Man: My doctor is a Filipino, and i don't like him.

Wife: (shakes her head). but he doesn't like a lot of people either.

Me: Looks like he does a good job of keeping you alive.

Old Man: I'm 93. And i'm healthy. I don't believe in all that doctor stuff.

Wife: (shakes her head telling me not to mind him)

I lower my head back into my magazine when the fossil talks to me again.

Old Man: What do you do?

Me: I'm a doctor.

Old Woman: Oh you look like a high school student! where do you work?

Me: Wellton.

Old Woman: I go there! Maybe i'll see you one of these days.

Old Man: You won't see me! hah!

I go back to my magazine.

Old Man: As a doctor, do you believe in God?

Me: yup.

Old Man: I don't. So you also believe that there is an afterlife?

Me: Yes, I do.

Old Man: I don't. I've read the bible three times. and i've also read books that tell otherwise. it looks like those books are more believable than the bible.

Me: uh ok.

Old Man: So when i hit the bucket, that will be the end of me. no spirit, no nothing. i don't think there's a life after this.

Me: Well, it won't be long til you find out, eh?

long pause....

All Three of Us: HAHAHAHAHA!

Old Man: I guess you're right. It won't be a long. Don't worry, i'll let you know.

All Three of Us: HAHAHAHAHAHA.


Back to magazine.

Wife: Well i believe in heaven but I don't want to go there.

Old Man: My mother, bless her heart, didn't approve of my marrying a Mexican. But this was in the 40s. She was like that, you know, thought colored people were different.

Wife: Yes, she gave me a hard time, that old woman. Treated me like a slave. She thought we were barbarians.

Old Man: But i married her (winks at his wife).

Wife: I was always nice to her. I brought her to Mexico to meet my people and everyone was so nice to her. They treated her like a queen. She was surprised that we didn't live in clay huts, that old woman. But no, she was mean to me.

Old Man: She took care of her when she grew old.

Wife: I did. Until she died. She said she was going to heaven. When she said that i decided i didn't want to go to heaven.

All three of us: HAHAHAHAHA!

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