At Walgreens

I bring my two items up to the counter and after ringing them up, the woman—who is roughly my age—says, "You have 4 dollars reward credit. Would you like to use it now?"

"Yes,"" I answer. "I’d rather keep the money in my pocket than give it to Mr. Walgreen!"

To which she responds, "Is there really a Mr. Walgreen?"

"There originally was, and I have no doubt that he did well for himself. If the money is still in the family you can only imagine how wealthy they must be!"

"I wish I was part of the family!" she says with a trace of sadness.

To which I reply, "You and I both. Maybe in the next life..."

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Jeffrey Zable is a teacher and conga drummer who plays Afro Cuban Folkloric music for dance classes and Rumbas around the San Francisco Bay Area. His poetry, fiction, and non-fiction have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and anthologies. Recent writing in MockingHeart Review, Remington Review, Ink In Thirds, Third Wednesday, Awkward Mermaid, Soft Cartel, The Bitchin' Kitch, Rosette Maleficarum, and many others. In 2017 he was nominated for The Best Of The Net and The Pushcart Prize.