Member-only story
Consequences Of Coincidence
Disorientation Vignette (in Flukes Minor)
“Accept the consequences of coincidence.”
On the outside chance that you happen to have the time to consider the possibilities of the above proposition—which someone grafitti’d, in purple marker, on the inside of the bathroom stall, at the Happy Accident Massage Parlor—I give you this true story:
Those two on the bench were obviously A Couple. You could tell by the way he sprinkled breadcrumbs on her shoulder and how she lovingly kept popping large red grapes out of her mouth at him. She’d reach into her bag for yet another and another and another and another until his lap was full, and more were scattered on the grass near his feet.
A wren flew down from the nearby tree, landed on her shoulder, executed a half dozen quick pecks, and zoomed off — all during the brief duration between her expulsion of two moist red grapes.
A truck had stopped at the corner light and the driver was gazing into the park, wondering what was popping out of that woman’s mouth.
In response to the sudden flutter of wings in the cabin, he responded by stepping on the gas and swerving left—then, in response to the sound of glass breaking in the back of the truck, he wildly swung to the right. Luckily the streets were empty…
