getting by in the future

P:"Hey Maddie do you remember when that man had his gas over $7 a gallon?" M:"Yep I think I do.  I remember... wasn't gas under $2 a gallon?" B:"$2 bucks a gallon? Really?  you're lying that must have been way back in the 60's or something" P:"humph 60's don't seem that long ago either, but I'm pretty sure that was the 90's maybe early 2000's... You know I remember back in the day if it rained 1 more day than the weather man predicted-" M:"person you sposed to say person.." P:"tsk shut up back then it was the weatherMAN... now what was I saying... oh yeah anyway if somebody said something wrong gas went up nine tenths of a cent if someone lied it went up about 2 cents... People would complain and the price would go back down... This happened for year--" P: looks around "Hey boy you listening?" M: sits there snickering "Just shake your head yes... answer him answer him... go ahead" B:"yes sir I hear you, but I have to admit it is hard to believe gas was under $2 a gallon... I mean that is just unheard of" M: shakes his head... thinking you shouldn't have said that. P:"you know what it is your generation that is who fault it is why gas so high.  If ya'll wasn't so lazy and started walking somewhere-" M:interjected and started laughing "We could use less gas sittin in traffic."  M: almost fell over laughing at himself P: looked serious "If you'll started walking more and stop letting these big companies tell you that you need every little thing right here and now.  You might not be in this mess... So now I ask you... Can I give you this prepaid credit card for 3 gallons of gas?" B: just looks at the card "why don't you just buy some gas with it?" P: "The company changed the format they use and the card doesn't work anymore I need to turn it in, but I don't like the other thing they got. and the card got $50 on it!" B: "You want me to take a $50 card for 3 gallons of gas? When gas is $6 a liter which means $24 a gallon times 3 which is $72? Are you serious?" M:"told you it wasn't gonna work." P: started laughing "Hey man you know like I do a lot of folks dumb as rocks and if I can get by I'm a try.  Done got 4 this week then I sell the gas for $10 a liter... I do it because I have perscriptions I need to keep up with and all.... (P:looks down) You know I have some real old tennis shoes at the house.  They are real not the recycled garbage you have on your feet! These shoes will last forever?" B: looks down at his shoes which has only had a couple weeks and already the layers are starting to peel. M:"Those are Michaels shoes.  How you gonna get rid of his shoes?" P:"same way he got rid of our rent money." M:"Man that isn't right he needed that oxygen it wasn't his fault that the company he got his usual brand from went out of business without saying anything and ripped his insurance off before they claimed bankrupsy.. Think about what you are doing." P: "I have been thinking. I was thinking that I had a nice life with my wife and kids, great svaings and wonderful career then things just flipped and I don't know how... now I share a 3 bedroom house with 8 people and there are others who sleep in tents out in the yard.  I can't drive anywhere, barely afford bus fare, have to grow food to survive because can't afford to shop, We used to purchase gifts for the holidays now we just exchange what we used to be able to afford to use. Man I'm sellin his shoes I'm going to get enough money to get myself one of those big mac form mcdonalds catalog.  I only owe 6 more payments (two all beef patties special sauce lettce cheese)" M:"Hey guy we are not going to sell you those shoes.  He gets to thinking about that burger and goes stupid for a few weeks.  He has to have one at least every couple of years." B:"I've heard about those man... I have heard they are good." M:"yeah.  I remember when you could get them 2 for $2" B:"You guys must be ancient.  Anyway S: comes on shift in about 2 hours stupid as rocks and owns the joint... You might be able to get that gas then" P:"I remember him he is the one who gave me a $20 when I used 3 $5's to pay for the candy... I thought it was some sort of sting and was on my way out the door I figured if I'm going away for a couple years I'm going to have a good story so I used the 5's and 20's he kept giving me to buy more candy and chips and hey M: do you remember that?" M: and P: go laughing down the street talking about the big score. B: Feeling like one rare human being for being so smart. He smiled as watched the two old men go away and went back to inventory. "Wow I didn't realize I was done." as B: whistles and walks into the backroom with a skip in his step he realizes his shoes are gone again. .......... P:"Man I don't know why you bother even taking his shoes they don't fit, will never last and how are you going to be sure that he will buy them back from you again?" Prose by Sonya