r, things I overheard in Maine when I was pretending not to listen.

Item 1: Skeleton Crew
Bangor, Maine, a working-class lumber town most notable as the stomping grounds of one Steven King, who was nowhere to be found in a downtown diner on the afternoon of July 4. Instead, two teen boys -- heavy metal T-shirts, sweat clinging in their thin mustaches -- had the following conversation.
"Did you go to the parade, man?"
"Man, I slept through it."
"Right on. I was baked. Baked for the whole thing."
"Man, was there candy?"
"Tootsie Rolls, dude. Tootsie Rolls --"
"Ah, fuck. When I was a kid I used to go every year --"
"Tootsie Rolls. Bubble gum. Hey, did you hear Cindy's in the hospital?"
"No. What?"
"Overdose."
"Dramamine. (Dude, don't break my pretzels.)"
"Holy shit. I told you that shit wasn't safe. I told you, right?"
"But she's not going out like that, you know what I mean? She's not going out like that."
"So what are you doing tonight? Do you wanna go beat up some non-whites?"
(laughter)
"Man, I don't know about you but I'm not a racist."
"No, what I'm saying is --"
(yelling) "Hey, can you throw me a Mountain Dew? Listen, what Joey was --"
"You're interrupting me again."
"What Joey was saying was that --"
"I told you I hate it when you do that. You always do that."
"No man, what I'm saying is --"
"Dude, stop interrupting me. You're lucky there's a lady sitting behind you. Otherwise I'd bash your fucking skull in."

Item 2: Boy Leaves and Returns
Bar Harbor, a resort town on the coast of Maine often crawling with tourists, no more so than on the evening of July 4. A short, squat woman and her short, squat son stand in a long line for ice cream.
"Would you go and find them?"
"Mom, it's about to rain."
"Just go and find them. We've got time."
(boy leaves and returns)
"Did you find them?"
"I couldn't see them. The porch is full of people."
"I say to go and find them. I said GO AND FIND THEM."
(boy leaves and returns)
"Did you find them?"
"It's raining, Mom."
"Oh great. What did I say? What did I tell you to do?"
"It's raining, Mom."
"Go and find them."
(boy leaves and returns)
"I can't find them."
Sigh. Rolls eyes. Shakes head.
"Mom, did you hear me? I can't find them. There's like a thousand people out there."
"I can't believe this."
"Mom?"
"Mom?"
(boy leaves)

Item 3: The Thong, Deconstructed
The stately public library of Bar Harbor, Maine, staffed entirely by smiling and cheerful older women. Two employees chat behind the counter.
"I just don't understand it. I mean, it couldn't be comfortable having a string up your you-know-what."
"You know what I think? I think it's not ... hygenic."
"How could it be?"
"I would never wear one."
"Me neither. And that's why we're middle-aged women who work in a library."

Item 4: No Conversation
A beach in Acadia National Park, maybe yesterday, late in the afternoon. I lay on the sand and put my backpack underneath my head. Inside the front pocket on my backpack is an alarm clock, which ticks in my ears like a beating chest. I close my eyes.
"Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick." This continues.

written in Bar Harbor, Maine