The Ad Read

Kristen Lenea Ryberg

by Agnes Druenne shown at Fabrica Aurora, San Miguel de Allende’ MX

The ad read, 
A SET OF DENTURES
lost, somewhere on N. King 
across from New Market Center
Saturday 11th
Call 912 467 9869

Gloria and Safrina from the Senior Center
walk a mile down King before turning
back.

Mr. Gadston  waits in the lunchroom, 
unable to eat anything but the cornbread and tomato soup. 
He has a habit of looking in his plastic grocery bag 
where he keeps his essentials:
extra reading glasses, bus schedule
pack of Nabs, daughter's address in Birmingham,
worn surgical mask. 

On the walk, Safrina looks left by the 4 lane
Gloria looks right into the grass-strip 
between the walk and the retaining wall.
Surprised by the number of fast food wrappers,
shopping bags, a small disintegrating
notepad.  She isn't prepared 
to pick up all the trash.  Safrina notices
a new black sneaker, near the lane of traffic.
Run over. Adult size. 
Later, on the sidewalk,
looks like the mate to that shoe.
.
They pass time making up back-stories.
Most likely cause, a shoe blew out 
of a pickup on a cross-town move.

Students driving around late, a friend,
drunk in the backseat, feet out the window
pushes one off laughing.

A couple argue on a drive, new box of
sneakers between them, she is sick of it,
sick of this shit! she says, rips the top
of the shoebox, grabs one shoe along with
the tissue paper, throws it as hard as she can 
out the window, keeps driving.
At the stoplight, he jumps out, 
she throws the other shoe 
drives to the grocery parking lot, sits there. 
Goes back for him. 

Mr. Gadston is looking through
The Carolina Today magazine,
a feature about Glenda Wilson
in Dunn, about her award winning tomatoes,
she holds up a big Better Boy
no cracks.  
There is a wooden boat show coming
up on the coast, a blueberry fest
in Lenoir.  
He’s talking himself into a bus ride 
courtesy Senior Center to Jefferson
next weekend for a car show, then remembers 
he probably won’t go without his dentures and 
can’t locate one of his brown walking shoes.
He’s talking himself into not thinking about what
he doesn’t have or did have. 

Last visit with Lisa the volunteer, she encouraged him
to participate in anything, just try one thing.
What he really wants is to fix something, be asked
for advice or to live long enough to volunteer for
a medical trial of an anti-aging drug. He wants
more time. 
To matter.