Digging For Gold
The woman was digging — digging for gold, as Amanda’s primary school teacher would say. The finger went left, then right, plumbing the depths — or heights? of the nose. Every now and then the finger returned from the cavernous expedition, and the woman, who Amanda knew to be Dorothy Manfield, inspected it for treasures. Disgusted, Amanda looked away. She didn’t need to see nose picking, not when she was eating anyway. Not that she was hungry, but she had a croissant and a cup of coffee before her to blend in with the ravenous crowd at the café.
What was taking so long? thought Amanda. She reluctantly took another bite of the croissant and a sip of her coffee, her patience wearing thin. It would suck if her first solo mission ended in failure.
A glance back at Dorothy, who swigged her coffee, the exploration complete. The triumphant finger landed on the burger along with its buddies. Eww! The only thing worse than seeing the finger in Dorothy’s nose was seeing it touch something else. Food, handshakes, door handles, and more. Spreading the wealth everywhere. Though this was a minor infraction compared to the crimes Dorothy had committed in her lifetime.
Amanda turned to look at the girl at the counter. Delicate gloved hands handling the food. Cleaner. Safer. But did those dainty fingers ever traverse forbidden places when no one was looking? A wheezing sound hit Amanda’s ears before she could ponder over that question. She turned to Dorothy again, taking in the dazed expression and the hand on the chest. Another sound, this time louder, as Dorothy started foaming at the mouth. A murmur spread across the café as people stood up, some with fear in their eyes, others frozen, not knowing whether to help her or to flee to safety. Someone screamed.
Dorothy collapsed, her face resting on her half-eaten burger. Amanda’s face remained stoic, but she was smiling inside. Success at last! Now that justice was delivered, her appetite returned and she popped the last piece of croissant in her mouth. Her gaze turned to the display counter, eyeing the blueberry muffin. Perhaps she would get one after all.
What was taking so long? thought Amanda. She reluctantly took another bite of the croissant and a sip of her coffee, her patience wearing thin. It would suck if her first solo mission ended in failure.
A glance back at Dorothy, who swigged her coffee, the exploration complete. The triumphant finger landed on the burger along with its buddies. Eww! The only thing worse than seeing the finger in Dorothy’s nose was seeing it touch something else. Food, handshakes, door handles, and more. Spreading the wealth everywhere. Though this was a minor infraction compared to the crimes Dorothy had committed in her lifetime.
Amanda turned to look at the girl at the counter. Delicate gloved hands handling the food. Cleaner. Safer. But did those dainty fingers ever traverse forbidden places when no one was looking? A wheezing sound hit Amanda’s ears before she could ponder over that question. She turned to Dorothy again, taking in the dazed expression and the hand on the chest. Another sound, this time louder, as Dorothy started foaming at the mouth. A murmur spread across the café as people stood up, some with fear in their eyes, others frozen, not knowing whether to help her or to flee to safety. Someone screamed.
Dorothy collapsed, her face resting on her half-eaten burger. Amanda’s face remained stoic, but she was smiling inside. Success at last! Now that justice was delivered, her appetite returned and she popped the last piece of croissant in her mouth. Her gaze turned to the display counter, eyeing the blueberry muffin. Perhaps she would get one after all.