Wednesday was my day off and one of her first days of school. I wanted to sleep in but I normally don't so I woke and got up anyway. I silently did as she asked, put things into the car to take to her studio. I ate a bowl of cereal, put shoes on, put her bike in the trunk. When she said it was time to go I put my wallet in my pocket and my keys in my hand and my glasses on person. I waited for the next instruction. I didn't say anything. I waited for what was next.
Once we got going I had to tell her we needed gas, the car did rather. We said little as we drove first to get gas, and then downtown to her school. I parked the car in backwards and unloaded her bike, and then we took her things inside.
She calmed her nerves once we made it indoors. She returned her book and we were early for a presentation. She apologized for stressing. I said it was nothing. She showed me around the building. I had never seen the school. It was new and impressive. There was much to notice.
Still, there was time to kill so I suggested coffee. She doesn't drink coffee but agreed to accompany me. When we went to the car two badges were hovering--it was time to move the car from the loading zone, so I pulled out of the loading zone and around the block. I didn't have to work and she didn't have to be in a lecture for another half hour, so we drove a bit then stopped.
I pulled to the side of the road near a coffee shop I wanted to get a cup of coffee at, and she got out first to pay the meter. I pulled forward then back, to get the spot just right and noticed in my rearview a biker peddling the opposite direction. When I stepped out she had the parking receipt in her hand.
Did you hear him? she asked. She knew I hadn't. He told me you should be a meter-ologist.
And I said, what? I didn't get it at first. Then I did.
It was funny. How had he come up with it? It was stock, I thought, a re-run.