#196

What happened to you today? They asked.
Well, there was an ant on the sidewalk, the biggest ant of the whole spring so far and it was carrying something big. Maybe a French fry. Probably from the Rally’s down the street. Did you know that ants are indigenous to every continent but Antarctica? Isn’t that funny because Antarctica starts with Ant? It’s like a joke, like a continental joke and isn’t it funny?
He flexed his skinny arms. Ants can carry 20-50 times their own body weight, you know. People aren’t like that; most people can’t lift much more than their own body weight.
Interrupting his thoughts again, the officer tapped his pen, asked something about what he saw when he got home. He’d had a snack. He always got pudding in his lunch sack even though he didn’t like it. But it was okay because the other kids at school would trade him, pudding for cream pies, pudding for fruit snacks. The house was quiet, not like usual, so he got some milk and drank it with a straw. You can slurp loud or blow bubbles with a straw. It was a green one. Green is his favorite color today.
He asked to see his mom now because Thursday is when he takes a bath and today is Thursday. The officers exchanged glances; this might be harder than usual.