is always cheerful
behind the counter
whistling, trilling
singing old songs
(usually tony bennett songs)
"i left my heart
in san francisco..."
and when he talks
to the customers, there's a pleasant lilt
in his voice
a rolling beautiful
sing-song
wave of vowels
i have never known him
to be in anything but his normal
jolly
mood
"it don't mean a thing if you ain't got that
swing..."
it doesn't seem to bother nick
that he has to listen to the same
chainsaw
infomercial
being played on an endless loop
all day long
or that he hasn't gotten a raise in three years
or that half his customers
are liars, cheats, swindlers, cheapskates...
he treats them all equally
and with a smile
and goes on singing
"grab your coat
and get your hat... leave your
worries on the
doorstep..."
"the best is yet to come and, babe, won't
it be fine..."
i asked one of nick's regular
customers
johnnyboy
what he thought of it all
though
and he may have been right
"don't worry," he said, "everyone's got a dark
side.
nick probably goes home to his apartment
every night
and wears woman's underwear
and a hat
made
of human
skin..."
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