The Game
He was a thin cigarette butt of a man, just waiting to be extinguished in the ashtray of life. But he had a mission, by God. Gotta protect, gotta serve, patience, that’s all it took. He spat and waited, a tune emerging from his toothless grin.
A mile away, another man crawled out of the sewer pipe, furtively looked around, ran across the highway. His mouth was dry and cotton-filled. He lacked even the energy to sweat while the desert sun beat down in mockery. Despite the rush to keep moving, he stopped suddenly, a decrepit body with his cracked lips, calloused feet and raw red countenance. He heard the siren song. It sounded like the Star Spangled Banner. Was that his beloved Guadalupe ahead? He willed his body to move.
No, it was just another Minuteman whistling and patiently awaiting his game.