KEEPS THE ENGINE RUNNING

"It's a weird world."

"How so? I mean, how more than normal?"

He put together his thoughts in order to answer. "You've got some people thinking about the complexities of life, the sadness and joy, the hiccups and celebratory horn blasts, and at the same time..."

"At the same time?"

He looked annoyed at the interruption, but continued. "At the same time you have others who are more concerned about whether the trailer is going to fit on the driveway. If the car doesn't fit, how on earth is the trailer?" He shrugged. "It's crazy."

Silence.

"So which one is real?" He continued. "Which one is realer? Is that even a word?"

"Does it matter?"

"Does which one matter?"

"Both?"

He let out a long breath. "There you've got me compadre."

"I love it when you speak in languages."

He snorted. "You just love the opportunity to pick up my mistakes. Nothing you like more than pointing out grammar, international grammar even more so. You're a fucking grammar nazi!"

"A little harsh. After all, I just let 'realer' pass by without a comment."

"True. Though of course you've just made that comment, so maybe you were saving it up."

He smiled. "Maybe."

"Yea, maybe."

Silence.

"Maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe we're all looking to see if the trailer will fit on the driveway. Just in different ways."

He rolled his eyes. "You always have to come down on the cracks between, don't you."

"It's my raison d'etre baby."

"Yea. You're a regular maybe baby. Maybe this, maybe that. There's always got to be a maybe with you."

He shrugged. "It's tough, but somebody has to throw a 'maybe' into the conversation from time to time. Keeps the engine running."

"Keeps the engine running?"

"On the driveway, while you're sorting out whether the trailer will fit or not."

He looked over at me, stared intently, then looked away and sighed at nothing and everything. "Keeps the engine running. Jeez, I need a cigarette!"