Invited Guest

There was rain. The yellowed grass husked green. The leaves are turning yellow.
Dad's skin smells like butter, flakes behind his ears into his cereal. O's. Honey O's.
Guy calls in a voice. On the telephone he says, There are toile dishes with peacocks,
blue, and fruit, lots and lots of grapes. Should I pick them up from this house with lemon scented banisters? Too much Pledge I think. Should I put them on a table?
Empty? To sell? To someone?
A crackle in the line. Or is it in his voice?
I say, It's getting cooler outside.
I say, There was a rush of ideas, and now September is nearly ended.
Guy says, What gives?
My sister's here, I say.
Sister opens the door. It squawks. She is holding a head of cauliflower. I picked this, she says.
Dad looks up from his Honey O's. He makes with his mouth the shape: O.
I put down the phone.
I put down Guy's voice.
Outside, the low growl of thunder.
Outside, the churn of weather.
Outside is not invited inside.

Abalone

Ne hao, I say.
Bao yu, I say.  
Shh, Guy says. I can't take it anymore.
What you got here? a man says.
Ne hao, I say in my head.
Stuff, I say in my head.
Junk, I say in my head.
S**t, I say in my head.
Things you probably don't need, I say in my head.
Or want, I say in my head.
Things falling apart, I say in my head.
Fine things we've picked up along the way, Guy says.
Cheap, Guy says.
Sturdy, Guy says.
Bao yu, I say.
Shh, Guy says.
Nice, the man says.
Very nice, the man says.
We are on the sidewalk. The things are on a table. The table separates us from this man. This man says, I'm Paul. This man says, I like old things because they make me feel good, because they don't make em like they used to, do they?
No Paul, Guy says, they don't, Paul.
I'm from Arizona, Paul says. It's hot there, but in a different way.
I know what you mean, Paul, Guy says. Dry heat versus...
Versus all this humidity, Guy says.
Half the time, I feel like I'm melting, I say.
Paul says nothing.
Guy clears his throat.
The other half, I'm freezing, I say.
I know what you mean, Paul says. He says, I'm working on a house.
He says, blah blah blah drywall blah blah blah drywall.
Guy says, I know what you mean about that blah blah blah blah drywall.
Drywall, I say.
Paul waits.
Is tough, I say.
Paul leaves.
I say, Goodbye. It is too difficult for me to say it in Chinese. So I say, Goodbye. Come back soon.