so happy to be here

when i walk into longs yesterday to get batteries to take this picture of isabel, i make eye contact with a man. his eyes are glazy and sick looking and so i look away from him quickly. i get the batteries and go straight to the checkout. the woman who helps me is slow moving and painfully unhappy. as i'm going out the electric doors i hear the customer behind me say to the woman: "don't look so happy to be here." Once outside i hear yelling, and turn to see a store manager chasing after the sick-eyed man, who is making a beeline for his car, carrying two large packages. the man makes it to his car but the manager climbs right in after and tackles him, then drags him out of the car and makes him lie on the ground. the whole time the thief is shrieking and the other lady employees are running, some are running inside, some are running nowhere exactly, but they're all in that emergency mode they are required to enter so rarely, that when it happens it's exhilarating. even i'm exhilarated and feel reluctant to stop gawking, but i'm also hungry, so i turn away, and walk a hundred yards to los podrillos, and as soon as a i walk in, the scene outside all but evaporates. mexican daytime tv is blaring: a woman with amazing cleavage is singing her heart out, and then a series of commercials for depilatory cream, nutella, and, i think, condiments, in which a man dressed as a jar of mayonaise chases another man dressed as a loaf of bread with the brand name bimbo.