She was watching for Waldo in the Chevy wing mirror. When he went past on the morning misery shuffle, she opened the car door in front of him. Either he didn't see it, or he was in a mood to walk into doors that day.
"Sorry Waldo," she said. But of course she wasn't sorry. She'd been plotting. Last night at the Butterfly while she was getting pawed by a bunch of miners from Michigan, she hatched a plan to rescue Waldo from his depression. Course then, she didn’t know he was planning to drink enough Elliots Solvent to dissolve a dozen billiard balls. She just thought she'd cheer him up some.
"Oh, hi, Saifon." She joined him on the shuffle to the gate.
"Waldo, I was wondering if you could give me some advice."
"Eh?"
"Advice. I was wanting some."
"Advice?" She noticed how he'd forgot his mind someplace.
"Yeah. I been thinking on how the cooling system on them balls straight out'a the kiln ain't even, you know? And maybe that's why so many balls get out of shape. What do you think, Waldo?"
"What? Oh sure, Saifon. We can talk about it at lunchtime. See you later." He walked on through the 'employees - male' entrance and left her stranded in front of 'employees - female' wondering if he'd heard her. This was pool ball talk. She was showing an interest. If that didn't get him excited she didn't know what would. He was in a bad way.
"Move your ass sister." She was causing a traffic jam of big industrial-sized factory gals. "Ain't they got no doors in China?"
She was too concerned about Waldo to swear at 'em.
"No."
-o-
It was about eleven when she saw him look around all shifty and smuggle something out back. She'd been watching him real close all morning. It suddenly hit her like a truck what he must of been planning. She ploughed through the sample trays. There was balls bouncing around all over the damn place. She high-tailed out through the back door like the Laotian sprint champion of the world.
The old guy was back at his trash pile. He was holding this plastic quart bottle full of something colorless up to his lips.
You seen flies, and you seen cows. And you know that no matter how much of a head of steam that fly gets up, he ain't gonna move that cow none by flying at him. Well, you'd of thought the same laws of size would of applied with Saifon and Waldo. But you'd be wrong.
She ran over and threw herself at the old man mountain, and even though she didn't weigh no more than his nose, she toppled him over sideways into the dirt, and slapped the bottle away from him. He kind of bounced some. It knocked the wind out'a the old guy, and she was worried he wasn't gonna find none to replace it. He was coughing and spluttering and his eyes was bugging out.
"What …what in heck's name you think you're at girl?" She was over sniffing at the bottle. She raised her eyebrows and sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Sprite?"
"7-Up"
"Shit." She laughed. "I thought you was …Ah. Never mind." Waldo was breathing heavy but at least he was breathing.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"I seen nothing and it sure don't feel like this."
She smiled.
"Why'd you go and put 7-Up in a bottle the same size as one of them Elliot's Solvent containers?"
"I …I was (He was practicing. Seeing how much he could swallow in one go.) …thirsty."
"Shoot. I thought you was gonna do away with yourself." She laughed cause it was funny. He laughed cause it wasn't.
"And you wanted to stop me?"
"Yeah. Well."
They say once an old bull elephant rolls onto its back, it can't never get itself back on its feet again. Waldo couldn't get himself into a sitting position. She had to help roll him onto his front so he could get his knees underneath himself and rock back into a kneel.
"Waldo, you gotta lose some of this weight."
"Nah. It's just that I ain't been on the ground for a while. I'm outa practice." She smiled that nice smile of hers. They knelt face to face. "Saifon, that was the kindest thing anyone's done for me in a long time. I thank you."
"Ah. Shut up."