Hills Like White Heffalumps

By Emily Walls

The American and the girl with him sat at a pub table in the corner, inside the house.

"Will you have an Ale8?" the man said, shoving his school books beneath the bench.

"Yes please."

He walked to the kitchen and returned with two chilled bottles. He put them on the table and pushed one in front of the girl. The girl was looking at a clock. It had a gray face and a black minute hand.

"It looks like Eeyore's tail," she said.

"I don't see it."

"You wouldn't."

The man drank his soda. "Can we go over these questions please? I have class in thirty minutes."

"You have class in thirty minutes."

"Would you cut it out?"

"I did cut it out. I just can't cut the—"

"—Let's just eat our soup and cornbread. Then you'll go to work and I'll go to class."

The girl took a bite of her soup and raised her eyes to his. "It's delicious. Did you hear that the gas station has a new owner now?"

"Pie, I think it's the right move for us."

The girl blew into her soup.

"We've been together for over a year now and I've been very patient so far, very understanding," he said.

The girl did not reply. She took another bite and opened one of the textbooks.

"Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"You don't know that," she said.

"You're not the first person I've dated," he said. They sat in silence, watching the minute hand move another tick around the clock face. "All of our friends have done it and they're fine."

"Oh yes, they're fine."

"Well, I won't make you do it," he said. "I wouldn't want you to if you were absolutely sure you didn't want to, but I know we'd be happier."

"I'm happy now."

"No you're not."

"I think the new owners are going to change the name again," she said.

"It would be a step forward for us. It's such a simple thing really. Society says it's a big deal but I know it isn't."

The girl opened his notebook. "What does 'la mochila' mean?" she said.

"I don't want to go over the questions anymore."

"Translate into English 'el pedo.'"

"You won't even consider it?"

She closed the notebook. "Maybe I will. But you'll look at me differently, I know you will."

"I won't. You don't need to be scared."

"How do you know it's the right time?"

"You've been eating beans and cornbread. You're tense. It's the right time," he said. "It's perfectly natural, Pie. You just let the air out and then it'll all be ok."

She looked again at the clock and smiled. "It doesn't look much like Eeyore's tail really. Eeyore's tail has a pink bow at the end."

"Would you like another drink?"

"Yes."

He stood and turned to go to the kitchen, but before he reached the doorway, an unmistakeable noise arrested his step. He looked at her and smiled. "You won't regret it," he said.

"You might want to get out of here," she replied.