bait

Felt like I walked on to the set of an indie movie at the Bhirdo's Shell station in Sister Bay, Wisconsin. The customers had to be actors. Gravel-voice grandma leans on the counter with grandson at her knee. She's buying bait and cigarettes. Wants 15 minnows. They only have leeches. A bit pricier. Silence while she calculates. Then she sends grandson to the car to get 9 cents out of the door pocket of the Camry. The cashier stares blankly out the window as the seconds tick by. Kid returns with cash and they pay and leave. I pay my $50 for a tank of premium and watch Grandma drive down the road towards Lake Michigan.