Meat's been pretty scarce since Tater came back at the first of the month. We've passed coming and going a few times, but there hasn't been much interaction.
Until today when there was a knock on the door at the crack of noon. They didn't wait for me to answer, just followed the knock right in. Tater led the way.
"Saw you on TV yesterday, SJ. You were okay, but boy, you got a face made for radio!"
"Thanks Tater, never heard that one before. I'll tell them that next time they call."
"Why'd they call you?"
"Guess they couldn't find anybody else. So what have you guys been up to?"
The pair exchanged guilty looks.
"No, no, no, not that. I mean where you guys going all hours of the night. I don't see your car out there when I go to bed, but right there it is when I get up the next morning."
The pair exchanged even more guilty...guiltier...looks. They both responded.
"Nothing."
"Moonlight driving."
I've always been able to read Meat like a book. He's always read me like a comic strip. I know something's up. He know's I know something's up.
"So Tater, how was your long weekend at Bernie's?"
"O, the job went okay, but I just had to get away. Bernie's terrified the Berners are going to stay home on election day. How many times can you say, 'yes Bernie, I'm with Hilary'. It's so depressing. A person just needs a release sometimes."
Meat was fidgety. I could tell he was busting at the seams to tell me something, but something was holding him back. I thought it was Tater, but she seemed oblivious to Meat.
"You know SJ, people are just scared of everything these days. They're scared of terrorists and police and tree huggers and miners and government and corporations and the poor and the rich. They're scared of the most ridiculous things for no logical reason."
Meat stopped fidgeting and kind of stared at me. Tater took notice of Meat and then focused on me. It was me who missed it this time.
"Yeah...have you guys heard about these weird clown sightings all over the place? North and South Carolina, down in the tri-cities, over in Whitesburg even...people are freaking out on Facebook, it's even been on TV. How can people be afraid of clowns?"
They both gave me the 'what would I know' shrug. Meat beamed like he'd just won the 4th grade spelling bee. I looked at Tater and she shrugged again.
"Guess where Tater went after she left the vacation house? Tell him Tater."
"I took a little trip down and around the Carolinas for a few days, then came up through Bristol."
Then I remembered something; something fleeting in my memory. A movie I had a copy of. Did I loan it to Meat? I've loaned Meat so many things it's hard to remember the exact exchange.
I jumped up and looked at my sparse DVD collection. The memory focused a bit.
"Meat, do you have my copy of 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space'?
Tater began laughing uncontrollably. Meat responds by pulling a clown mask from the back of his pants and pulls it over his head.
"I sure do old buddy, and we've put it to good use. Be afraid, SJ, be very afraid."