Boondocks

 Today the power went out, so John and I went to eat at Boondocks in Wilbur by the Sea. It’s a tiki bar restaurant attached to a marina. We took note of the pelicans on the pilings. More fascinating were the swarms of catfish in the water; at least one hundred fish waiting for scraps to be thrown overboard. I figured our hush puppy appetizer would make a good snack for them, but we ate them all. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and John got a regular cheeseburger. I ordered mine well done (sorry). Both burgers came with homemade potato chips and coleslaw (fries would have been too heavy on top of hush puppies). John gave me his pickle, like he always does. We gave the leftover burger and chips to the catfish eagerly waiting below. I don’t know how fish can eat potato chips (fish and chips!) but they disappeared among their writhing bodies. As soon as you throw a scrap in they go crazy. It’s almost a repulsive sight, so many slick, squirming fish pulsating together. I think of ants. I think of snakes. I think of flies. The next time I think of something tightly packed, I will not think of sardines; I will remember the catfish.


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