Small Places : Nick L Belardes [69 of 128]

• I imagine people pushing peas the size of planets in a mad race for my fork. This is what I do on my time off, besides bug collecting.
• I try stacking jars of bugs into a living room high-rise.
• I'm strangely envious of a caterpillar living two stories above a one-armed mantis.
• My last day off the phone rings. "Hello?" It's Mulani: "How's your week been?" Me: "Oh, just building a few things, was being productive."
• "Miss me?" I say. Mulani: "No, but Milt does. He stares at your empty chair every morning as if sad." The mantis waves its one arm at me.
• My first day back Milt finds me before I leave for an extended lunch. "Wanna have chow with me? One on one?" What can I say? "Sure, Milt."
• We head to a dive on 19th Street. "Hey, Milt. Are we going to have a drink?" Milt: "We're on company time. You know the policy."
• I remind Milt that Buildicon employs French workers and they drink like fish. "They're French!" he says. Me: "We can pretend we're French."