For My Trumpet Man

She: “Hey! I thought you were the mad scientist around here!” He: “Ah, no. Place where I work frowns on the bwa-ha-ha stuff. Bad for fundraising.” She: “So I’ve got to do it?!?” He: “The fundraising? No, we’ve got experts to … oi! Put .. the .. lab .. coat .. down! Do I wish to know where this is coming from?” She: “The island!” He: “The one we live on?” She: “Not this island! That island! The one…

She: “Please pass the salad dressing?” He: “OK … Dang!” She: “What dang?” He: “Something else we can’t use because we have town water.” She: “I like town water. Or do you really wish to go back to flushing the toilet with a bucket?” He: “Not I. But it means we can’t use the salad dressing. Read.” She: “‘Shake well.’” He: “Exactly! We don’t have a well. And if you think I’m going…

She: “It’s hard keeping all the plot lines straight when you’re writing several stories at once.” He: “Tough to keep all the alibis consistent, is it?” She (ignoring him): “Not to mention all the character names straight. And how they look. Did she have red hair in this other story too?” He: “Easy fix. Keep…

She: “A beautiful morning!” He: “Indeed. Bright light in sky appears in East. Around here, this time of year, that’s news.” She: “This calls for a hearty celebration. Would you care for waffles, or eggs and bacon, or an omelette, or …” He: “Hm. Choices, choices. Let me finish getting dressed first. One cribro at a time.” She: “Cry what?” He: “On…

She: “Did you know that handkerchiefs are coming back into vogue?” He: “No …” She: “And … never mind, I can’t tell you.” He: “Can’t tell me what?” She: “About the cool colors they come in now. You’d be appalled.” He: “Probably. But I’m going to find out sooner or later, so …” She: “Purple,…