had
a tooth
missing in front,
and when she talked,
it
made
a whistle.
Peggy Whistle was 43,
loved Scotch,
and
worked nights
at the D&J Diner.
she
also loved
her little dog, Blue.
Blue
came to
work with her
and slept on a ratty
old pillow in the back,
lifting
his head up
every time the door
opened and the bell above it rang.
Peggy never whistled any tunes,
although
you can’t say
she didn’t know any.
there
was that one
her father taught her…
you know the one…
about
that road to
wherever the hell it went.
names didn’t matter much to Peg.
nothing
did, except
for Blue
and the sound of that bell,
and
a ring
that she wore
on
her hand
after work.
she
got it
from Tim
or
Romeo
or
Bill…
or
whatever the hell
was the name of that dear,
sweet man.
