Dry - 5

"To business." He took a pull and had to blink several times. His eyeballs felt like they were sweating. "What is this hooch?"

 

"Not a… not a… English word for it. I make back home. Many times."

 

"I thought you were a Muslim or something?"

 

Cazire turned his head and spat then mumbled something in another language.

 

"Oh."

 

"No, my friend." Cazire's smile was back in place. "We are Christians." Monster didn't know anything about the man's family. He'd supposed he had one, but had never imagined actual people.

 

"Oh-oh-oh! I almost forget." Cazire raised a finger. He set his glass down and slid open a little drawer then reached inside and pulled out a sack.

 

"What's that?" Uncle Bill said. "You got weed in there?

 

"No-no. No weeds." Monster wasn't entirely sure Cazire knew what he'd meant, but he seemed a little insulted. He wished his uncle would shut up. "Is tradition in my village. Like your tradition—we wear masks."

 

Cazire pulled out these really frilly, feathery things meant to go over the eyes. He slid one over his head and onto his face. Uncle Bill took one and stared at it. Monster reached in and the sack was empty.

 

"Oops, I only expected you," Cazire said. "I did not bring other masks."

 

"But what's this for?"

 

"It is our tradition. This year it falls on same day as your Halloween, so I figure we celebrate. Unity!"

 

Monster felt his head buzzing a little.

 

What the hell? he thought to himself and put the sack on his head. He could improvise.

 

Cazire's eyes went wide then he laughed.

 

"You look like a Frankenstein." Monster didn't get the reference at all, but he started laughing too. After a minute he had calmed enough to see Uncle Bill staring at them, stone-faced.

 

"I ain't wearin' this," he said. "It's gay."

 

"Oh, no it's not!" Monster felt a prick of nerves in his belly. This was a business contact Bill was insulting. Uncle or not, that wasn't cool. "Hey, I can see through this!"

 

He didn't know what had happened to his volume control, but he was suddenly fascinated with the texture of the sack on his head. He kept pulling at the top of it and it kept flopping over on the side of his head.

 

"Frankenstein," Cazire said again and they erupted in laughter once more.

 

"I don't know what's so friggin' funny. No offense to you or your culture, Cazeer, but I ain't wearin' this."

 

"My friend… my friend… you must. Everybody is."