Mafee pimientos

"I'm going for a walk."
"Get pimientos at MegaMart."
I arrived there
I scan the shelves, my eyes moving in saccades
up and down the shelves
'diced tomatos'
I remember, 'you never open your mouth'
I come to the section with jars of olives
like bulbous Morey eel eyeballs preserved in formaldehyde
An Indian is stocking the shelves
I point with index to a jar
at a stuffed olive suspended in it
"Do you have pimientos?"
I move into his space and he peers into my eyes
He moves away as if parrying a fillip
He mutters to himself "pimentos"
"No dice."
"You speak in English?"
"You're out of luck."
"No, you're out of pimientos."
I get two tins of anchovies instead