(Meanwhile, at...)
Norman Roeund looked her over as he did each time she came in. He had long ago decided that Hazel was the intellectual type.
Hazel often spent the entire wash and first rinse cycle gazing at the surrealist paintings of Fuedurfo Goudine. Goudine's works hung in the 10 lb. section, over washers 8 to 13. Roeund, the day manager at the 2nd Avenue Laundrorama Art Gallery, was convinced that her interest in Goudine's wry juxtapositions of shattered coconuts, lizard-shaped bowling balls, and video cameras oozing liquid trees, was a sure sign that the comely lass would respond to a spiritual approach.
When Hazel asked his opinion regarding softeners Roeund seized on the opportunity.
Roeund said that the mere mention of softener always put him in mind of the admonition to "Bend before all is lost in the hard waters of life." He spoke in as nonchalant a manner as possible, while drawing forth a photo album given to him by a mortician who was down on his luck. This in lieu of payment for a dry cleaning tab. Tucker, the mortician had been laid off owing to an unexpected downturn in the people ceasation rate.
The
album was handsomely bound, its' cover adorned with the inscription, "You
Deserve It - the Best, That Is," and contained Polaroids of the undertaker's
finest work. People of all ages were pictured, done up to look "as
happy and pleasant as all get out."
Tucker had claimed that his clients' beatific appearances were the closest thing to proof of the existence of Heaven, and also, the efficacy of the Stay Put line of cadaver cosmetics, which he swore by.
Roeund was waxing philosophic with Hazel, pointing to a shot of Hal Broder, who passed away all too suddenly as he was about to recieve a check for 6 million dollars, which he had won in the Chance of a Lifetime Lottery. "The lottery is run as a fundraiser by the Better Hearts and Lungs Association," he was telling her when she wandered off to admire a soap-packet vending machine exhibited by Post-conceptualist Bart Nopoepoe.
