The Hat

Scenes from a hot afternoon while the car is being fixed

His car was in a downtown shop for a couple of hours, so he went for a walk on a hot sunny day. He forgot his Myrtle Beach ballcap in the car, and unlike some men having accepted the reality of thinning hair, popped into a small convenience store. Below the sundry items was an official Stephen Universe ballcap with a big yellow star on the front and characters from the show on the wide visor. It was marked down to 4.99, and since there were none from Teen Titans Go!, the only Cartoon Network show he watched with any regularity, he bought it.

Avoiding vape stores or pawn shops with cheap media where he could easily drop twenty more, he left the main drag and for the next hour or so strolled happily along a wide wooded public path down by the river. Traffic was light on a weekday: an odd bicyclist whizzing past, a dog-walker or two. A lady with a small child seemed wary as he approached; he put her at ease with a brisk, “Good morning!”

He was heading back when four or five shirtless city youth hoisting a rubber raft approached toward their landing. He nearly passed but then locked eyes with one showing evil intent. The lean fucker let go of his end and kept coming. They beat him up pretty badly. He kept wondering if it was the hat and how funny that would be.

No broken bones though he missed some time from work. He finally placed the hat on his rear dash almost like a badge of honor. Plus he liked that star showing behind the driver’s side.

Andy, a young trans co-worker with a liking for animated shows and social media postings, asked by the car one day if he actually watched that show.

“Not really,” he admitted. “I just like the star. But it’s a progressive show, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought so. Cool.”

Fin