terminal encounter free military register had me set attention tumors ironic registration dying squinted brazen
I
RECENTLY
GOT
pulled
over
for
speeding
not
far
from
my
new
home
in
Virginia
.
I
hadn't
been
paying
,
and
I
had
drifted
a
few
miles
an
hour
over
the
speed
limit
.
"
Can
I
see
your
license
and
?
"
the
police
officer
asked
me
?
.
"
What
are
you
doing
here
?
"
he
asked
.
"
You
with
the
?
"
"
No
,
I'm
not
,
"
I
said
.
I
explained
that
I
had
just
moved
to
Virginia
,
and
I
hadn't
had
time
to
re
-
yet
.
?
He
had
asked
a
direct
question
.
Without
thinking
very
hard
,
I
gave
him
a
direct
answer
.
"
Well
,
officer
,
"
I
said
,
"
since
you've
asked
,
I
have
cancer
?
The
officer
cocked
his
head
and
at
me
?
?
He
was
obviously
thinking
:
"
Either
this
guy
is
pulling
one
big
fat
line
on
me
,
or
he's
telling
the
truth
.
And
I
have
no
way
of
knowing
.
"
This
wasn't
an
easy
for
him
because
he
was
trying
to
do
the
near
-
impossible
?
.
"
Well
,
officer
,
I
know
that
I
look
pretty
healthy
.
It's
really
.
I
look
great
on
the
outside
,
but
the
are
on
the
inside
.
"
?
The
cop
looked
at
my
scars
.
He
looked
in
my
eyes
.
I
could
see
on
his
face
:
He
now
knew
he
was
talking
to
a
man
.
And
if
by
some
chance
I
was
the
most
con
man
he'd
ever
stopped
,
?
.
The
awful
truth
.
As
he
trotted
back
to
his
police
car
,
I
had
a
realization
?