While You’re Waiting For Equality
by Mike Mayak
The little convenience store hadn’t changed much in almost 200 years, except maybe the commemorative metal plaque on the outside wall citing the year in the 1970s the building had been built. But the street wasn’t a main street anymore and the local college a half-mile away was virtually a small town now.
The big windows had posters advertising various products, like “No-Smok Safe Ciggs” and “Instant Candy.” And the Circus Poster with the girl balancing on a racing horse on one leg, festooned with rainbows.
But the circus poster was hanging from a shard of broken glass, slowly turning in the slight breeze in the broken window at the end of the store, near where the old outdoor telephone system had probably been.
Anthony Manuel and Evidivis were walking up to the store to refill their Soda-Pacs when they saw the store manager Mr. Greenfield standing outside surveying the damage.
Anthony was the taller, almost six-one. Dark hair done in a fade. Evidivis was a few inches shorter, round body, skinny arms and legs and light green skin. They were both wearing University Of Millington Tee-shirts and sweatpants.
“Hello, friend,” Evidivis said. “What happened?”
“Some jerks came by with a ball bat and smashed the window when they saw the poster, yelling something about men marrying sheep next and Gays going to Hell.” He shook his head. “This poster is advertising the McGurkus circus uptown next month.”
“Oh, man!” Anthony said. “I thought we were over that!”
“Over what, friend Anthony?” Evidivis said with a puzzled look on his almost-human face.
“Long time ago, here on Earth, they said it wasn’t okay to bee Gay or Lesbian, or…”
“Oh!” Evidivis said. “You mean LGAB2TQSR7? Like Your Father, Mother and Father?”
“Right.” Anthony said. “That’s when we started having Pride Month in June. Marches and protests and all that, because some people didn’t understand back then.”
“Still don’t.” Mr. Greenfield said. “They saw rainbow, out went the brains, up came the bats.”
“This too bad.” Evidivis said. “On my world, dark greens don’t always like light greens like myself. That why I come to visit Earth for High School.”
“And to stay for College,” Anthony said. “But hey, I didn’t realize this ignorant hate crap was still going on? I thought we got rid of all that.”
“It always goes on,” Mr. Greenfield said. “That’s why we still do the Pride thing and the Juneteenth thing. We always have to be watchful. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Our decency enough won’t make it go away or keep it from resurging. Even in the happy times we have to keep our eyes open.”
“It is like what man say to me at Earth barber shop,” Evidivis said. “We are waiting on equality.”
“Always waiting.” Anthony said.
“And ready,” Mr. Greenfield said.
—end—
AUTHOR’S NOTE: The draws for the June 2025 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge were for A Science Fiction Story, set at a Convenience Store involving a Circus Poster. It’s a sequel to my story “The High Top” from August 5th, 2022. [LINK] https://authorjeffbaker.com/2022/08/06/the-high-top-by-mike-mayak-for-friday-flash-fics-august-5th-2022/ It got a little preachy but for this Pride month it needs to be.
Maybe every Pride Month. That’s the point. —-mike
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