"What are those?" I asked.
"My years," he said. "But there were strands and strands of them. I added one each year I lived he said, just so I could give gratitude. It's funny when you see them for what they are. The years I mean."
"I thought you meant the beads," I said.
"I meant both," he said.
"We should make a necklace like that," Rashana said. "We could never before because you never lived that many years before so the necklace wouldn't fit around your neck."
"Sad," I said.
"Just different," she said.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked.
"Your call," she said.
"I think I want to go to the snack bar," I said. "I'm feeling like a little something to eat or drink."
"Something with substance?" she asked.
"Something that's fun," I said.
"Oh sure," she said, and we walked and walked.

Suddenly we came across a snack bar, with a neon menu. I looked it over, and Rashana asked, "See anything you're in the mood for?"
"Joyful jello," I said. "sounds good. But what's Patting cream?"
"Well at the Happy Day Snack bar you wouldn't want to serve Whipped Cream would you?"
"Guess not," I said. "Guess I'll have some joyful jello with a dollop of patting cream."
Rashana said, "Sounds good to me." Then she asked, "Anything else?"
I looked around. "That peace tart looks good."
"They're kind of bland, but when you get used to them they leave a nice aftertaste. No bite, of course."
"I'll try it," I said.

Rashana ordered it for me. "Want anything to drink?" she asked.
I looked up at the menu again. "What do you suggest?" I asked.
"Milk. The milk of human kindness is thick and creamy, and though some people choke on it, I think you might like it, especially today."
"I'll try it," I said.
"Is that it?" she asked.
I looked around again. "Well, I wanted something to make me laugh," I said.

Rashana went over to the snack bar and asked the waitress something in a voice I couldn't hear. Then she came back.. "We're in luck or destiny," she said. "Today's special is Giggling Ginger Goof Noodles, but you might have to get it to go. If you eat it here, you'll fall on the floor laughing and we won't get home."

"I never imagined they had this stuff," I told her.
"What's never?" she asked.
"It means it won't happen in any amount of time. It's sort of like 'no' only longer in time."
Rashana looked a little puzzled. "Well, if it has to do with Time, I don't get it anyway."
"It's sort of like eternity....goes on and on," I explained. "The difference is that 'never' goes the other way."

"I only understand 'Now,'" Rashana said. "The rest is just a creative thought that hasn't yet been thought."
"On earth," I told her, "We have time. And we never have enough of it."
Rashana asked, "Why is that?"
"Because we do things and use it up," I told her.
"Doesn't it grow again?" she asked. "Everything on the other realms does."
"Well, we always have more time," I said, "but its never enough to do everything we need to to. The days are getting shorter, and I swear so are the nights."

"Why don't you just do less and then you'll have more time...to use as you want to?" she asked. "It never seems possible," I said. "There's always more to do, not less. And I don't know anyone who has extra time."
"Too bad," Rashana said. "If that's the case, you can't even borrow some."
"Oh," I said, "There are people who say they live on borrowed time...but I think that's something else. I think its just an expression."

Rashana looked at me and smiled. "Take a bite of your joyllo," she said, "and sip the milk of human kindness. You'll feel better. And by tonight when you taste the giggling ginger goofnoodles, you'll forget all about time." She patted my shoulder and teased, "What an imagination you have."