Have You Voted Yet? (bp coyle)

I never like coming to this shop, it’s close but the owner is a jerk.

He tosses my smokes on the counter before I have a chance to ask for them.

‘Paying to kill yourself,’ he sneers.

I blush, hand over a twenty.

‘Have you voted yet?’ he asks.

I wasn’t expecting that. ‘No… not yet,’ I stutter.

‘Why not?’

What’s it to you? Just give me my change and let me out of here.

‘There’s still plenty of time.’

He makes a show of checking his wristwatch. ‘Less than an hour before polling stations close. You should go there now.’

I shrug. ‘Sure.’

He shakes his head. ‘No you won’t. I don’t understand people like you. It’s one of the most important elections in this country’s history and you don’t care. How can you not have an opinion? I don’t care what that opinion is but you have to have an opinion.’

I grab my change. ‘Don’t judge me man, I’ll vote. I always vote.’

When I get to the exit I hesitate. I know I should head in the direction of my polling station but I haven’t got a clue where it might be.

Photo by Element5 Digital from Pexels