They met at the building's trash area. Each holding their bag of garbage. It was the first time they spoke to each other.
-Good morning...
-Good morning.
-You live in 610, right?
-And you're 612.
-Yup...
-We haven't met formally...
-I know...
-I'm sorry for the indiscretion, but I have seen your garbage..
-My what?
-Your garbage.
-Oh...
-I noticed there is always very little of it. You must have a small family...
-It's just me, actually.
-Mmm. I also noticed a lot of cans.
-Yeah, I tend to make my own food. And since I don't really cook...
-I see.
-Pardon my indiscretion as well, but I have noticed leftovers in your garbage. Onions, that kind of thing...
-It's that I love cooking. Making different meals. But since I live alone, there usually leftovers...
-Ma'am, you don't... you don't have a family?
-I do, but not here.
-In Espirito Santo.
-How'd you know?
-I've seen envelopes in your trash. From Espirito Santo.
-Yeah. My mom writes me every week.
-Is she a teacher?
-That's amazing! How'd you guess?
-Her calligraphy. She writes like a teacher.
-You don't get many letters. I never see any in your trash.
-Yeah...
-The other day there was a crumpled telegram.
-Yes.
-Bad news?
-My father died.
-I'm so sorry.
-He was very old. Down south. We hadn't seen each other in ages.
-Is that why you started smoking again?
-How'd you know?
-Crumpled cigarette packs in your garbage.
-It's true. But I managed to quit again.
-I have never smoked, thank God.
-I know. But I have seen bottles of pills in your trash.
-Tranquilizers. It was a phase. That's done now.
-You fought with a boyfriend, right?
-Did you find that out because of my garbage?
-First the bouquet of flowers, card and all, thrown out. Then all the tissues.
-I cried so much. That's over now too.
-But there were some tissues today.
-Runny nose.
-I see.
-I see lots of crosswords in your garbage.
-Well. Yes. I stay home a lot. Don't go out much. You know how it is.
-Girlfriend?
-No.
-But there was a picture in your garbage a few days ago. She was cute.
-I was cleaning out drawers. Ancient stuff.
-You didn't rip it up, though. That means that, deep down, you want her to come back.
-Now you're analyzing my garbage!
-I can't deny it... I did find your garbage interesting.
-Funny. When I saw your garbage I decided that I'd like to meet you. I think it was the poetry.
-No! You saw my poems?!
-I did. And I liked them a lot.
-But they're so bad!
-If you really thought they were bad, you would have ripped them. They were folded.
-If I knew you were going to read them...
-I didn't keep them because, well, that would be stealing. Although: they were in the trash. Is something in the trash still that person's property?
-I don't think so. Garbage is in the public domain.
-You're right. Through garbage the private becomes public. What is leftover from our private lives joins other people's leftovers. Garbage is community. It's the most social part of us. Is that it?
-Well, I think that's a bit of a stretch. I guess...
-Yesterday, in your garbage...
-What?
-Was I wrong, or did I see shrimp shells?
-You are correct.
-I love shrimp.
-I de-shelled them, but haven't made them yet. Maybe we could...
-Have dinner?
-Yeah...
-I don't want to impose.
-It's no trouble at all.
-I'll get your kitchen dirty.
-No problem. We'll clean it up and throw out what's leftover in the garbage.
-Yours or mine?
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