Ribs

Where I come from, ribs is considered a delicacy. One wouldn't normally decide to have it for dinner and then eat it alone. No, you have to have it with friends or colleagues. It is a social food. When I say social food, I don't mean dinner party. That you get dressed up for. You ware your Sunday Best. Ribs is messy, you come as you are. "It's nice you could come to dinner. Especially because the Johnson's could not make it." Douglas's wife, Sheri says to us. "Don't get me started on the Johnson's." Douglas says with food in his mouth. "Did something happen?" I ask. "They're just flaky that's all." Douglas explains. Sheri wipes the BBQ sauce from her mouth. "It gets a little frustrating when you plan to do something and they back out last minuet." She says. "I bet. Are you guys close?" Olivia asks. "They're the closest people within miles." Douglas quips. "It's probably just hard for them to come out here." Olivia tries to rationalize. "I'm sure that's it." Douglas says, rolling his eyes. "Are you two from around here?" Sheri asks, changing the subject. "Not really." I say. There is a an awkward silence. "Where are you from?" She asks. "Illinois." I tell her. "That's far from home." She says. "That's the land of Capone." Douglas blurts out. "And Jordan." I say, trying to put a more positive spin on it. Douglas nods. There is an awkward silence once more. " Was having a Dinosaur Farm something you always wanted to do?" Olivia asks. "Sort of. I always wanted to have a nice tax write off." He explains. " I always thought it would be fun." Sheri says with a child - like smile. "How did you get the dinosaurs?" Olivia asks. Douglas leans back in his chair. "You can buy anything. I could get you a cheetah. You want one?" "No, I don't want a cheetah." Sheri takes a deep breath. "They were always here. We just had to sign a paper and the land was ours." "But where is here?" Olivia asks. Sheri and Douglas look at each other and shrug. "How do you not know where you live?" I ask. "We just don't." Douglas says, defensively. I take another bite of the ribs. For the first time in a while, I'm wondering where I am and why I am here. Douglas gives us one more thought to chew on. "We wanted to go where the dinosaurs were.They let us come, as long as we were kept in the dark and had minimal contact with the outside world."