The New Juice

“I love the juicer. I just got it. But it’s a lot,” he says. He’s created a Noah’s Arc of produce on the conveyor belt at the organic grocery store. He is buying two of everything, regardless of juiceability. Two bundles of bitter dandelion greens. Two avocados. Two persimmons, each marching down the gray conveyor toward the paper bags. The line behind him snakes past the sparkling water display. “The total is $381.62. Would you like the receipt?” He hems and haws, then nods. The thin paper is so long it curls like a scroll. Bundles of dill and parsley are bursting from the top of his brown bags. The cashier hands it to him. “Like a trophy” she says.