Just do one little thing at a time.  That was the advice.  "Yeah.  That's how the Colonials built America!" 

  Someone spit out good, dark Turkish coffee, laughing so hard and fast that someone would think of Colonials.  "Didn't anyone else?" 

  "No honey.  In this you are unique." 

  "I don't know why I do that.  I'm always thinking of them.  And frontierspeople!" 

  "History buff?" A man asked as two people helped him get the bomb-proof boots off.  "Don't look at my duff," he said when he went to put jeans on over his longjohns.

  "Not really a buff but it's like I feel connected to people through time." 

  One woman unrolled a nub of cheese in fabric.  Another boiled water.  Someone cut a crusty baguette into strips to dip in oil.  "It just doesn't matter the time period 

  or culture 

  people have challenges." 

  "Human condition."  Someone pulled a jar of olives from a knapsack.  Someone else looked in there for more food.  Tipped it over.  Bits of sand came out on the worn plaster tiles that were covered in dust so people had wet-fingered smiley faces and hearts.  "Huuuh, you went to the Sea?" 

  "Well, I am a mermaid when I'm not reattaching bits of body and transporting the barely living no matter where they get stored." 

  "Remember self-storing in AMERICA?"  Two girls got wide eyes and nodded.  People were taking slow bites and chewing and chewing.  "I just love a good olive." 

  "As opposed to a bad olive?" 

  "Like one bad apple?" 

  "No."  More chewing.  "Olives are different!" 

  "How so?" 

  "When they rot, they just rot.  They wither.  They fall.  They are rot." 

  "Like game over." 

  "Anybody been kissing anyone?" Someone asked before passing a canteen.  A few eewwws and an I wish.  "Not like stupid apples rotting other apples." 

  "Whooo would you kiss?" 

  Imagining and telling stories as dusk melted into darkness.