>>7292776cont.
He looked back, concentrating harder on her. The light had turned green and he continued studying her as she shrank into the distance.
"I do not know this meaning, sir. A jogger runs to stay in shape, yes? But what does this mean?"
I could tell he didn't just want it defined. He wanted an explanation.
"It means she's exercising. To stay healthy."
He nodded slowly and thought some more.
"I have never heard of this thing. In Africa to, how you say, exorcise, we go to church. Here you exorcise to 'stay healthy," sir?"
"Most people go to gyms."
"Jim, he is a man like priest?"
"No, that's not what I mean," I was maybe as confused as him at this point. "Uh, a gym is a building where people go to... they use machines to get rid of fat and build muscle."
"So Jim is like a church and workshop? In my county this would be unheard of, and to exorcise a demon there would be bad. I know of men whipping themselves for gods years ago, sir, but not in America."
I didn't know what to say at this point and changed the subject.
"You don't need to worry about that woman back there. She's not in any danger."
"How can you be sure, sir? She runs like a beast is behind her when it is clear there is nothing. She has many demons, it is clear."
"You might be right. It's not really my thing so I can't say."
"You are not a religious man, sir? In my country they say in America you can worship as you please, yet you worship nothing?"
"I'm too busy to think about it."
"This is indeed a strange thing for me to think of."
We rode in silence for a while after that.
