A Conversation Between Artists

Ponder had just administered the final brush strokes of his latest urban masterpiece when a nearby trash can fell over and out rolled what appeared to be a visitor from another galaxy.

"What the fuck?" Ponder dropped his brush in the rip rap under the overpass where he'd been painting as he stared at the tiny man trying to right himself from his fall.

The strange creature wore a black and white blazer over gray pants and black combat boots. His hair was white through he seemed to be in his twenties or thirties. He squinted his black eyes as though blinded by the sun even though they were in the shade of the overpass.

"Where did you come from?" Ponder asked as his heart pounded like an alarm, "I just threw my coffee cup in that can ten minutes ago and I'm sure you weren't there."

The visitor giggled and examined his skull with his nimble hands to be sure he wasn't injured in the fall, "I forgot how bright and colorful it is here," satisfied with his head examination he stepped closer to Ponder, admiring his artwork, "I haven't been here in a decade."

"Who are you anyway?" Ponder looked down at his new acquaintance, "Where did you come from?"

"Everyone here asks so many questions," the man remarked, "such an inquisitive race."

Ponder backed away nervously.

"You should see your expression!" the little man laughed, "I love this part!"

"Um," Ponder was still backing away, "I don't know..."

"It's OK," the man sighed, "don't be afraid. My name is Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom."

"What?" Ponder wondered where this hallucination was coming from. He wondered if the fumes from the paint were causing this. It was just getting more weird with every second, "Tiki-Tiki-Tommy what?"

"You sure say "what" a lot" Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom said, "this is my fifth deployment to your planet to bring back some art. You see I'm an artist too, but everything is black and white on my planet. There's no color, so every so often I get to drop in on Earth to admire some color. For inspiration, you know."

"Are you real?" Ponder moved closer to Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom and slowly reached toward his face.

"No touching!" Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom slapped Ponder's hand away causing Ponder to gasp.

"You are real!" Ponder drew his hand back, "an artist from another galaxy!"

"I'm not from another galaxy," Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom said, "I'm from the back side of an asteroid."

"Whoa," Ponder said, "an artist from an asteroid!"

"Yes, now you have it."

"How do you make clothes on an asteroid?" Ponder asked as he looked over Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom's blazer and pants.

"We don't!" Just then Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom yanked Ponder's pants down, knocking Ponder on his butt on the rip rap.

As Ponder yelped from the pain, Tiki Tiki Tommy Tom pulled Ponder's pants and shoes off and dove back into the trash can and disappeared.