thus or therefore?

she carried 

a pink hand gun

in her purse

bejeweled with

multi-colored rhinestones.

it was a small,

derringer of sorts

that could barely

kill a squirrel

if the need arose.

she opened her purse

and flashed the gun

as we sat eating our

greasy order of calamari

at the riverside bar.

put that away, i told her.

what are you nuts?

why do you have a gun?

i work in my parent's liquor store

over in PG county,

she said. wiping red sauce

from her pouty lips,

and we get a lot of

robberies. so thus the gun.

thus?

I said, not expecting that word?

yes, she said, thus.

or would you prefer

therefore?

either is fine, i told her,

putting my hands into the air.