gym-bag DVDs

last night my brother Rob checked out some DVDs of Hong Kong movies from the Southern Connecticut library. as we ate dinner, Scott looked over them. "these DVDs smell kind of funny," he said. he passed one over to me, and then to Rob.

"whew," said Rob. "smells like someone stuck this in their arm pit."

"or their butt," i said.

we contemplated this odd occurrence. how could every one of them smell like body odor? and how does plastic take on such a smell? i sniffed again, closely.

"i got it," i said. "its curry, or cumin. some Indian grad student, mad about Hong Kong, checked them out repeatedly, and kept them in a cabinet right over his stove."

"i don't know," said Rob. "That one i smelled was pretty rank."

so maybe it is a curry-loving Indian grad student, mad about Hong Kong, who also spends hours in the gym. and in his gym bag he carries half a dozen DVDs.

we laughed. one of the curious, tiny mysteries of modern life.