Wednesday, July 20, 2016

It Must Be Morning

I opened the downstairs windows to let in the delicious cool air. After my basement shower I came upstairs and heard the tinkling of glass bottles. I looked out the window. It was a man right there 2 feet away, in the yard next door. He was gathering all of the glass Corona empties from my neighbor's trash bag. They had a party Saturday night with their Brazilian friends and Brazilian music, laughter and Brazilian BBQ.

I opened the back door. My dog ran out wagging and immediately found a rib-bone in the alley. Did she find something she's not supposed to have? he asked.
Yes, and she's fast! I said, trying to retrieve the piece of bone sticking out of her mouth. I'm not going to lose a finger, been there almost done that. Chew it well, Lily, I told her. That's my mantra.

I love animals he said pausing. The man was tall but hunched. He had broomstick-thin tanned muscular arms, hazel eyes spread wide over hollow cheeks. He was smoking a thin cigar. They are unconditional love, he said. They don't hold a grudge.

He resumed loading all of the clear glass empties into the case boxes. I have COPD and this is what I do for exercise. I am 23 and 62. How's that for a bit of math? That blue van is mine. My name is Bob, spelled the same forward and backwards and as my friend says upside down. He's right.
Hi Bob, nice to meet you. We shook hands. His hands were huge and leathery. Do you need any boxes or bags?
No I'm all set. Nice to meet someone who is kind. Have a good day Ma'm.

I went upstairs to my office and opened the porch door. I turned the fan on to pull in the cool air. Another neighbor, another tall skinny hardworking man, came out onto his porch, hacked once and then blew his nose over the railing, flinging the snot into the parking lot below.

It must be morning.

No comments: