They Call Me Red
#author……https://buff.ly/2GJSDsG
18 June 2013
As I was approaching the park, Danny came running to meet me. “Dennis, I hate to ask, but could you spare me some bus tickets? Yesterday, Shakes jumped the bus and I was left walking, but it turned out for the best. I ran into a lady I know and she wants to buy two of my paintings. She offered to drive me to where I was going to visit a friend, so that worked out. When I got to my friend’s place, he wasn’t home, so I ended up walking the rest of the way.”
“How long did it take you to walk home?”
“About three hours, but I didn’t mind walking. I’m a fast walker. I’ve got a painting that I’m working on. I’ll bring it out” The image, outlined with a wood burning tool, was of an eagle in flight. “See the way its wings are up and his claws extended. He’s swooping. I’m going to put a rabbit over to the side here. He won’t have caught the rabbit, but he will. That’s the way they hunt; they swoop and grab.”
Shakess said, “The same thing happened to me a few days ago. The bus driver wouldn’t let me on the bus because I didn’t have the full fare. I walked to the mall and tried a few different buses. I told the driver, ‘Look, I’ve only got $1.63 and I’ve got no other way to get home.’ Luckily one of them let me ride. I started at 5:30 and didn’t get home until 10:30.”
I sat near Joy. She was going through her purse, then called Chester over. “Have you got any money?” Chester checked his pockets and said, “I’ve got $3.60.” Joy said, “That will just make it. Hippo, can you make a run for me?”
“Sure!”
Joy waved the money at him. He indicated that she should bring it to him. Finally, he came over to get it. Joy said, “Look, if it’s too much trouble, I can try to get in there myself.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“You say it’s okay, but you’re not moving.”
Hippo said, “What? You want me to run there? I can run.”
Gaston said, “Yes, show us the Hippo trot.”
Hippo said, “If you think I’m fat. Look at the guy coming down the sidewalk.”
Joy said, “It’s not his fault. He doesn’t eat much. It’s some kind of eating disorder.”
Gaston said, “Yes, it’s glandular.”
Hippo headed toward the liquor store. Joy said, “I swear, when he brings that bottle back I’m going home, alone. He’s been over four times in the last week. Sunday he came over at 4:30. I was already in my boxers, ready to settle in and watch TV. I was cooking supper and I’d only cooked enough for myself. I hate eating when there is somebody looking at me, drooling, so I told him to help himself. That didn’t leave very much for me. I told him, “Look man, don’t come over at such weird hours.’ The next morning he came over at 10:30. I was just sweeping up. I said, ‘I really don’t want company now. I’ve got things to do.’
“I have a hard time affording food for myself, let alone feeding someone else. He has his mommy to put money in his bank account, but I never see him then; only when he wants something.
“If I weren’t waiting for Hippo, I’d be outa here. The cops are sure to come, especially with so many people and Frank being as loud as he is. Bearded Bruce came by earlier with bottles of vodka, sherry and some kind of dark beer in a green can. He mixed them all together and called it a brucinator. Frank had most of it and you know how obnoxious he gets when he’s wasted.”
A cell phone started ringing. Jacques said, “That’s an incoming call! It shows that I’m important!” He spoke a few words then brought the phone to Joy, he said, “It’s Chili, for you.”
“Hi sweetie, how are you doing… What do you mean you’re a hop, skip and a jump from here… You’re at the mall?… Are you coming here?… If you are I’ll stick around, otherwise I’m leaving… I’ll see you tomorrow then… I better not see any smash marks on your arms and legs, or I’ll slap you silly. I’m also going to check between your toes… Okay, good-bye. Stupid chick. There are three buildings there. She has her own apartment, but she has half the complex staying at her place. They’re all getting high.”
I asked, “Is she still in a wheelchair?”
“They’d put her in a walker, but she got fucked up again. She went to hospital and is back in a wheelchair.”
I asked, “What is the problem with her legs?”
“She doesn’t take care of herself. She’ll get a small cut, or damage an artery with a hypodermic needle. It’ll get infected, then she gets blood clots. If it’s not taken care of, it causes death of tissue in the limb. It also affects the immune system. The same thing happened to me. See this scar below my knee? It was a cut that got infected. They gave me a powerful antibiotic and said, ‘If this doesn’t work, we’re going to have to amputate your leg.’ That’s the position she’s in.”
“We’re you on crack then?”
“No, just on booze.”
…
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