Getting to Know My Neighbors

Two weeks ago I was late for work, but had to stop across the street from my home to fill up as I was on my last gallon of gas. As I manuevered my way to the pump at the always packed Diamond Shamrock, I noted a young boy standing near the door of the store. There is a school nearby and there always seems to be kids hanging around. I noted the boy looked at me. I studied the teenager out of the corner of my eye as I pumped my gas. It was a chilly morning, 41 degrees which is downright cold in Houston, and he only had on a light long sleeve button down shirt. I wondered why he didn't have a coat. He didn't look indigent, but rather cleaned and nicely pressed. Sure enough, he approached me and I braced myself waiting for the standard request for money.

"M'am are you going any where near Reagan High?"

I said no, but if he needed a ride, I guess I could do so. He eagerly went to get in the passenger seat. My car was the usual mess, my purse stretched across the passenger seat. I grabbed my purse to make room for him, and almost put it on the driver's seat but decided to hold it with me. I cursed myself, knowing I probably shouldn't do this, but couldn't seem to stop myself. I braced myself, wandering if I was going to get robbed, beat up or worse.

As I drove to the school, which was about a mile at most away I asked a couple of questions which he responded yes or no. I wanted to ask why wasn't he wearing a coat, but didn't want to embarass him, maybe he didn't have the money. As I drove up the high school and he hopped out I noticed of the dozens of kids I saw standing about, not one had a coat on. I started laughing to myself. Kids need to be cool, and coats aren't cool. Also, my best friend who is a teacher reminds me kids can't wear coats into class and they don't fit well in lockers.

The reality was this was not some hoodlum or indigent. This was a normal kid, who probably missed the bus or his ride, and just wanted to get a ride so he didn't have to walk in the torn up construction work and freeze his ass off. I laughed at myself as I drove away.

Moments later while I negotiated school traffic talking to my father on the cell phone I tried to explain my misunderstanding but before I finished the story, he claimed the kid was probably "hopped up on drugs." Later that night I started to tell my friends at dinner the story, but I never made it past the point where I told the kid I would give him a ride.

"Missy, don't tell me you gave that kid a ride!"

"You didn't let him in the car with you!"

"What were you thinking!"

Ok, well I guess I'll never get to the point of the story which was my assuming he was a thug or bum or that my father assumes all kids are on drugs!

Today is Saturday, and I had an appointment across town at 10:30am to get fingerprinted. (Don't ask, but it wasn't for law enforcement.) As I got out of the shower, I forced myself to dry and style my hair and put on makeup. I've been looking like holy hell lately. No makeup, wrinkled clothing, just a general wreck. Today I told myself I would get out there looking like something. One never knows who one might meet. So I applied the iron to my pants and readied for the day.

I grabbed the leash and the pug and I went out the back door for a quick walk. I didn't put the collar on him, just held the leash in case. We made it to the end of our driveway, turned left and noted a man on his bicycle. He coasted up to us and the pug ran to meet him. I just assumed it was another dog lover so I smiled and assured him the pug was friendly. The gentleman smiled and held his hand out to me. I paused but took his hand.

"My name is Charles."

"Hi Charles, nice to meet you." As I looked into his slightly blank stare I realized Charles was not near mentally as old as his years which I estimated in his mid to late 40's. His smile revealed crooked teeth with a front one rimmed in gold. He wore a cotton, hooded zip sweat jacket in forest green. (My first thought was "Baby Ray" a character in my hometown who road his bicycle all over town every single day.)

"What's your name?" Charles was clearly not interested in the pug who by now was wandering down the block.

I told him as I started to walk away.

"Do you live right here?" He pointed to my house. Quickly, I considered lying, but realized it was futile as it was entirely possible Charles saw me walk out, so I told him yes.

"Oh, I remember seeing you around." He told me.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." Now Charles was walking with me. "We're very busy, I've got to get him walked."

"Can I have a hug?" Charles looked at me with his childish smile. Damn children always get the better of me!

I thought of a kindly priest I just adored who loved to give and receive hugs. (Not in the manner priests are known to request hugs now a days.) I thought of my sister and I discussing the young boy and the ride and how she said she didn't want to live in a world where we have to fear helping a child.

"Ok." I said cursing my inability to say no. I hugged Charles lightly and said goodbye. I was pleased to note he smelled of a pleasant aftershave. I have issues with body odor and was dreading discovering he was not as clean as he looked.

As I walked away Charles hollered, "I may come by and see you some times." I told him that I'm extremely busy and rarely home so that wouldn't really work. Then he called out, "You're looking good."

I turned away struggling not to lapse into hysterics. There is no hope. This is the best I can hope for when I apply makeup. Honestly, it isn't really worth the mascara.

Never Say Jamais

Oscar time is nearing, and as always I'm rushing to see as many nominees as possible. It's the worst possible time, work is insane and I've simply no time on my schedule. So many things I SHOULD be doing, the last thing I need is to sit around and watch movies. To make matters worse, I actually went to the library and checked out some books. Great, now I'm watching movies and reading. I'm not one of those people who can take a week or two to read a book. Despite the length, I must know how it all ends, so I stay up at night reading voraciously. I'll finish a 800 page book in 2 days if you'll let me. It's a somewhat sick compulsion.

Anyway, a while back I wrote that I had sworn off French films. Too depressing and disjointed. Who the hell knew what it was all supposed to mean. However, somehow another one ended up in my Netflix queue. I moved it down once or twice, telling myself to delete it. But the topic looked so promising. A woman goes to a psychologist, pours her heart out to discover she went to the wrong office and mistakenly took a tax attorney for the shrink. Lulled by the rave reviews I let it come in and sat to watch it. It started out so promisingly. The characters were so likeable. "This is going to be great!" I thought. Oh, mais la...

Suffice to say, I've again sworn off French films for a while. Except for Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I simply can't resist his films!

This weekend's bounty included "Ray" and "Collateral", a Jamie Foxx double feature. I had heard how wonderful he was in Ray, but I confess I wasnt' quite prepared for just how great. He was amazing! My God, this is the guy from "In Living Color"? This is Wanda, the ugly woman? This man is genius!

Now onto "Collateral." When I first saw the trailer to this in the theaters I thought it was one film I absolutely had to miss. There was NOTHING in the trailer even remotely interesting. I confess, I've never been a fan of Tom Cruise, although I will admit he has been very good in several films. There is just nothing about him that grabs my interest. So I sit down to watch it, only mildly interested because now I recognize the genius of Jamie Foxx. Well, I must confess, I didn't think the film great. The ending was sloppy and ridiculous. However, it was actually good. And again, my hat's off to Mr. Foxx. This is the guy to watch!

The movies and reading must be getting to me. Last night I had the most bizarre dreams all night long. Several times I awoke and said I should get up and write this down so I wouldn't forget. But alas, I did not follow my instincts. I can only remember the last one which awoke me at 7am. In the dream I was still driving my yellow 1973 Volkswagon Bug which I had right after college. (In reality my yellow Bug was Babs and she was great, But the true love of my life was my first car, a 1974 white Bug named Bunny.) However, in the dream I called this car Bunny.

Whatever, in the dream I left the car on campus with the keys in the ignition and someone took it. I spent days trying to find her. At one point I jumped into a convertible Bug which someone left the top down and it had rained. I was furious for someone leaving my car to the elements till I realized my car was not a convertible. Anyway, after much sleuthing I discovered who took the car and had someone drop me off at the house it was parked outside of. I rang the doorbell and a woman in her sixties or so answered the door. I asked if her daughter was home, and a woman seemingly in her thirties came up. I introduced myself and told her I was the person she "borrowed" the car from. She couldn't meet my eyes, but threw me the keys apologizing. I looked and two small children were playing in the front room. I told them never to grow up like their mother because she was a rotten thief.

Days later I returned to their home. (Remember this is a dream!) I had three friends with me and we were rehearsing for a play or something in the side yard of the house. The husband walked out and his wife nervously peeked out the front door. I hollered that one of the guys was my cousin "The Attorney" rehearsing a client for deposition. I told my friends this would get the couple nervous. The husband came over to ask what we thought we were doing in his yard. I told him his wife "borrowed" my car so couldn't I just 'borrow" his yard to get some work done. The husband said now that he knew who we were, it was ok. I was so torturing these people as they lived in fear of me telling people what they had done.

The dream ended when the family had a reunion of sorts and all of their friends and family were gathered and I showed up with my friends to further taunt them. I drove up in my car telling everyone her name was "Bunny" and I didn't know what I would do without her. The husband and wife were running around trying to explain some ridiculous story about who I was so no one would guess she had stolen the car.

What was that all about? Now I'm going sit in the tub and finish the novel I started yesterday morning. Oh mais, la....