Sunday, May 30, 2010

Remembered Forgettables #5: Grounded

It's hard to gain the trust of strangers in a community plagued with serious drug problems. There's a notorious park around here which also serves as a community meeting place during the daytime. Even then you'll often see addicts tweaking and suffering their throes, the most common of which is to search the ground for fallen drugs, desperately and relentlessly.

I went there on one occasion to meet a friend of mine and got there early. I noticed a young woman, well dressed, clean face, sitting alone on a bench and was curious enough to approach her.

She was new in town. Didn't know anyone yet. And I felt I should inform her of where she was and why the park's patrons appeared so 'down to earth.'

She opened up and told me all about herself. She told me about her fine arts degree, her gymnastic prowess, her fascination with model airplanes and nerf balls. And I happily let her keep on talking until my friend arrived.

My friend needed a loan so I reached into my pocket for him, but I forgot I had my new glasses in there and they must have slipped out at that moment. Within minutes I was aware of the loss and was down on all fours, raking the lawn with my fingers.

When I looked up, I saw that the girl was leaving. When I yelled for her to wait up, she started running.

I never found my glasses. They would have fetched at least the price of a rock for someone. As it turned out, it made my eyes better. Somehow my eye's lenses adjusted themselves to compensate. I think they asked for help from my sense of taste. Now, if I want to really enjoy a meal, I have to look at it for a long time before I get started.

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© 2007, 2010. Statements by David Skerkowski. All rights reserved.

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