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Sun, November 18
Christmas and Cupcakes
Coming back from my writer's workshop in Brooklyn last Wednesday, I felt inspired. I started writing a short story in my note book. Unfortunately, the only times I am struck by the muse seem to be when traveling to and fro in the city's underground, so a lot of my stories feature homeless people. I was happy to find that just as I was writing a description of just such a character, there popped a real live homeless man right before my very eyes.
I started jotting down the details into my book:
"He wore a black baseball cap cocked to the side, and clutched his ratty puffy coat--the one he wore in winter AND in summer--protectively to his chest."
I noticed he was about to enter my subway car.
"He entered the subway car, stumbling as the door almost closed on his cheek."
He glanced my way.
"He glanced my way."
He started walking in my direction.
"He started walking toward me."
Shit. Of course. He staggered toward me and....sat right next to me. Of all the seats in the empty train. He began to mumble about cupcakes, and withdrew a bag of hostess cupcakes from under his shirt. Then he began to talk about Christmas. "It's Chrisssmas. GodammnissChrismas I tell yas. He tore open the cupcake bag with his teeth and spit some of the plastic in my direction. I continued writing, hoping that he would see that I was very involved. Too involved to be messed with.
"Excuse me Miss, could I please borrow a piece of paper?"
I wanted to tell him that he could keep it when he was through but I figured the less talking the better.
I don't know what he did with the paper,but he continued mumbling the way that homeless people mumble to themselves incoherently and circuitously about Christmas and cupcakes and how he didn't give a damn.
I didn't want to draw attention to myself by getting up before a stop, lest he lash out at me for being rude. I got up when the train was about to come to a stop, and just as I got up, he stopped mid-grumble to say, "Thank you very much Miss, have a good night."
Puzzling. Manners, after all.
Posted by lexzog at November 18, 2007 01:33 PM
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