Dealing With Fools

Presently my brother appeared and wondered what happened to me. I wondered what happened to me also. I was here and then there in my long lonesome road. But I remember flashes of the night, flavors, responses, smells.

My brother and I attempted to piece together as much as we could. Then we shambled over to the library where I mellowed and dried out. I knew the night would be something to watch out for. It was going to be a task dealing with these people at the Box. They don't look too kindly on people going AWOL.

In time I was faced with their wrath. As I walked into the box, I headed into the dorm but was called into the Tech Office instead. Vanessa was there with Long Tall Skinny, recently returned from Rehab. And one of the Gas House Gorillas, I forget her real name. "Hobobob, you are not allowed to go into population. You have to stay out here in the corridor." Alright. "And you can't go in until we have you tested." Alright. I go into the dorm momentarily to drop off my bag and then come back out. Alright, when do I get tested? Vanessa turns to me with a long look on her face. "We don't have the male staff here to give you a urine test until Midnight." What?! "You'll have to stay in the hallway, on that chair, until Midnight." You've got to be kidding me. What if I go and watch TV in the dining room? "No, you can't mix in with population." What the fuck is this? Punishment? Vanessa nods mournfully. Sorry about that, but time is too precious to waste it on sitting here and watching you numbskulls. Instead, this is what I'm going to do. I"ll head downstairs and down the block to Starbucks and get online there and come back here by 11:30PM when you have the staff to take care of me." Vanessa nods. "You can do that but it's raining out there." Yeah, that's alright. I grab my gear and head out. The rain, when I came in, had slowed down to a light, refreshing drizzle. I walked through it as it became a mist, lightly moisturizing my face.

I hit the Astor Place Starbucks and get online quickly, blogging feverishly. It's surprising just how quickly time passes when you're blogging. It flies by, like butterflies in the wind. As soon as I finished it was time to go. At Eleven Fifteen at night and the establishment is packed. I wonder about where all of these people are going when this place closes? And then I see them. The gypsies. Two older women dressed in black in the corner of the Starbucks sit amid the luggage of their lives, all Class D Star destroyers. Four maybe five pieces of bulky luggage about them, their faces heavily painted, making them look like white faced clowns. They have scarves over their wiry grey hair, and talk amongst themselves, heads down. I know that they are gypsies because they are always here. My brother had a run in with them once, when they stole his bag. He got it back from them and raised a ruckus. But I remembered them, and here they were, just as homeless as I, but at least I now had a place to go to with a conventional place to rest your body and mind. The streets have the same situation, the cops haven't shut everything down yet, but they were getting there.

I walk past the gypsies and return to the box, buying a chicken and rice from the corner kiosk seller and run into one of the male Techs, on the Midnight shift, Kenny. "Hey Hobobob," he says tiredly. I say hello, passing him and heading upstairs. I drop my bag and take a seat in the hotseat, and wait. People are walking past, wondering why I am in the chair, and I reply that I was AWOL last night. Soon, Kenny comes out of the Tech office. "Let me know when you can piss." I've been holding it, Kenny. Let's go. Together we walk to the men's room and he hands me a cup to piss in. I take the hit, take the leak and take the cup back to him to drop the kit in like an oversized alka seltzer and close the lid tight. We retire, I head back to my seat in the hallway, he goes into the Tech Office.

In time he gives me my pass and I head into the kitchen to eat. He comes in after me and gives me the breathalyzer. I blow a 0.00. Beautiful, beautiful body of mine. It can kick out junk as fast as I can put it in. I finish dinner quickly and climb into bed.

It was a long forty eight hours.

I was glad it was over.

Except for the Brown World part.

Hobobob