Some Company

My sleep was troubled.

I woke up at Midnight, checked my baby and found out that she had finished the defrag. So I defraged it the fuck again. I made a light dinner, surfed a little because I thought that I was up for the night, but I was wrong. I was feeling tired once more. I hit the sack only to awaken in the evening, my bladder throbbing.

I get up and take a leak into one of my strategically placed plastic water bottles on the floor behind the door, and then hop back into bed. Fuck dressing and heading out to the bathroom. Again, I only slept for a short period of time, going through the same routine over and over until 9:00 in the morning. I remember a few fleeting dreams, nothing to talk about.

I get dressed, take a piss bottle and head to the bathroom, pouring it out and throwing it away. On my way there, a woman pops out of the farthest of the two bathrooms and heads in my direction, dressed in nothing but a see through slip. I cannot tell you that I wasn't stunned for a moment until I saw her face. I was underwhelmed. Her face seemed to throw off a perfectly good body. But I still watched her as she strolled past me and down the hall. Yeah, that's right, I did...so what?? Then I elevatored down to the cafeteria, where I pick up Breakfast. On my way back upstairs I'm accompanied by two mentally challenged gentlemen. Not stupid, as many of these malcontents are, but actually mentally challenged. They speak to each other with large vowels, and loping, high, low pitched speech. Neither do they look at each other, but rather the floor and the ceiling, constantly transitioning between the two.

I stay silent as they get off at the floors just below mine. I head back to my room. Breakfast is quick and easy, dinner is put away in the fridge. I get online for a few minutes, then pack everything and head out for the Madison Avenue Starbucks.

When I arrive, Electra is sitting at a table, an empty table in front of her. I take the empty, dropping my bag on the chair and off I go to get coffee. When I return, there is a coat over my other chair, a coffee cup on the table and napkins. I walk up to the table and an attractive woman walks up to me, meeting me there. "Oh, is this your table?" Yes lady, I reply tiredly. "I'm sorry," she collects her coat and scarf. "Is anyone sitting in that seat there?" She points to the seat where my bag rests. No, my bag is there. " Well," she says, "Would you like some company?" I smelled her, and she indeed smelled good. I looked at her, and she indeed would be something pretty to look at while I worked. But then, that's what keyed in my head. I wanted to work, not be distracted. Sorry lady, I'm going to set up my laptop there and I don't leave much room on the other side of the table. "Oh, Okay," and with that, she walked off. I smelled her go, and then set up my baby and was online in moments.

I was typing away on the Handbook for a while, and then on an outline of something else, when Electra stands. It's time to head for the Big House. I pack up and together we march halfway to the Big House, where Electra turns to head into a store. I continue on. When I get there I am stunned. There is a huge line from the doors, down the stairs, through the plaza, down the second flight off stairs and then turning a right and down to the corner. What the fuck is going on here?

I walk around to the side of the building, hoping that the line is only for the front entrance. I am disappointed. There is a line from the side door also, winding its way down to the sidewalk where it snaked down the block.

Well fuck me. I turn back and head to the Starbucks which, for some strange reason, is packed. I hit a table, looking for pole position, and then move again, when another couple rises from their table near a power outlet. It's time to get to work. I hit the outlet and jack into the Internet.

Tonight we have the big reading at the Fusion Arts Museum. I am a bundle of nerves now. The dials in my head and body are peaking like motherfuckers. And I'm not even there yet. I single out the poems that I want to read, I'm down to three. I only get to read one. Which one depends on the audience. I want to mold and shape my reading to fit the audience.

My brother joins me at Madison Starbucks and we kill time. His conversation distracts me from the approaching task at hand. It also melts away time, so that every time I look at my watch I panic. I'm in a self induced state of denial. Electra says goodnight, she is heading out to church. It feels like a finale.

When it comes time, my brother and I walk downtown from midtown. An hour's worth of straight walking to get to the Fusion Arts Museum.

I am liquid fire.

Hobobob