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I often sit outside in the morning before dawn, enjoying the quiet hours before the traffic begins to clog El Cajon Blvd.
This morning I waved to a neighbor who I thought was the tall young man with a wife and baby. I thought how odd, I never see him up at this hour of the morning.
As he came down the stairs I noticed my error, it was not my neighbor, but a stranger who now thinks I am some needy old broad who is going to try to pick him up.
He came over to the smoking area and he sat down. I immediately disavowed my wave as mistaken identity.
He said, “I’ve lost my shoes and my glasses.” At this point, I thought he was a guest and I reminded him to keep his voice down, management is notorious for using guest infractions to evict tenants.
The young man lowered his voice and began to tell me what his last memories were before passing out in the hallway. He remembered walking up the hill over a bridge. He cannot remember where he lost his shoes, but he had been drinking at a bar in a strip mall.
He was staying at the Travel Lodge and he was from Cincinnati. He admitted that he did not know where he was or how he got here.
This is where I laughed at him, the first time. I reminded him and myself that I’m 52 years old and had many opportunities to abuse alcohol, but not once did I get so drunk that I lost my shoes, and my glasses and wake up in a hallway.
Then he asked me if I knew how much he hated himself right now. I quickly agreed that I did know, then just as quickly I said, “I have no idea how much you hate yourself. However, it could be worse. You could have woke up in the desert with cactus spines in your feet”
I tried to resist the urge to mother the young man, because I am no ones mother. I saw he was shivering, so I offered him a coat. He declined and he said,” I’m from Cincinnati.”
“That must be self-loathing making your teeth chatter.” I quipped.
I helped him orient himself. He said he was waiting for day light and he was going to re-trace his steps, he really liked those shoes.
I wished him good luck as I got on the elevator.
I wonder if he puked in my neighbor’s hallway.
I often sit outside in the morning before dawn, enjoying the quiet hours before the traffic begins to clog El Cajon Blvd.
This morning I waved to a neighbor who I thought was the tall young man with a wife and baby. I thought how odd, I never see him up at this hour of the morning.
As he came down the stairs I noticed my error, it was not my neighbor, but a stranger who now thinks I am some needy old broad who is going to try to pick him up.
He came over to the smoking area and he sat down. I immediately disavowed my wave as mistaken identity.
He said, “I’ve lost my shoes and my glasses.” At this point, I thought he was a guest and I reminded him to keep his voice down, management is notorious for using guest infractions to evict tenants.
The young man lowered his voice and began to tell me what his last memories were before passing out in the hallway. He remembered walking up the hill over a bridge. He cannot remember where he lost his shoes, but he had been drinking at a bar in a strip mall.
He was staying at the Travel Lodge and he was from Cincinnati. He admitted that he did not know where he was or how he got here.
This is where I laughed at him, the first time. I reminded him and myself that I’m 52 years old and had many opportunities to abuse alcohol, but not once did I get so drunk that I lost my shoes, and my glasses and wake up in a hallway.
Then he asked me if I knew how much he hated himself right now. I quickly agreed that I did know, then just as quickly I said, “I have no idea how much you hate yourself. However, it could be worse. You could have woke up in the desert with cactus spines in your feet”
I tried to resist the urge to mother the young man, because I am no ones mother. I saw he was shivering, so I offered him a coat. He declined and he said,” I’m from Cincinnati.”
“That must be self-loathing making your teeth chatter.” I quipped.
I helped him orient himself. He said he was waiting for day light and he was going to re-trace his steps, he really liked those shoes.
I wished him good luck as I got on the elevator.
I wonder if he puked in my neighbor’s hallway.