A strikingly beautiful tall girl slowly makes her way towards me. She has high cheek bones, smooth unblemished skin, thick lips, big brown eyes. She stands out in the pack of inner-city high school kids clamoring onto the bus - fake dis-colored hair extensions not withstanding.
She puts her hand on the support bar near me. A scrawny boy with almost identical hands places his hand above hers but touching. He's at least a foot smaller and the juxtaposition is funny. He gives her a look and he has the face of a natural comic. She starts to laugh. He teases her about a boy she's been talking to at school. "He's just a friend." He continues to make her laugh. He wears an earring, a fashionable shirt, a big furry jacket (humorously too big), a nice cap and immaculate white tennis shoes - particularly impressive since the streets are sludgey with melting snow. Just before my stop, he brings me into their conversation. He's just told her that he's not going to put up with any funny business (or something along those lines). He seeks my support. "You gotta do what you can." They laugh. I get off.
In the back of the train, somewhat obscured sits an Indian. His skin is dark. His hair straggley and he has thin patchy whiskers. He wears a fleece hoody decorated with Native American designs and Indian Chiefs in head dress, around him is a serape. Near end of journey, he packs his things into a blue bag. He gets off with me but goes directly to the inbound track and waits.
2 comments:
I'm really liking the morning commute stories. I'm curious, do you write in longhand and then transcribe when you get to work? I initially had an image of you with a wifi laptop working away, but realize that's probably not the case.
It makes me wistful for a more pedestrian existance for myself (along with Bethany's blog and some of the photoblogs I've been looking at). Things go by so fast when you're in a car; plus, when you're driving you really shouldn't look to closely at anything but the road. I get jealous of the pictures (both visual and verbal) of people who have to time to stop and savor the passing details.
I write long-hand and type up for blog later but not at work. I have several already done that I haven't put up yet so they may be somewhat out of order for a while. The sketch on entry three was done in MS Paint copying a hand drawn sketch in my notebook.
At first I kept forgetting to bring a notebook so I'd write on what ever was available. Entry one was written on a blank page that I tore out of a library book.
As far as envy: keep in mind this is something I do to break the monotony of a two hour daily commute that is very systematic and routine.
Post a Comment