You know that scene in The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy steps through the
door and the world is in Technicolor? Well this was nothing like this except I
got the same shocked looks the Munchkins gave Dorothy from the people on the
other side of the door.
Three boys had the bedrooms at the top of the hall. I immediately came
face to face with a kid lifting weights in the hallway. His mouth was hanging
open and his barbells were in mid curl. He was frozen in this pose when we came
face to face.
“Holy shit! Who the fuck are you?” he says staring at me “My name is
Geoff and I live here,” I say looking up and down the hallway. “You live with
that freak?” he says looking behind me into the bathroom. “Yeah, I live with
that freak,” I say defeated. ‘My name is Tony and were not supposed to talk to
anyone in Independent Living.” “That’s ok, you don’t see me,” I say to Tony.
“Cool he responds.”
Tony is about 14 years old with a shock of blond hair hanging over one
eye. He is built like a brick shit house. It’s clear that his therapy is lifting
weights.
The door to the first room is yanked open and a skinny version of Tony
walks into the hall. His name is Roger and he is much more wiry than Tony and
clearly never lifted a weight. With a cigarette dangling from his lips he jerks
his head in my direction. “Who the fuck are you?” Roger asks. I repeat my story
and he asks “If I live with stinky?” and he jerks his head in the direction of
my bathroom. “Were working on that,” I respond.
The last of the boys walks down the hallway attracted to the noise. He
is much shorter and naturally built like a brick shit house. His hair is longer
and touches his shoulders. He is wearing a bikini bathing suit that is way too
small. It is very clear that god blessed him with other talents. It is also
clear that’s why he is wearing the suit.
His name is Leo and I am immediately reminded of Tarzan. My mind
wanders a little as he walks down the hallway towards me.
Leo walks right up to me and stands half a foot away and smiles. He’s
got this down to a science and I believe that this is his skill.
Roger, Tony, Leo and I talk for about 15 minutes before a woman’s
voice calls them from downstairs. I recognize the voice as the women from the
phone. She is telling them that food is ready. Everyone pauses and looks in the
direction of the voice.
Leo puts one finger to his lips telling me to be quiet. Roger and Tony
immediately head towards the stairs. Tony looks back and says “Dude we never
saw you” before he heads down the stairs.
Leo, smile still on his face leans in close to me. “I will be on this
side of the door and if you need me or I want to come in, I will knock like
this,” he proceeds to knock “Shave and a haircut” He smiles and pauses. I
respond with “two bits.”
Leo spins on his heel and slowly walks down the hallway. He stops
turns around and smiles. I slowly back into the bathroom.
To be continued……..
Geoffrey Doig-Marx holds all written and electronic rights to his writing "A Day in the Life". It can not be reprinted in part or whole without his written consent.
Geoffrey Doig-Marx holds all written and electronic rights to his writing "A Day in the Life". It can not be reprinted in part or whole without his written consent.
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