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Respect Your Elders – 16 November 2012

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16 November 2012

This morning Metro handed me a newspaper and said, “Joy’s up there.”

“Thanks, Metro, have a good day.”

There was a large yellow garbage truck parked in front of Joy, who was talking with the driver. I walked up to him and said, “Hi, I’m Dennis. I always say hello to you, but I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Delmar, I don’t give my name out to too many people. It’s a habit from my past.”

Joy said, “That’s a nice name. I’m the same. When someone asks my name I ask, ‘What do you think it is?’

I said, “Or you say, ‘What name did I give last time?’ I generally don’t carry a wallet, or identification. I just don’t trust people.”

Delmar said, “It’s time to get back to work.” I held out my hand to shake his. He said, “You probably don’t want to shake this hand, because of where it’s been.”

Joy and I sat down. I asked, “So, how was your night? Are you getting used to the place?”

“Now, that my workers have me in an apartment, it seems they want to forget about me. Hippo got a brand new bed from Sears when he moved in, so did Little Jake. I want a new futon, so I can fold it up during the day. My worker offered me a hundred-dollar gift certificate for their store. She said, ‘Maybe you can get a futon there.’ I don’t want someones used bed that they’ve cleaned up a bit. I’ve had enough trouble with bugs.

“I’ve never liked the Salvation Army. They’ve never helped me before, so I never donated money to them, or the Mission either.

“They fixed my bathroom sink. They checked the heating and said that the pressure was low. He adjusted it, but I’ve still got no heat. I’ll call my worker again. I turn on the oven to low. That keeps the apartment warm, but at night, because of menopause, I get night sweats and have to open the door from my apartment to the hallway, to get some cool air in. That works fine.”

I asked, “Aren’t you worried about security, leaving your apartment door open?”

“No, there’s another door to the outside. Only me and my landlord have a key to that door.

“I haven’t been sleeping too well. I’ve been sick, throwing up every morning. I asked André to get me a bottle of sherry this morning to settle my stomach. I’m feeling a bit better now. I’m pissed off with him though. I’ve never led him on. I’ve told him I’m not interested in him and never will be; not if he were the last man on earth, but he keeps picking, picking. This morning he bent down to kiss me. I said, ‘Go away, man.’ He said, ‘It was worth a try, anyway.’ I said, ‘I talked to Debbie and she told me how you treated her.’ ‘Yeah, well I got a cut on my cheek.’ I said, ‘You deserved it.’ Here’s a woman who has opened her door to this guy, she feeds him. After he gets out of the shower, he comes out stark naked, with a hard-on, and says to her, ‘Take your clothes off and lie down on the bed.’ She said, ‘No fuckin’ way, man! Now, get out of here!’ He punched her in the chest, then backhanded her. If it was me I would have knocked him out, dropped him in the hall and threw his clothes on top of him.”

I said, “Apparently, he doesn’t believe in romance or foreplay.”

Joy said, “I asked her, ‘Did he at least have the decency to put on a condom?’ ‘No,’ she said. That was the day of the Dr. McGillicuddy’s fiasco.”

“What does that mean?”

“Andre and the boys were drinking Dr. McGillicuddy’s Peach Schnaps. That stuff’ll kill you. Chester was drunk too. He asked me why I was leaving, I said, ‘It’s cold. I want to go home and lie down. My legs are sore.’ He said, ‘Well, fuck you then. Maybe, I won’t let you have the rest of your stuff back.’ He staggered half way across the bridge and did a face plant. Somebody phoned the police and he was taken by the paramedics to Hope Recovery.” If he did hold onto my stuff I’d feed his dentures to him piece by piece.

“I was always told to respect my elders. It doesn’t seem like Chester and I are that far apart in age now, but he’s nearly twenty years older than me. I take care of these guys, and they treat me like shit.

“I remember when my son called my mom a crusty old bitch. I sat him down at the table and said, ‘Don’t you ever talk to your grandmother like that again.’ He said, ‘She pissed me off.’ I said, ‘Don’t talk like that, and if she pissed you off it must have been something you did to cause it.’ He said, ‘So, you can talk that way and I can’t.’ ‘That’s right, because I’m your mother.’ He said, ‘You lay a hand on me and I’ll call 911.’ I leaned over towards him and gave him a head butt — knocked him out cold. My mother came in and said, ‘What did you do?’ I said, ‘I just knocked him out. He’s not dead or anything.’ When he came to he asked, ‘What did you do to me. That’s not right.’ I said, ‘I didn’t lay a hand on you. Now, I want you to apologize to your grandmother.’ He went over to her and said, ‘I’m sorry grandma, I won’t talk to you like that again.’ He never did either.”

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At noon on the traffic island I saw Joy, Shakes, Hippo, Chester, another Chester (I’ll call him Little Chester. He couldn’t be more than five feet tall.), Outcast, Alphonse, Magdalen, Donny in his motorized wheelchair, Timmy on his bicycle, and Darren.

Darren said, “I see you nearly every noon hour. What brings you up here?”

I said, “The conversations here are more interesting that what I hear at work.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true, eh? We all have a story. I went to my worker to try to get my rent money, but she wouldn’t give it to me. She’s going to hold onto it until the first of December, then give it directly to my landlord. I didn’t fight it. She said to me, ‘If I give you this money your going to spend it on booze. Am I right?’ I wasn’t going to lie to her, I’m an alcoholic, the first thing alcoholics think about is booze. For me it’s beer and the occasional joint.”

“I can understand that,” I said.

Joy saw Alphonse and Magdalene approach. She said, “Alphonse, the Salvation Army Outreach workers were looking for you this morning. You should call them.” Alphonse borrowed Jacques’s phone and arranged that the workers would meet him and Magdalene at the traffic island.

André passed Joy a joint, he said, “Don’t give it to Little Jake, because he’s been told he has a spot on his lung. It could be TB. He was honest about it, you’ve got to give him credit for that.”

Outcast said, “TB is the most contagious disease there is. You don’t want to share a joint with a person who is even suspected of having TB. It’s rough for Jake, but that’s the way it is.”

I sat next to Jake on the sidewalk. “How is it going in your new apartment? Do you have any more furniture?”

“I’ve got a bed and an air conditioner, still in the box. That’s all. Chris has a TV for me. I just have to find a way to get it to my place and get the cable hooked up.”

“It must be nice to have a place you can come home to, where you can lock the door, where you’re warm. It was only a few months ago that you were sleeping behind the dumpsters in back of Starbucks.”

“Yeah, it’s good. I just wish I was feeling better. I’ve had a chest x-ray and a spot showed up on my lung. I don’t know what that’s all about. I’m throwing up every morning. I’ve got no appetite.” Jake also has HIV.

I asked, “Have you been eating?”

“No, just the thought of food makes me sick. I’m on two thousand milligrams of some kind of penicillin. When the pharmacist saw the prescription he said, ‘There must be a mistake here.’ I said, ‘That’s what the doctor gave me.’ He said, That’s a very high dose.”

“Hippo,” I said, “How is your new apartment?

“I got a leak coming from the water main. It’s dripping down my wall. They’re going to have to replace the gyprock. Apart from that everything’s fine. Tomorrow they’re having the Santa Claus Day parade.”

“Are you going to come down and see it?”

“No, I’ll just watch it on TV. Jacques, do you know when the Santa Claus Day parade starts?”

“I think it’s ten o’clock, I’ll have to check.”

It was time for me to leave. I shook hands all around and Shakes asked me, “Dennis, are you walking towards Laurier Street?”

“Yes.”

“Could you help me walk. I’ve been sitting too long and my knees are wobbly.”

“Okay, Shakes, no problem.” As we were walking I asked him, “Do you have problems with arthritis in your knees?”

“Yes, they get stiff.” As we passed the Lord Elgin Hotel he said, “I’m going to stop in here. I’ve got to go for a wizz.”

“I’ll see you next week, Shakes.”

“Thanks, Dennis. I’ll see you.”

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Cockroaches

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15 November 2012

This morning, as I got off the bus, I saw Metro with his stack of newspapers.

“Good morning, Metro. I’ll take a paper today.” He smiled because he knew I would be using it, not for reading, but for insulation between my backside and the sidewalk — not that it made any difference to him. When he’s handed out his daily allotment of papers he gets to go home.

…

At noon Wolf and Shaggy were sitting at the curb, while the rest of the group was on the traffic island.

“Hi Wolf,” I said, “you’re all alone here.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like to take Shaggy over there, because there is traffic on both sides, twice as much chance of her getting killed. She’s already been hit by a car, I don’t want that to happen again. She’s all I got. Even if some one calls Shakes she’s ready to run across the street. She’s crazy that way, just like the dog in the cartoon — you know the one — her head is just all over the place.

“It’s cool today, isn’t it. I don’t know why those guys think it’s warmer over there. They have to come across to my side of the street to piss, then Shaggy wants to follow them back. I should charge them a toll. What do you think?

“Look what I got this morning. A lady gave them to me, red, Olympic mittens, with the crest on the back and 2012 on the palm. I’ve already got gloves but I was really happy to get these.

“Tomorrow Stella’s bringing me some between seasons shoes. These sneakers have mesh on the top and sides that lets the cold in. I’ve got winter boots for forty below zero, but they’re heavy and awkward. I don’t want to wear them in this weather.

“It’s time for me to take a leak. I’ll probably see you tomorrow, since I’m coming to see Stella, anyway. I have to get my fresh air and I like to have a couple of beer outside. I’ll see you then.”

“Bye, Wolf.”

I walked across the street where the group was congregated: Jacques, Little Chester, Donny in his motorized wheelchair, Donny’s brother on his bicycle, Shakes, Claire, Joy, Alphonse and Magdalene.

Everyone had filled the spaces on the low wall, so I sat on the concrete. Jacques handed me a copy of the Metro to sit on.

“It’s not much,” he said, “but it helps.”

“Thanks Jacques, I had my own, but forgot it at work.”

Joy said to Shakes, “I’ll trade you seven for one… okay eight for one. Come on Shakes, my last offer nine for one. I can’t believe he’s saying no to me. Okay ten native cigarettes for one Pall Mall.

“No,” said Shakes, “I’d have to walk all the way to Bank Street to get some more.”

“Shakes, “said Joy, “you’re going there anyway.

Donny reached into his coat pocket and handed Joy a tailor-made cigarette. She gave him ten native ones.

“Donny, can you ask your brother to do me a big favor? Can you ask him if he’ll go to the World Exchange and pick me up a bottle of Imperial Canadian sherry?”

Donny said, “He says he’d go, but he has some errands to run first.” Donny’s brother left on his bicycle.

Debbie asked Joy, “Why can’t you go there?”

“I’m barred, ever since I punched Drew Carey in the head.”

“You mean, Drew Carey the actor?”

“No the short, fat fuck with the glasses. We call him Drew Carey. One time a few years back when Digger and Old André were still here we went in. I was standing behind Digger. The guy behind the counter said, “You stink, why don’t you take a shower?”

“I said to him, ‘Hey man, just because these guys sleep outside doesn’t mean they don’t wash. What about you? You live with your mother, sleep in her basement. She makes your lunch every day.’ After that I just lost it. I jumped over the counter and started pounding on his head. They have a picture of me in the back. All the staff have been told not to serve me.

“If you think you can get in, You can get yourself a beer on me. I’d really appreciate it.”

“No problem. I could use a beer, then I have to go to work panning.

“So,” I said to Joy, “how’s your new place?”

“It’s good. At least I don’t have to listen to Chester coughing and complaining all the time. I’ve got some wood bugs, from when they cut the tree down in back. They threw all the wood down the stairs to where my apartment is. They took the wood out, but the bugs stayed. They’re those kind that roll up into a ball when you touch them. I thought I’d swept them all up yesterday and could go out my back door with just my socks on, but there they were again. On the weekend, when I was drunk and stoned, I was playing marbles with them, flicking them against the wall. They would have been better off if they’d stayed with their brothers outside.”

Shakes said, “I haven’t played marbles in forty years.”

Debbie said, “I know all about those bugs. When my kids were young, I used to go into the forest, find a rotting log and take the bark off. Some of the pieces were almost six feet long. I’d wrap them in a sheet — that’s the only way I could carry them — bring them home and put them under my kids beds. Whenever they’d see me with one of those sheets over my shoulder they’d say, ‘No, Mom, not the bugs again.’ I’d brush off the bark, let it dry then hang them on my walls. They looked really nice.

“Now, I’ve got cockroaches. I didn’t have them before, but the exterminators came to my door and said they were spraying the whole building. I said, ‘You can’t spray here. It would kill all my plants.’ They said they could use a gel that wouldn’t be harmful to plants. That sounded good, but this gel, I found out, attracts roaches. The exterminators brought roaches in on their clothes, now I have a problem.”

Joy said, “Wolf has roaches, so did Jake in his old place, Weasel had them, but his place was so bad they had it condemned. He’d pulled all the plasterboard off the walls, the windows were broken and snow piled up inside. Rodent’s place was nearly as bad.”

Debbie said, “I like Rodent.”

“Rodney the Rodent, he’s the one sponsoring Big Jake, for a place to live, after he gets out of prison. He gives me the creeps. He came to Chester’s place in the summer when me and Outcast were there. We were all in the back yard. Chester was wearing shorts and had his shirt off. Rodney sat right next to him. He was rubbing Chester’s back, pinching his titties and touching his thigh. It nearly made me and Outcast sick. Chester went inside and put on long pants and a shirt. He told me that Rodent made him feel uncomfortable. Chester only had one beer and was working on his second. All of a sudden he’s acting really drunk. I think Rodney dropped some pills into his beer. I can only imagine what happened when Chester went to Rodney’s place alone.”

Debbie asked, “Where is Jake now?”

“Collins Bay — it was right around this time of year that he went into prison, so it’s been fifteen months since I’ve been with a man. You remember my Jake don’t you? Sometimes they used to call him Sasquatch.”

Debbie said, “I went seventeen years when my kids were growing up. Timmy’s just leaving. What do you think of him?”

“I wish he’d wear tighter pants, it looks like he’s got a good bod.”

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Milk Boxes – 14 November 2012

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14 November 2012

At noon, on one side of the street were Serge, Little Jake, Wolf, and Shaggy. As I approached, Shaggy started barking. Wolf said, “She’s okay, she just wants you to scratch her. She leaned against my leg, and I scratched behind her ears and along her side.

It took me a few minutes to recognize Serge. He had new pants, shoes, and a winter jacket. His hair and beard were just starting to grow out since they shaved him. He still had a bump on his forehead and the left side of his face has some yellow bruising. Said to him, “It’s good to see you, Serge. Do you remember me visiting you in hospital?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“William said he was going to visit you. Did you see him?”

“No, I haven’t seen him since before I went to hospital. Must go there every day. They put a needle in my arm.”

Walked across the street to the traffic island. The congregation included Alphonse, Magdalene, Chester, Shakes, Joy, Jacques, Danny, André, Donny in his motorized wheelchair and Sarah.

Eventually, Serge walked slowly across the street to join the group.

It took a while for Jacques and the others to recognize him.

Jacques said, “I saw that guy over there and I wondered to myself, who is that guy, he looks familiar. Wonder what he’s doing there.” Jacques and Chester both spoke to Serge in French.

Said to Joy, “It must be nice having your own place to go home to.”

“Yeah, except for the fact that I’ve got no heat. The bathroom faucet sprays all over me when I try to brush my teeth, so I use the kitchen sink. Air mattress leaks. They brought over some furniture: a wooden chair that looks like it’s been used for painting, a three-shelf bookcase with a hole kicked through the middle shelf and a lamp. The only thing I like is the lamp. Phoned my worker; told her that my fibromyalgia is really bothering me, so I need a decent place to sleep and a comfortable chair.”

Jacques said, “What you need is one of those folding garden chairs, the lazy boy recliners with a thick mattress on it.”

“Do you have any extra?” asked Joy.

“No, I only have one. I had some other garden chairs, but they got all wobbly from people sitting in them crooked. Threw them out. What I’m looking for is bunk beds — the metal kind. Sleep on the bottom and on the top I’ll have plastic milk boxes. I wont need a dresser, I’ll just put all my clothes and stuff in boxes. It’ll make it easier to move.”

André asked Joy, “So, when are you going to invite me over to your new place?”

“Never, can’t you get the hint, André. I don’t like you. We aren’t friends. The only thing I’d like to do is take a gun to your head.”

“Joy, I can just see you in army fatigues, holding a gun. You’d look so hot.”

“How about I take a machete to you?”

“That image is even sexier.”

“André, I’d rather do myself than have you anywhere near me. You’re drunk. You think you’re being entertaining, but you’re not. You’re just babbling and nobody’s listening”

André said, “I guess I got told.”

Said to Joy, “Your place must be quiet.”

“Yeah, the only thing I hear is The Bear.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Mimi brought me down a radio. I’ve been listening to The Bear FM. They’ve got some good music.”

I said, “You should try Dawg FM.”

“Yeah, I have. They play some cool blues.”

Alphonse said to me, “At three o’clock today we go to sign the papers for direct deposit. Housing Outreach will pay a third of our rent, directly to the landlord. We’ve already signed the application for the apartment, so we’re one step closer. We’ll also be getting O.D.S.P. (Ontario Disability Support Program) and will be getting bus passes.

“Thank you, my friend, for helping us. We won’t forget it.”

Shakes said, “I’ll be getting a place on December first. It’ll be in the west end on Morisette Avenue. Around that time, I’ll have to take a few days off from coming down here. I’ll be refurnishing.”

Said, “You’ll be near Little Jake and me. Welcome neighbor!”

“Need to get a bus pass.”

“Yeah,” I said “I take the 176 to come downtown in the morning, and the 14 to come home at night. I think you’ll like the neighborhood. Son lives on Morisette.”

Sarah walked across the street. Joy said to Danny, “She’s got the hots for you.”

“Yeah, I know, but she spells trouble with a capital T, make that three T’s. I’ve been out with Inuit women before and when they drink, they want to fight.”

Joy said, “I don’t know what it is with you white guys and these muk muks. The last time I saw that one she was an inch away from my face and she spit when she talked. I put my hand on her head and pushed her away. She went to take a swing at me, but Inuk clocked her. She said, “You don’t touch my Joy.”

Little Jake came from across the street. He had been talking to Wolf.

Shook hands with Shakes, he was smiling. He held on to my hand and nodded toward Jake. “Jake,” he said, “did you give that bottle to André?”

Jake said, “What bottle?”

“The one Dennis gave you to give to André?”

“When?”

Shakes asked me, “What day was it, Dennis?”

“Friday.”

“I don’t know anything about a bottle.

“Oh, I remember. Waited until six. André didn’t show up. None of us had anything left, so we drank it.”

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Baghdad – 13 November 2012

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13 November 2012

At noon, on the traffic island, were Alphonse, Magdalene, Darren, Danny in his motorized wheelchair, Shakes, Andre and Jacques.

Darren said to me, “We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“Yes,” I said, “I saw you yesterday and I also met you two years ago, across the street, where the benches used to be. You told me that you’d lived in Boston and that you’d been in the army.”

“It was the Marines. In Baghdad and Afghanistan. When we’d walk along the streets, there would be bodies just lying there on the sidewalks – dead bodies. We’d smell the rotting flesh.

“I’ve been getting these migraine headaches. It feels like someone hit me with a baseball bat at the back of my skull.”

Asked, “Was that because of your car accident?”

Alphonse said, “He’s had a tumor.”

“Yeah, where this missing patch of hair is. The surgery wasn’t so bad; it was the chemo that I really hated. Keep throwing up and wouldn’t be able to stop. It was every morning. I went to the doctor recently about headaches. He ran tests. I don’t want to go on morphine; I’ve already got one addiction; I don’t need another. Must go back October thirty-first for the results, Halloween – I think it’s this Thursday — to get the results.”

“Darren,” said Alphonse, “it’s November thirteenth, Halloween was two weeks ago.”

“Do you mean I missed my appointment?”

Said, “It’s no problem, Darren, phone them, they can make another appointment for you.”

“I’ve been staying in shelters, but I hate it. To wake you up in the morning they kick you in the foot.”

Said, “I’ve heard that there are a lot of crack heads there, getting up every hour, walking around, keeping people awake.”

“Not only that, but they smoke crack in the bathrooms. The smell makes me sick. It’s like burning tires. My former wife used to be on crack. Wonder where all our money was going. We could never seem to get ahead. One day I came home and found two guys on top of her. One of them broke my leg. Took our two kids in the truck and they stayed with my mother. The next time I saw her she patted her backside and said, ‘Kiss my ass.’ That’s the last time I saw her.”

Alphonse said, “Magdalene has been going to a women’s shelter to have a shower and get cleaned up. She said there are always women smoking crack in the bathrooms.”

“Yeah,” said Magdalene. This morning, I saw a woman with a hypodermic needle to her throat. I don’t know what she was shooting. Couldn’t believe it.”

Alphonse said, “We have some good news. We’ve applied for assisted housing, and I think they’ve found us a place in Vanier. I think it’s on Lavergne Avenue. They still have some other applications to go through, but I think we’re going to get it. We’ll also get a ‘street allowance’ because we’re living on the street. We’ve also made an application for O.D.S.P. (Ontario Disability Support Program.) We’ll be getting a health card and a bus pass.”

Darren said, “Congratulations! Lately, I’ve been sleeping outside. I really admire you guys — sleeping outside for two and a half years.

“In court this morning for a pre-sentence hearing. Do you know old Alphonse?”

“No,” I said.

“Anyway, old Alphonse gave these two kids money to buy a bottle. It was a girl and a guy. They never came back. Later on, I saw them. Grabbed the guy in a headlock and took him back to old Alphonse. He didn’t have the money, he’d spent it on crack, so I laid into him. Felt a hand on my shoulder and without thinking, I threw a punch. It was a cop. He didn’t identify himself. How was I to know? A couple of them jumped me, had me in hand cuffs face down on the ground. One had his knee on the back of my neck. The others put the boots to me. It was the fat blond woman who split my ear. They have metal plates on the toes of their boots.

“One lawyer told me I should sue. Another told me to let it go. Got until January first to prepare my statement.”

Ambrose said, “Something similar happened to me and Magdalene. We were panning on Metcalfe Street. A guy came along and lay down beside us. Magdalene told him to move along. He got up to swing at her and I clocked him right at the back of the jaw. He fell into the street. The police and ambulance came. Told them what happened; that I was just defending my woman. There was a woman nearby who also witnessed it. The cop said, ‘Alphonse, you shouldn’t have done that, but I understand why you did. Just move along and we’ll forget about it.”

“So, Dennis, you seem to know what it’s like for us. Have you ever slept on the streets?”

“No, but my brother did. He slept on the streets of Calgary. After not eating for three days, he was ready to jump off a bridge, when someone suggested that he join the army. He had to lie on his application because he had been dishonorably discharged from the navy. When they found out that he’d given false information, he was already in Korea. Later, he became Eastern Canadian Boxing Champ. He was alcoholic and got into lots of fights. He’s dead now — asphyxiated on his own vomit, sleeping in a Toronto hotel. He’d also been robbed and beaten.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Darren.

“We sure got wet last night,” said Alphonse. “Gave Magdalene my inside pants because hers were soaked.”

Walked over to talk to Andre and Shakes. “Hi, Andre, how have you been?”

“So, now you decide to come over and talk to us. I thought we were being ignored.”

“No, Andre, it’s just that I haven’t seen Darren for a long time. How has it been going with your worker?”

“Thursday, I signed the papers for my health card. Filled out the application for housing. Now I’m just waiting. See my worker again on Wednesday.

“Shakes and I slept outside last night. We were picked up on Bank Street. They phoned Hope Recovery. Shepherds said they had room for us. When we got there, they said they were full, so they took us to the Sally. They said they were full – at nine o’clock they were full. They were pulling something. Can’t believe that in buildings with four floors, they couldn’t have found a space for us. Would have been happy to sleep on the basement floor. It would have been better than being in the rain, but they wouldn’t let us in.”

Asked, “Did Little Jake give you the bottle I brought you?”

“No, I saw him last night. He didn’t say anything about a bottle.”

“Friday, the afternoon you had the meeting with your worker, the police were writing tickets. You asked me if I could do you a favor and buy you a bottle. Said, ‘I’ll see what I could do.’ Knew that you all would have had to pour out all your booze, so I brought back a bottle of Imperial sherry from the Rideau Street liquor store. You weren’t there so I gave the bottle to Frank. Said to him that you’d probably want to share it, and to make sure Shakes got a drink.”

“I didn’t know that. Thanks!” I didn’t pour out my booze. I didn’t have any to pour out. Sober Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Spent the weekend at my cousin’s.

Shakes had his head down. With his hat on I could barely see his face. Bent down and looked into his eyes. “Hi, Shakes, how are you doing. Are you getting there?”

“Hi, Dennis, I’m getting there slowly but surely.”

“Shakes, I heard that you were robbed twice last week.”

“Yeah, twice.”

Andre said, “What happens is — it doesn’t matter if you have a pad lock on your locker or not — guys will come in the middle of the night with bolt cutters and cut your lock. Everyone knows that Shakes will have a bottle, some pot and some change. I think it’s the staff, they’ve got access to bolt cutters.”

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Casino – 12 November 2012

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12 November 2012

On the traffic island were Joy, Outcast, Darren, Joseph, Jacques, Chester, Andre, Shakes and Weasel. The first person to greet me was Outcast.

“Hi, Dennis, how was your vacation?”

“It was great, Outcast. In San Diego visiting my son, his wife and my granddaughter.”

“Nice, did you have good weather?”

“Perfect”

Joy said, “I moved to my apartment on Friday. My back is sore, because I don’t have any furniture, just an empty room. Sat in the middle of the floor all weekend. Yesterday, Mariah brought me down two folding canvas chairs. She also brought me a quilt or comforter. Opened the bag and it stunk. Said to her, ‘You brought me dirty laundry?’ I took it to the laundromat nearby; they have only one double washer and no double dryers. They ate quarters like you wouldn’t believe.

“Wednesday, we go to Chester’s place to pick up the rest of my stuff, mostly shoes.

“When they cut a tree down in my back yard, some of the bark got tracked downstairs. There were these little wood worms that curl up when you touch them. All morning, I was flicking these with my thumb. It was just like playing marbles with my son.

Said, “It must feel good to have a place to go to where you can lock the door, it’s quiet and you can do whatever you want.”

“It will take a bit of getting used to, but I have lots of security. There are three doors that have to be unlocked in order to get to my place.”

Asked, “How about your health card, will you be getting that soon?”

“Yeah, I really need to be on my meds.”

Said, “That should make a big difference in how you feel.”

“Fibromyalgia is really acting up in my legs and my arms.”

“I don’t know much about that, but I have restless leg syndrome. If I don’t take my medication my leg twitches every fourteen seconds. It’s really annoying and will keep me awake at night.”

“Have the same thing.”

Joseph came over, “I’m sorry to hear about the son you lost (my son isn’t lost). You have my condolences. Telling you last week about my daughter that was lost, it wasn’t my daughter it was my goddaughter. Her father is doing time in prison — twenty years for murder. So, while he’s in jail I’m responsible for her.

He showed me his birth certificate from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He said, “See, my name is actually Italian.”

“I’m in trouble with my partner. Have addictions. Went to the casino — I can count cards — I made some money. The dealer said, ‘I can see you’re a card player.’ Said, ‘Take me to the Blackjack table.’ Won ten thousand dollars, but the cops were standing at the door waiting for their cut. Walked up to them. Asked? ‘ Do any of you have a smoke?’ One handed me a cigarette. Asked, ‘Do you have a light?’ He pulled out his lighter and lit my cigarette. I don’t smoke. They asked, ‘Did you have a good night?” Said, ‘No, I lost.’ Then I walked out the door with my case full of money. Spent it on my brothers. It all went on booze.”

A police car pulled up with two police officers in it. Officer D. Salinas said to Outcast. “We saw you throw a can into the bushes. We’re going to have to charge you.” He pulled out his pad and wrote Outcast a ticket.

Officer McQuaid was writing a ticket for Weasel.

He asked Andre, “Are you keeping out of trouble?”

“Yes officer, I’m sober. I have been for three days.”

“How about you Joseph? Why are you standing so close to me? Is this a confrontation?”

Joy said, “McQuaid, don’t stand too close to those dreadlocks. If you look closely, you can see little white things. It isn’t dandruff.”

Two more police cars pulled up. Female officers got out of each car. One said, “How’s everybody doing?”

Joy said, “I’ve just moved into a place of my own, so I dropped by to visit some of the guys.”

“That sounds good, Joy. You should be at home having a housewarming, not down here.”

“Most of these guys I wouldn’t invite over. If I had one, Officer Stiller, would you come?”

“I think I’d pass on that, but thanks anyway.”

One of the female officers came over to Andre. She reached down and picked up his leather gloves. “Where did you get these?”

“Bought them at the Sally Ann.”

“They look a lot like a pair I lost.” She examined them inside and out. There was a call on her radio, a group of twenty people were leaning against the wall at the Mission. They got back in their cars and left. McQuaid and Salinas left shortly after.”

Andre said to me, “The reason she was looking at my gloves is because when she stopped me a few days ago I stole her SWAT gloves. She stopped me yesterday and I stole another pair.”

Joy said, “I’m so glad they left, I’m on the last day of my probation and I’ve got pot in my backpack and a bottle under my sweatshirt. Those female officers could have searched me and my bag.

To Joseph she said, “Why did you have to talk to them the way you did? Are you trying to get us all arrested?”

 

.

Staying at the Sally – 9 November 2012

.

.

9 November 2012

This morning was very cold. Joy and Andre were sitting together. Joy borrowed a cell phone from one of her regulars and requested that her appointment with the Salvation Army worker be moved up to 9:30 am.

“Chester had better be home when I go there to get my stuff. He’s been a real asshole lately. He’s drinking beer and mixing it with sherry. It’s making him act really crazy. Last night he was opening and slamming doors all night long. Got even. When I got up four this morning, I made sure that I opened and slammed every door at least twice. He asked me, ‘You washed your dishes and left mine in the sink?’ Said to him, ‘Chester, you’re just a hair away from having your face punched in, so watch what you say.’ I’ll be so glad to get away from that place. He’s even started stealing my sherry. He snuck into my room, and I saw him drink out of my bottle. Bought a carton of cigarettes, I haven’t even opened the bag, but I can see there’s a handful missing.”

“Did you hear that Blackie bit Andre this morning.”

Asked, “Were you sleeping outside last night, Andre?”

“No,

“Weasel lets that dog lick his sores. Blackie could have HIV. He could have infected me.”

Joy said, “I told him, ‘Weasel, if it weren’t for Blackie, nobody would have anything to do with you, not even Stella. He said, ‘That’s not true.’ Said, ‘You don’t look after Blackie, you’re always passing him off to someone else. You take advantage of people. Nobody likes you.’

Andre said, “When I see him later, I’m going to ask him, “Do you know what a dog bite feels like? Then I’ll pop him. It was the same when my stepfather would keep bugging me at the table. Mother could see that I was starting to shake, so she told my stepdad, ‘Keep that up and Andre’s going to hit you.’ He kept it up; I stood up and knocked him right out of his chair. He was lying on the floor and my mother bent over him and said, ‘I told you.’

Joy said, “We have some good news about Serge. Some of the guys and I have been visiting him in hospital. He’s looking a lot better. He looks strange with his head and beard shaved. They had to do that because of the lice; he had them bad. He’s lost a lot of weight. They’re giving him some beer and sherry, trying to get him off the Listerine. He asked me, ‘Joy, could you get me a bottle?’ Said, ‘No way, I can still smell that stuff on you.’

Andre said, “It’s just like when I was in hospital last with my heart attack. I lost a lot of weight.”

Said, “I remember that Andre, you were pale, weak, your face was gaunt.”

It was time for me to go to work, Both Andre and Joy said, “If we don’t see you this afternoon, we’ll see you Tuesday.”

.

Barfly – 26 October 2012

. .26 October 2012As I approached Joy, she started getting up. “Go ahead,” I said, “I’ll watch your stuff.” She headed off to the bathroom in the library.

When she returned, I said, “I visited Serge in hospital, yesterday. His breathing tube is out, he was sitting up, muttering away in French. He didn’t recognize me or the names of his friends, except William. He scowled and his blood pressure went from 130 to 180. What do you think that was about? Do you think William pushed Serge?”

Joy said, “I’ve never liked that guy. I’d rather punch him in the face than talk to him. Told Serge that his bruises looked more like they had been caused by a fist, and not a fall. I’ve had a lot of experience in that area. Going to have a talk with William.”

“Did you sleep at home last night?”

“Yeah, I was tired. Walked in, took one look at the kitchen, and lay on my air mattress. I slept until about three o’clock. Chester came home, I said, ‘Look at this mess. Didn’t you tidy up at all while I was away? Looked in the cupboard and you’ve eaten my last can of soup. What am I supposed to eat?’ He said, ‘Well, I don’t have anything to eat either.’ Said, “Take some of the change you’ve got on the table and buy yourself something. His check comes tomorrow, I hope he’ll buy some groceries, but I’m not counting on it. I’ve even thought of going back to Cornerstone, just until they find me a place.

A woman stopped and handed Joy a huge lollipop. “What flavor is this?” asked Joy.

“I don’t know, all the other ones have been really good.”

“Through the wrapper it smells like strawberry. Thanks!”

To me she whispered, “This is the last thing I need. Look at all the food I got, chocolate bars, a club sandwich with chicken, lettuce, bacon and tomato, some kind of bagel, an apple, a banana. Here, you take the banana, it hasn’t even touched the sidewalk. After my stomach operation my doctor told me not to eat bananas, too much potassium, it could kill me. In the winter when I’d get a banana, I’d put it on the sidewalk and when I’d pick it up, half of the peel would be stuck to the concrete. The apple I’ll give to Jacques. What I really want is a drink.”

“How was your appointment with your probation officer?”

“I’m so happy. I asked her, ‘So, when do I come back next? Do I have to report twice a week, Once a month?’ She said, ‘You’re done. No more visits, although I would like you to meet with Doris from the Elizabeth Fry Society. You seem to have made some progress with her.’ Agreed, I said, ‘She’s away for a week or so, but when she’s back I’d like to see her, but nobody else.’ I didn’t like the way that other woman talked to me on the phone, let alone sitting in a room with her and spilling my guts. Doris even lets me drink there. Told her, ‘If I’m sober, I’m not going to say a word. If I can drink, I’ll relax a bit and will feel more comfortable. Some of the shit I went through is still upsetting.’

“Got a letter from two of my sons.  The youngest calls me Aunt Mo, but he was close to my mother — I don’t mind that. They’re both doing well. Going to write back to them. Finally, I have contact with two of my sons again.”

…

“At noon I met Chester, Jacques, Joy, Barfly, Curly with his skateboard, and Danny in his motorized wheelchair.” Joy looked very relaxed.

Said, “You must be happy, with no probation to worry about.”

“I’m happy alright, I’m also drunk. As long as I don’t get arrested before November 11, I’m free and clear. This afternoon I just want to go home and sleep. Have to switch keys with Chester because he’s staying out. When I have his keys, with the electronic card for the outside door, I feel like I’ve got the keys to Fort Knox. I can do anything I want, eat whatever I want, watch whatever I want on TV.”

“Chester, when I get home, do I have dishes to do?”

“No,” said Chester, “I did them.”

To me Joy whispered, “I’m going to have to do them again. He’s lousy.” She counted her change and gave Chester enough to buy a couple of beers.’

“Sometimes I wish I looked more like a woman. A guy asked me why I wear a do rag. I took it off and asked him, ‘Would you give me money if I looked like this?’ He said, ‘No, I guess not.’ ‘Well, there you go.’ Some people think I look like a dyke. I like men, it’s just that I don’t want to be somebody’s property. Like my independence and privacy.

“Hey Barfly, do you know you’ve got a cigarette burn in the crotch of your sweatpants?”

“Yes, I know. These are my court clothes. In court this morning.”

Asked Jacques, “Have you found an apartment, yet?”

“No, I’m going to be homeless at the end of the month.”

“Are you going to get a locker, and take a room for a while?”

“Checked on the lockers this morning, first thing at nine o’clock. They want you to keep it for a minimum of two months, and it costs seventy dollars a month. Can’t afford that. Going to talk to Shark, he has a little place in a corner where I can store my stuff. I don’t have much, me:  my fridge, my microwave, my George Foreman grill, and my cooking pot. That’s all. If I need anything else, I might find it in the garbage. Every week people throw stuff out. Found a toaster, I took it home, plugged it in and it worked great. Did you see my new bike?” He pointed to a new looking bicycle with front shock absorbers. Bought that for five dollars. It’s not good for me. Can you see me riding something like that? Imagine Shakes trying to ride that. He can’t stagger straight, let alone ride a bike, same with Jake. He might start off sober in the morning, but in the evening he’s all over the place.  I am selling it for what I paid for it.

“In the place that I’m in now I pay five hundred and ten. That’s with everything. That’s a good price. I don’t need anything big. Threw out my old mattress because of the bed bugs. Every time I move, I throw away about seventy percent of my stuff. I don’t like to pay for movers, so I just take what I can carry on my back and what will fit in my cart.

“Spoke to Shark’s landlord. He had a place that I really liked but it was eight hundred a month. Can’t afford that. There was another that I liked — he rented it. There may be something in Vanier. Like where Hippo is living. He could only get a single bed, the place is so small, but that would be okay for me.”

Mentioned to Jacques, “I visited Serge in hospital yesterday.”

“Yeah, you went. Hear he’s sitting up in bed, looking much better. William is going to visit him later today. They are good friends; they both speak French.”

Said, “When I mentioned William’s name, Serge scowled, and his blood pressure went from 130 to 180. He was clenching his fists and pulled out his intravenous needle.”

“That’s strange,” said Jacques.

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Cutting – 24 October 2012

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.

25 October 2012

This morning I met with Joy and André. Janine, one of Mo’s regulars dropped two dollars and squatted down to chat. Mo asked her, “How did it go with your dentist appointment?”

“They took x-rays and found all sorts of cavities. In the old days, you’d have a cavity, it would be painful, then you went to the dentist. Now, it seems, they’re always filling something. I don’t know what they’re doing in there.”

Joy waved at Magdalene and Alphonse across the street. They came over. Very excitedly, Alphonse  said, “Magdalene is pregnant again. She went to see about an apartment yesterday. She’s been put on first priority. We find out today if she’ll be accepted.”

I asked, “When is the baby due?”

Magdalene said, we’re not sure. I took a home pregnancy test and it showed two pink crosses. I’m not taking any drugs or alcohol now.”

Alphonse said, “Same with me.” He looked longingly at a gram of pot Joy had in her cigarette case. “That looks so good,” he said. They walked off together to have breakfast.

Joy handed André a cigarette paper and the pot. He said, “You want me to roll it?”

Joy said, “Well, how is it going to look if I’m panning and rolling a joint?”

André went into a nearby alcove for a few minutes, then came back with a joint that Joy put in her cigarette case.

Asked Joy, “Where did you sleep last night?”

“At Wolf’s. I’d been at Outcast’s until Debbie came home, then all hell broke loose, so I left. Walking past Wolf’s place, saw Shaggy on the balcony. I called him and Wolf came out. He asked, ‘Where are you going?’ I said, ‘I’m going downtown to sleep behind Starbucks.’ He said, ‘Come on up.’ He threw me the keys. ‘You can stay here.’ His place is in more of a mess than I’ve ever seen it. He said, ‘I know Joy, I’m going to get around to that, sometime.’ Also, he has cockroaches. At least they don’t bite.”

Asked, “Were you able to talk to Stella about menopause?”

“Yes, she said she could talk to me until my ears bled, but it wouldn’t do any good, because every woman is different. My being bi-polar and schizophrenic just makes it all the worse.

Going to see Annie, my probation officer, today at ten o’clock. Hopefully, I’ll find out how many more visits she wants me to have. November 12 is the day my probation is supposed to end, but I may have to see her after that. I don’t know if it will be once every two weeks, once a month…

“Had three sessions with Christien, from the Elizabeth Fry Society. It’s more time than I would have had if I’d been with a group. She’s going to be away for a couple of weeks. They said it’s no problem; we’re all trained, others here are familiar with your case. We can arrange an appointment with someone.’ Said, ‘I signed a confidentiality agreement with Christien, nobody else. I don’t want to start from the beginning again, with a new person.’

“I don’t want anybody to know that I’ve started cutting myself again, either. Annie asked, ‘Why do cut yourself?’ Said it’s hard to explain, but when my mind is going a hundred miles an hour, in a ten-mile an hour zone, I don’t know where I’m going to stop. I need something to distract myself. Cutting does that for me.’ Mind you, the second time I cut myself I was thinking, hey, this hurts. I don’t want to be doing this. Chester freaked when he saw me coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my arm. It was a deep cut too. It was gaping open. I didn’t want to go to the hospital this time. Used band-aids to pull the skin together.”

Asked, “Where will you sleep tonight?”

“Have to go home to get the rest of my clothes. Chester doesn’t want me to leave. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Arrived at work and phoned Greg from the 507 Center. He has been in telephone contact with the hospital about Serge. Said to him, ‘I+ understand that you’re trying to contact Serge’s family. Talked to everyone I know and even his closest friend, William, said, ‘he’s either from Vancouver or Toronto, I can’t remember, and he may have a sister in Montreal.’ I didn’t learn anything more definite than that.’ Craig said, ‘I’ve heard the same stories, probably from the same people.’

“The latest news from the hospital is that they’ve taken the breathing tube out. He’s still in ICU but seems to be doing fine. Later tests will determine if he’ll have any lasting effects from his fall.”

Hope to visit Claude in the hospital this evening.

…

At noon I met André, Loretta, Jacques, Little Jake, Kirk, Chester, Spike in his motorized wheelchair, Wolf and Shaggy. They were all in their usual places.

Asked André, “How was the rest of your morning?”

“It was okay. I had to fill out another form for my O.D.S.P. (Ontario Disability Support Program). They lost the last one. This is four times I’ve filled in the same form. Joy and I have the same worker, Jenna. She’s been busy lately so we’re going to be switched to Susan. I’ve known her from before. She guaranteed that Joy and I would have our own apartments before December first. Hope so, because once it gets close to Christmas it’ll be hard to get things delivered. I’ll be getting an eight-hundred-dollar start-up allowance to buy furniture. I’ll be able to get a new double bed from Sears. I don’t want to spend Christmas sleeping on a bare floor. I’ll also get a hundred dollars for groceries.”

Asked, “Do you know when your court date is?”

“November second. It’ll probably be in Courtroom Five, but to find out for sure, all I have to do is check the dockets. I think I’ll have it remanded until I’m able to contact my lawyer. He works between Cornwall and Kingston. He’s sometimes hard to get a hold of.”

Peter called me over. “Appreciate you helping me out the other day. Drank too much, I couldn’t make it home, so I slept outside. I wasn’t here yesterday because I was too hungover. At my age I can only drink for two days, then must take a day off. I don’t know how these guys like Weasel do it. He came to my panning spot at seven in the morning and he was drunk already. Had to tell him to get lost. Regulars know that I’m an alcoholic, but they don’t want some stumbling, incoherent drunk hanging around. He was pissed off when I told him to go, but we’re okay now. Going to his place this afternoon. Shaggy can play with Blackie, and I’ll cook supper. It’ll be chicken or some kind of fowl, that’s what I like.

“Got a surprise the other night. At nine o’clock at night someone is banging on my door. They’d managed to get through the lobby door. Usually, I don’t let anybody in. If any of these guys came over, I’d tell them to fuck off. If I was expecting somebody, they’d yell, and I’d throw the keys down. Looking through the peephole, it was Joy.

“I guess you heard how Chester was trying to paw her. Can’t understand these guys. You don’t touch a woman without her permission. They can’t seem to get that through their heads.

“Asked her, ‘Tell me the truth now. Outcast invited you over to his place, then when Debbie came home, he threw you out. What’s that all about? That’s no way to treat a friend.’  I’ve got no use for him anyway. He’s living with one woman and invites another woman over when he’s alone. That doesn’t seem right.

“Anyway, I invited Joy to stay the night. Gave her the sofa, and I slept in my room with the door locked, but first I told her, ‘I wanted to watch Law and Order, C.S.I. and Criminal Minds. Those are my favorite programs and I’m not going to miss them.’ I’ve only got one channel, CJOH, and with rabbit ears, sometimes the signal doesn’t come in too clear, but that night the reception was good. Some people need HBO and all the movie channels, but with CJOH I get a hockey game Saturday night, an NFL game on Sunday and all my favorite shoot-em-up shows. It’s all I want; besides, I can’t afford the hundred dollars a month. If I wanted them badly enough, I could afford them — like if I quit drinking.

“I spend a lot of my time reading. If you saw my place, you’d see books lying all over the floor. I always have a few going at a time. Every so often I like to come down here, have a drink with my friends. Take Shaggy for walks. She’s getting old so she needs to go out five or six times a day.

“Joy asked me, ‘Does anybody else have a key to this apartment? Now, what do I look like? Would I let other people come and go as they please in my place? You know me better than that. Like my privacy, but Joy was paranoid. I said to her, No, there is nobody that has a key to my apartment. She relaxed after that. She was up at five thirty in the morning, off to her panning spot.”

I mentioned that I would be away in San Diego, visiting my son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.

Wolf said, “I’ve never been to San Diego. I’ve been to Florida, Philly, and Detroit. I haven’t been to Chicago or New York. If I was to go there, I’d turn right, right again, right again, another right and I’d be back to where I started. I wouldn’t want to find myself in some dangerous neighborhood and not know my way out.

“Have a brother in Virginia. There are a lot of red necks down there. The confederate flag is flying everywhere. If you get caught with a doobie you get tossed in prison and they throw away the key; but, and this is a big but, you can carry two loaded guns, it’s in the constitution, and you can buy your beer and ammunition at a gas station.

“I don’t know how I feel about that. On the one hand you know everybody is armed, so you don’t cause them any unnecessary aggravation. You know what I mean? On the other hand, having a psycho on the loose, carrying a loaded gun is a scary thought.

“I’m on a pension. After I pay my rent, I’ve got three hundred dollars for everything else. It’s not much. I’m an alcoholic — my drug of choice is beer. I may have an occasional blast, but I’m not on percocet, percodan, perco-this, perco-that. I pan to get extra money, I live a quiet life with Shaggy, enjoy my books, my TV and my beer… that’s it.”

Asked Jacques if he had found an apartment yet. “No,” he said, “I was talking to Shark’s landlord. He had a bachelor for five sixty. I could have managed that, but he rented it to somebody else. If I can’t find a place by the end of the month, I’ll store my stuff in a locker and rent a room for a while — not too long.

Asked, “How much does a room cost?”

“About five hundred a month. A bachelor is six hundred and up, a one bedroom, seven hundred and up, a two bedroom, eight hundred and up. I thought of getting a two bedroom and sharing it with someone, but who would I share it with?

…

Tonight, I visited Claude again. They’ve moved him from bed 29 to bed 1. He didn’t seem to recognize me, spoke only French and didn’t respond to names of his friends that I mentioned, except William. He scowled and said, “William!” and his blood pressure shot up from 130 to 180. He seemed agitated and pulled out his intravenous tube. The nurse said his confusion is temporary, due to his concussion. His blood pressure eventually returned to normal. He sipped from a can of Labatt Blue, then hid it under his hospital gown.

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Silver Dies – 3 October 2012

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3 October 2012

As I got off the bus this morning, I was approached by Metro. He had a grim look on his face. “Dennis, someone just told me that Joy is in hospital. I’d like to visit her, but I don’t know her last name.”

“It’s, Wolford, “ I said, “Joyce Wolford.”

“Thanks, Dennis, I’m not good at hospitals. There are too many sick people there, but I’ll try to get over to see Joy.”

“Thanks for telling me, Metro, I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

Beside me, sitting at a patio table outside Tim Horton’s, drinking coffee from a paper cup, was Deaf Donald.

“Dennis, something really bad happened to me. I just got out of jail. The police, all they say is lies. Landlord phoned them last night. He said I was making too much noise. I wasn’t making a lot of noise. It’s just that my landlord doesn’t like me. The police say I assaulted them. I didn’t do that. They came to my door; when I opened it they grabbed me, put me in handcuffs, and pushed me to the floor. Spent the night in jail. Mother posted bail for me. Have a ticket for disturbing the peace. It says I must pay $350.00 within fifteen days, or I will go to jail. On top of that, I’m not even allowed to go back to my apartment. Rent is paid until the end of the month, but my mother and some friends are going to have to move my things. I’m not allowed. That’s not right.

“Stopped taking drugs. Can’t go to jail again. Do you know the name of a good lawyer?”

I wrote down, on a piece of paper, the name of a lawyer I’ve used in the past and handed it to him. Said, “Contact this person, if she can’t help you, she’ll refer you to someone who can. She’s very pleasant. There’s no charge for the introductory visit. She will explain the charges to you, and what your rights are. Any information needed for your court appearance can be collected by her office. If you want, she will represent you. Don’t worry, you won’t go to jail.”

“Thanks, Dennis, I’ll walk there after I go for my methadone treatment.”

“Take care, Donald.  Everything will work out.”

…

At noon I was relieved to see Joy. Said to her, “I’m so glad to see you. Metro said that you were in hospital. He said that someone gave him the message to pass on to me. Are you alright? Metro didn’t know your last name but wanted to visit you in hospital.”

“I’m fine, thank him for me when you see him next.”

Shook hands with Chester, “How are you, Chester?”

“Not so good.” He then turned and walked away.

“We did get some bad news,” said Joy. “Silver died on Monday at the Mission Hospice. He and Chester were really close. Silver checked himself into the Mission, they moved him to the Salvation Army, then he was moved to the Hospice. There’s something not right there. He should have gone to the hospital, not the Mission. They have no trained medical staff there.”

Bert pulled out a photo of a very healthy-looking Silver, sitting by the canal. “Must have known him for ten, twelve years, maybe. It was strange. He had a swollen ankle, then his belly swelled up, his face became skinny. He died so soon. I think he must have had some sort of virus or an infection. Wonder if they’ll do an autopsy. Like to know what he died of.

“We were just talking about all the people we know who have died. Just in one year, Rip died…”

Shark said, “Rip’s still alive.”

“Oh, I meant Tim, he died at Easter, Digger died on Canada Day and Hobo died on Labor Day, all in the same year.”

Said, “I saw some of those people in a video.”

Shark said, “It was called ‘Under the Bridge’. Most of those people have left town or are dead.”

Jacques said, “I had an uncle. He retired and stayed home with his wife. He had nothing to do, nothing to keep him busy. He died within two weeks of retiring. Me, I don’t have to worry about that. I’ve never had a job, so I’ll never die from stopping work.”

Said, “That’s good preventative medicine Jacques.”

Andre said, “I out drank Hippo, he’s gone. I out drank Shakes; see he’s going fast. He’s giving me the evil eye, pretending he’s not falling asleep, He’s gone.”

“Where is Hippo?” I asked.

“He’s at his apartment,” said Jacques. “Didn’t you know? Saw his place. It’s a one bedroom, the size of a bachelor. The bedroom is so small, there’s only room for a single bed. When they brought it to him, he said, ‘Hey, I wanted a double bed.’ They said, ‘There’s no room.’ He’s over in Vanier. I was there but I don’t know what street he’s on. It goes in this way, out that way, before you know it, you’re lost.”

Said, “He told me he was moving to Lavergne Street.”

“Yes, yes that’s the name, Lavergne Street.”

Joy said, “That’s the place I should have gotten. Know why I didn’t get it, my worker told me. They thought I was a hooker. If I was a hooker, I wouldn’t have been wearing that cheap, polyester dress.

“Told Chester I wouldn’t be coming home tonight. Last time, he waited up for me. I said to him, ‘Chester, I’m forty-six years old, nobody has to wait up for me. If something is going to happen, it’ll happen. If I’m not home by eight o’clock, figure that I’m going to be gone for the night.

“He’s invited Raven over, can you imagine? She’s worse than Loretta. At least I won’t have to deal with getting her out of the apartment.”

Asked, “Have you seen Loretta lately?”

“Not since I threw her out, Monday. Took her down in the elevator, bounced her around the walls a bit. Nothing was broken. She was able to walk away from the building.”

We saw a fire truck pull up. Jacques said, “We better leave, soon the police will be here.”

Firefighters came over to Shakes and tried to wake him up. Shortly after, a Paramedic truck pulled up. It was time for me to be back at work. Expect that Shakes will be taken to Hope Recovery, at the Shepherds of Good Hope. He’ll be allowed to sleep the night and will be back in his usual place tomorrow.

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