This is a fucked up story - not a political one - but it starts with me walking home the day before election day. That whole week I was wearing an Obama T-shirt. To get into my apartment you have to get through a security door, which puts you into a stairwell with access to 8 units. To get past the security door you either have to have a key or get buzzed in. To let somebody know you need to get buzzed in, you can hit a button that makes a noise inside the apartment.
As I'm walking up I discover this guy trying to get into the security door. I ask if I canhelp him, and he's clearly tanked. He asks if I know somebody, and I say that name doesn't sound familiar. I then scoot in in a way that keeps him out, and he starts making racist remarks at me because of my t-shirt. when i get upstairs my neighbor says he was hitting everyone's button. so i called the cops.
then, just last week, i was at the laudromat. typically, i'd go to the laundromat in oaklyn. it's nicer and there is always an attendent to make change for you. however, the oaklyn laundromat closes at 10:00, and it was late. So I went to the laundromat on Collings Ave next to Sorrento's Pizza. That place is a bit more of a dump and there is never an attendant. The only time I've ever met anyone connected with the place was when I was making change and a guy quized me to make sure i was going to use it all at the laudromat.
there were five other people in there. a white guy and his 12 year old kid, an asian guy, a black guy, and guy sitting on a bench not doing any laundry. nobody was talking - everyone was just doing laundry - except for the dad and the kid. the dad was helping the kid with his homework, talking out the difference between mitosis and meiosis, and the evolutionary advantages of sexual and asexual reporduction. i thought the way he was explaining it was on point, and when he stopped i told him so. for whatever reason, the broke the silence and everyone started talking - especially the guy on the bench. that's when i realized - he was the dude who was trying to get into the security door.
we all got to learn his sob story. he's homeless, and can't find a job. he just can't ditch the bottle for the life of him.
then the asian guy lost his money to a machine. we all tried to find a number for him to call, to no avail. that's when i said they need to have an attendent there, or something. then the homeless guy said, i'd love to be an attendent here. and then, for whatever reason, we started brainstorming to try to figure out how this guy could become the attendent. a win win win. laundromat owner gets a cheap attendent, the homeless guy gets a job, and people who lose their money in a machine get their money back. i suggested that he advertize his services to the owner by posting something on the billboard. but the guy was all excuses, and said, but i've got a record
so i said, so waht? its not like they're going to do a background check on you. just say you don't have one.
then he said, it's for sexual assaut
and then everyone stopped talking to each other. it was like, ok - - - - - fun times over. lets just go back to doing our laundry and get the hell out of there.
but the dude wouldn't shut up. nobody was talking to him. but he just kept going on and on about his miserable life. he told us the sexual assault wasn't his fault. he said everyone just walked in the room and the wrong time. the only reason he was pulling down his pants was because . . . .
and thats when everyone said enough! shut up! nobody wants to hear anymore! the dad and his kid got out fast. then the black dude left - and as the guy got into his car, the homeless guy says, you ever notice niggers always drive nice cars? they're dealing drugs.
then he started talking about asians and jews, to the asian guy, who was trying to ignore it as best he could. his observation was that the chinese and jews were both greedy people, but that chinese people work harder and stick together - even if they smell bad.
then he started talking about how easy it would be to steal the money out of the washing machines, and how the first thing he'd do is buy a 12 pack - and we were all supposed to laugh along with him at that one. then he told us how easy it would be to rob the drug store accross the street.
needless to say, i was geting my laundry out of the machie as fast as i could. the black guy came back so i didn't feel so bad about leaving the asian guy alone, and i got the fuck out. but as i was moving my laudry, the guy jumped up and tried to help me carry it to me car. no thanks, pal.
and i got the hell out, clothes half wet.
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