Urban Evening - Part 1

It started with my being restless one evening and deciding that I needed to get some air.

I left my apartment and strolled down the street to one of the avenues in this city, the air was crisp and cool. I noted that even after I became an adult, it always seems to be noticeably cooler once school begins in September.

I reached the main avenue and swung right. The foot traffic on the avenue was still fairly heavy despite the late hour. The marquees over the theatres were lit brightly advertising the latest releases that were showing along with the times and matinees that were to be featured on the upcoming weekend.

There were a small group of folks huddled on the corner outside a convenience store’s front. Typical teenage or young adult kids who were enjoying the night air and perhaps being out of earshot of their parents / other friends / teachers / roommates whatever. The topic of conversation apparently was an amusing one because they all seemed to be enjoying a laugh after someone’s story. A couple of the kids had soda bottles in their hands and were swigging from them as they listened. A couple of heads were bobbing to the beat of an unseen boom box.

As I passed this group I spied a cab driver in the next block enjoying a break, leaning up against his cab sipping coffee and smoking. He gave me a nod as I passed and we exchanged pleasantries. The wind had picked up a little and I saw some discarded newspaper that were swirling around over one of the steam grates that were in the sidewalk ahead of me.

After I had walked perhaps three blocks I was approaching the park. I could make out the shadows of some of the statues that stood seemingly as sentries at the corner entrance. It was then that I met him…

He was more than a tad grungy, pushing shopping cart down the path out of the park. It appeared that he was searching the ground for spare change, discarded cans or bottles, or whatever he could find that was of use. When he saw me, he looked up and said “Could you tell me how to get to the waterfront? The docks? I need to catch up with someone…”

I told him that the waterfront was quite a walk but that he was heading in the right direction.

He then added, “I gotta ask them why they did this…” at that point he held up a bloody hand. It appeared that he had a nasty looking cut that ranged from one side of his palm almost to the thumb.

I was startled at the sight of the blood and recoiled visibly from him as he continued to approach me.

“You should seek some medical attention rather than going to the docks.” I offered. “Why don’t you head over to Mercy General in the next two blocks and see if someone can look at that, you might need some stitches…”

“Aw, this ain’t nothin’. They can’t hurt me, I’m Jesus Christ.”

Uh huh, I see I thought. So we might be in need of more than one kind of medical attention here.

“Well, all the more reason you should head over to Mercy General. I know the clergy there and he would be thrilled to meet you.”

“Really, you think…” He grinned. “I’d do that but, I’m really in a hurry. I’m afraid that they would take up too much time. I don’t want to be late.”

“Late? I didn’t know you had an appointment. I thought you were going to just ask them why they attempted to hurt you.”

At no point in this interaction did I feel threatened but that was soon to change.