| A Day in the Life of Jesus and Mary
I packed everything and nothing would be forgotten, right down to my own roll of toilet paper. Yet, once I arrived there, and went to reach for my brand new box of Tops Menthol tobacco, I removed the plastic and behold! There was no pouch, no rolling papers— no nothing! And since I knew I would never be able to bum cigarettes from the boys all night long and since I knew they would never allow me to go and come back, I knew something drastic needed to transpire. I called my 83-year-old grandmother on the telephone. Within twenty minutes, she was on a bus heading south on Grand Avenue to bring me another box of tobacco. When she arrived, the doorman was completely blown away. Why would anyone cater like that to any man living in a shelter, let alone— someone’s 83-year-old Gram? He greeted her with the utmost respect, and even allowed me to stand outside with her while she waited for the bus to turn around, and bring her back to her apartment. Once she was safely on the bus, the doorman told me how sweet he thought she was, but added I had a hell of a nerve, making her cart her ancient self on that bus through the ghetto on a Friday night, just to bring me something to smoke. He went onto say— that was the most selfish thing he’d ever seen anyone do. Not sure how I should respond, or if I should have responded at all, I smiled awkwardly, waved the box of Tops Menthol around in the air. “Hey, she made— good time!” |