Page 35 of Tangled Emotions
“My parents were in an accident, and there’s nothing left in Wisconsin.” I sighed. “Romeo talked about this place as though it was a fairytale, and I agreed to check on his mom.”
“That sucks, man.”
“It really did.” I wiped my mouth. “Thanks for not giving me the same ole platitude.”
“Nah, I mean yeah, I am sorry you lost them, but you know that, the truth of it all is it sucks.”
“You’re the oldest.”
“What? Me? It shows?” He laughed.
“Just a bit.”
Evie came walking up, tearing a ticket from her pad. “Time to get back to work.” She slapped it against his chest.
Big E gave me a nod as he slipped away. “Enjoy your lunch, Frank.”
“Thanks, man.”
He went back to his kitchen and Edie came by to refill my coffee and bring me water. I had the pleasure of sitting there watching the family work until the doorbells rang. In came a herd of older women in crazy hats, and I decided to take my leave.
Throwing some bills on the counter, I left, but I made sure she saw me leave. Edie graced me with a small smile and I felt special.
Walking down the sidewalk, I stopped at the local coffee shop.Mug Shotsand picked up a cup of their house blend.
I continued my walk to the park and found a nice place to sit and people watch. The day was mild, and the kids were getting out of school and invading the park with a vigor I wish I still had. The more you watch people, the more you see the same patterns.
There’s always a leader of the pack, the one that comes up with hair-brained schemes and convinced others to go along with it. You’ll find the watcher, who shakes his head at the antics. The one who doesn’t want to be noticed, the one who marches to their own drum.
It’s the same with kids.
I watched this young boy walk across the park to a tree near me and take a seat. He pulled out a baggie and empties the contents at the base of the tree, and a bird swooped down and snagged a piece and flew off.
With a nod, he got up, tossed his trash in the can, and joined the other kids. Soon, a game of tag broke out and chaos ensued. After a solid fifteen, the same little man came over and sat on the bench by me.
He’s followed by a small harem of girls and they all plopped down. I looked around the park and noticed several empty benches and then looked at the kids.
“Sorry, mister. This is our normal rest bench.” A curly red-headed girl informed me.
“I don’t mean no disrespect.” I stood, and they all gasped.
“You don’t have to leave. We just wanted you to know why we’re here.”
Nodding, I sat back down. “Why this bench?”
“Because it’s close to Matt’s tree where he feeds the birds, the water fountain is right there.” Another girl pointed. “And you can see everything going on.”
“You’re not from here. Who are you?” A chubby blond girl asked, tilting her head to look me over.
“I’m Doc.”
“Like the dwarf?” A boy walking up asked as he took a seat.
Chuckling, I shook my head. “Like the old west. Doc Holliday.”
“Are you a cowboy?”
More boys walked over and joined in.