I sat in the van. Watched. Waited for something to happen. Hoped for the big fish. Spent hours observing the bottom feeders of a concrete ecosystem duck in and out of alleys and side streets.
Nothing but the passing of tweakers, bums and the occasional street whore.
Three o’clock. No one on the street but a morbidly obese female transient. I watched as she took a seat near the intersection, next to an entrance of a closed liquor store. She used her filthy hands to scoop chow mein out of a Chinese takeout box, shoveled it into her mouth.
I named her Henrietta.
Minutes passed like hours. Henrietta set her food aside, retrieved a roll of toilet paper out of her grimy backpack, wrapped her right hand like a mummy.
After scanning left and right, she used her left hand to lift up her gut, stuck her mummified right hand into her pants and wiped vigorously between her legs. She pulled her hand out of her pants, dropped her gut, then sniffed the stained toilet paper before balling it up and tossing it into the gutter.
A deep breath and one loud belch later, she picked up the takeout box, finished her leftovers. She tossed the box next to the balled up toilet paper, got up slowly, picked up her backpack and waddled around the corner. Out of sight.
Another hour later, I called it a night. The big fish never came my way.
Maybe tomorrow.
Tags: chinese food · homeless · surveillance · toilet paper
70steen
02/15/2008
eeewwwwwww!!!!!
Damsel in Digress
02/15/2008
you have a way of writing that makes it so easy to *pixel pixel clear* picture the scene. incredible.
Damsel in Digress
02/15/2008
(that should have read “clearLY” … although either way, i’m not sure how much sense that sentence makes. ;P )
Sarj
02/15/2008
This reminded me of a time in grade school when a classmate took out his lunch box, consumed everything before dropping it on the floor and dropping the bomb into it. He closed it up and hid it underneath his chair, teacher smelled the stench and ordered him to expose what’s inside. *Surprise*
I don’t think that kid ever recovered from that most humiliating moment of his life. That was traumatic! Well, I know this isn’t my blog. So, sorry if I got carried away. lol!
Iron Pugilist
02/16/2008
I think I’m gonna hurl now.
suki
02/16/2008
gross.
alice
02/16/2008
ew. but wow, sarj’s story WAY tops that one. LOL. ick!
Cowgirl Betty
02/18/2008
you and I should have a chat about fecal smearing and public locations . . .
. . . yummy! (note the sarcasm)
Kimchihead
02/18/2008
For a true tale of fecal smearing, go here.
Cowgirl Betty
02/24/2008
Unfortunately, I wish I could say that story is shockingly unfamiliar. . . I worked with emotionally disturbed kids that love to do that in public bathrooms . . . not so much fun . . .
Michello
03/05/2008
Sounds like Crazy Sue from Arnold’s on the Ave to me.
LMD
03/23/2008
Oh my god that is just so gross!!!