(no subject)
the concert is in the late evening but that's no excuse.
and she is also not the only young parent, with a baby in a stroller, who is drunk. not by a long shot.
but she is closest, and the only one who tries to talk to me.
she's not hiding the red solo cup in her hand. it goes: red solo cup, young hand, handle of baby stroller. one snapshot.
and she says to me too loudly, "excuse me! is that it? the concert's over?"
i say, "yep, that's it" and she says, "oh mannn.... that... thsucked!"
i say nothing, though i disagree. i imagine various girls i knew who in high school who could have, or did, turn out this way.
her baby is completely quiet and completely still in the stroller. sleeping somehow, i guess, though the concert was loud and we weren't far from one of the loudspeakers here on the lawn. it's near 11:30, though, so how late can a 6-month-old stay up?
and its amazing what you can learn by six months. that if nothing really gets your mom's attention, you might as well not cry much and just be quiet and still like that, save your energy. but he's so invisible to her. i mean, he couldve stopped breathing, and how long before she realized it or even checked?
i try to picture her putting this little boy to bed when she finally takes him home (does she have one, and does she take him there? or is it the latest boyfriends', her parents', a shelter?). can see her stumbling down the hall with his sleeping body, head on her shoulder. nearly falling on top of him as she sets him in his crib. does she remember to lay him on his back? does she check if he's thirsty before he goes to bed? does she take off his socks, or does he have to sleep in them? i hate to sleep in socks. so what if that's the least of his problems; and hers.
people don't really go to concerts alone, i dont think. i dont either but there was an extra ticket at work. i dont like my coworkers all that much. when you attend something alone which is generally frequented by people who are not alone, you can find yourself somewhat obligated to talk with some other singleton just because you're the only ones. tonight this happens with a skinny guy with dreads and a rasta hat and a swagger. when i turn away from the drunk 20 year old and her baby, im looking right in this guy's face and he says, "its going to be a beautiful night," partly to me and partly just looking up at the sky.
i say, "it is a beautiful night, yeah" and i glance back at the baby as it sneezes, and the mom doesn't notice but checks her text messages. dreads looks at them too. he says, "yeah," shaking his head in disapproval like mine.
"you want to go find a drink of water? im dry," he says.
i say nothing, thinking.
he says, "i bet that baby is thirsty as his mom. wonder if she notices."
he takes a bandana from his beltloop and wipes the kid's face where he sneezed. "convenience store on the corner?," he gestures.
"sure," i say, and walk off with him.
and she is also not the only young parent, with a baby in a stroller, who is drunk. not by a long shot.
but she is closest, and the only one who tries to talk to me.
she's not hiding the red solo cup in her hand. it goes: red solo cup, young hand, handle of baby stroller. one snapshot.
and she says to me too loudly, "excuse me! is that it? the concert's over?"
i say, "yep, that's it" and she says, "oh mannn.... that... thsucked!"
i say nothing, though i disagree. i imagine various girls i knew who in high school who could have, or did, turn out this way.
her baby is completely quiet and completely still in the stroller. sleeping somehow, i guess, though the concert was loud and we weren't far from one of the loudspeakers here on the lawn. it's near 11:30, though, so how late can a 6-month-old stay up?
and its amazing what you can learn by six months. that if nothing really gets your mom's attention, you might as well not cry much and just be quiet and still like that, save your energy. but he's so invisible to her. i mean, he couldve stopped breathing, and how long before she realized it or even checked?
i try to picture her putting this little boy to bed when she finally takes him home (does she have one, and does she take him there? or is it the latest boyfriends', her parents', a shelter?). can see her stumbling down the hall with his sleeping body, head on her shoulder. nearly falling on top of him as she sets him in his crib. does she remember to lay him on his back? does she check if he's thirsty before he goes to bed? does she take off his socks, or does he have to sleep in them? i hate to sleep in socks. so what if that's the least of his problems; and hers.
people don't really go to concerts alone, i dont think. i dont either but there was an extra ticket at work. i dont like my coworkers all that much. when you attend something alone which is generally frequented by people who are not alone, you can find yourself somewhat obligated to talk with some other singleton just because you're the only ones. tonight this happens with a skinny guy with dreads and a rasta hat and a swagger. when i turn away from the drunk 20 year old and her baby, im looking right in this guy's face and he says, "its going to be a beautiful night," partly to me and partly just looking up at the sky.
i say, "it is a beautiful night, yeah" and i glance back at the baby as it sneezes, and the mom doesn't notice but checks her text messages. dreads looks at them too. he says, "yeah," shaking his head in disapproval like mine.
"you want to go find a drink of water? im dry," he says.
i say nothing, thinking.
he says, "i bet that baby is thirsty as his mom. wonder if she notices."
he takes a bandana from his beltloop and wipes the kid's face where he sneezed. "convenience store on the corner?," he gestures.
"sure," i say, and walk off with him.