Alex knows a lot about outer space
My buddy Jose offered this description of me the other night as we played music and drank no-name beer. Wise man say, "What other people think of you is none of your business."
I drank a little more than I should have last weekend. I got fired up on Wild Turkey and beer Sunday afternoon after having to cover Kyle's towing expenses. He'll get me back on Tuesday, so bottom's up, right?
I went to bed around 9, and awoke with the peculiar sensation of being lightly buzzed.. a 2 beer buzz I would say. I snoozed in the back of the Civic up to PLU, and boarded, sitting in what's become my typical seat: 1st seat on the left side on the raised platform. I had my nose buried in The Great Shark Hunt, reading about the death of Ruben Salazar.
This girl boards the bus, and sits next to me. She's sat next to me once or twice before, but I never had any reason to speak to her. There was terrible traffic in Sapanaway, so the bus was running late. I was mildly concerned being as that I had to connect with another bus to get to my destination. And I was 2 beers buzzed reading Hunter Thompson. Nice. This girl next to me smelled good. I didn't know what to say, but whatever it was I was going to say needn't be tainted by mammal hormones. She was just finishing up a conversation on her cell phone. She closed the plastic thing, and I saw my chance.
"Does that thing have the time?" I asked.
She inclined the device to eye-level, and I could see the time: 7:09 am.
"Sunuva bitch.." I muttered a notch above "to myself." Surprisingly, my feminine-smelling companion showed concern.
"Are you reading a book for a class or something?" I took a brief look at her. She was kind of mousy and bookish. She had all her parts in the right place though. She smelled like vanilla, and sort of reminded me of a cross between Monica and Catalina. Her skin was light, but olive-toned, and her bone structure suggested a mix; maybe asian and hispanic. All I can take is educated guesses. She was small, maybe 5'1 at best, and full lips. Brown Eyes.
"Ah, no," I admitted, showing her the cover of the paperback. She giggled in recognition of the author. "I usually do heavier reading," I explained. "I've been reading this sort of in between. Why, are you in school?"
"Just finished," she said.
"What did you study?"
"Pharmacology."
"Ahh," I exclaimed. "So we're sort of reading the same book." She really giggled at this.
"So did they get you nice and indoctrinated there?" I quarried.
"What?" She asked, surprised and amused.
"Depending on the institution," I explained, "You're as likely to get someone telling you what to think instead of how to think."
"I see what you mean, but no, this was a very liberal school."
"I see."
"After the boarding school."
I called her out. "so, after the boarding school you decided to rebel by....studying drugs. You bad girl."
"So what about you," she giggled, "what school did you attend?"
"Well, no. School didn't really agree with me. Once I was able to, I just graduated." She gave a look of approval.
"But that's not really hard to do in Louisiana," I pointed out. "Either way though, it's better than listening to CNN."
She seemed to consider this as she studied me for a moment. "So you're not in school.. what are you doing in Tacoma?"
"Most likely I'll be walking," I offered. Depending on the time. Traffic and time and money and people looking for their fix of septuple tall lattes.
"Walking?" she asked, incredulously.
I was as amused as I was surprised. I was still playing it cool. "Yeah," I replied, in the general direction of the pleather bus seat, "I'm a professional vagabond these days. I've walked for miles...."
"So what are you doing out in Tacoma?"
I laughed in spite of myself. I flashed her my badge, and a grin. "From the belly of the Beast." She laughed at myself too, and I felt the strange sensation of being charming wash through my limbic system.
For whatever reason, I don't really dig talking myself up, so I began to use her tactic against her. "So," began the question, "what are you into? What do you do for fun?"
Now she laughed in spite of herself. "Nerd stuff. I like books."
My grin was genuine. Who was this girl? I was beginning to wonder. "You know what, some of the best things written were books." Cha-ching. "What interests you?"
"I like to study civilizations."
"Social studies," I mused. "Back to school again, eh? What's your favorite civilization?"
"I really like the --" it sounded unintellegible in my state of mind, like if I were to type 'kjbfkweuh' and expect you to carry on a rational conversation marinated in an innate respect -- "a Pygmi tribe of South Africa. Their ways of being, art, and dress are so fascinating."
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.. "Have you ever heard of....the Sumerians?" She furrowed her brow in an attempt to locate the lobe that word may have been hiding in. I contained my amusement gallantly. "They lived before the Greeks, and the Egyptians, and the Babylonians. Their language has no predecessor."
She really perked up like this, staring at me perhaps for the first time in a way that suggested I may be something more than a half-drunk longhair who needs to shave. Sensing her interest, I pressed forward. "Yeah, they were the first civilization with bicameral legislature, representation, writing, schools, high-rise buildings, commerce; actually most of the things we attribute to 'modern civilization.'"
My mousy companion seemed generally impressed that I would know something she wouldn't about her favorite "nerdy" subject. "What was that civilization called again?" she asked.
"Sumerian," I replied. "Look it up. I'm sure you'd like it."
Just about then, the bus pulled into Tacoma Dome station. 7:18. I had just enough time to make the next bus, but I wasn't going to tell her that.
"Well, I said, "This is where I get off."
She looked at the platform sadly, but understandingly began shifting her bag so that she could hop up for me.
"By the way, my name is Alex." I offered her my hand.
"My name is Kim," she said. I looked her in the eye, grinned, and gave her a nod before zipping off the bus. I was tempted to look back, but I realized that I had sat in a windowless seat.
Tomorrow, I thought to myself.