Samuel
I just got back from a short walk. I was tired, but felt a little stuffed up, so I decided to take a short walk around the block, but I didn't get two steps before I found this girl lying on the sidewalk. At first I didn't want to get involved. I thought about maybe stepping over her or just turning around. But then I thought, that might not be the best for me to do so I walked around so I could see her face. She had two eyes, which were closed. I assumed she was sleeping, because although she wasn't snoring, (that's usually a dead give away) she was breathing slow. People don't normally breathe slow, they breathe as if every breath might be the second to last and they are in a hurry to finish up. She had a mouth too, which was also closed, but her nostrils were wide open, and it was with these features she was breathing. I leaned in close, afraid to touch her, and whispered, "Ma'am? Are you okay?"
She didn't say a word, but kept right on sleeping... well, that's at least what I assumed. I crouched there for a minute, on the sidewalk at two in the morning. The sky was clear, and the stars were still out. Their mother, the moon, gave them a curfew of midnight, but they, as usual, were breaking it. She decided to stay up until they came back home. I, however, stared into the face of a girl I assumed was sleeping on the sidewalk, two steps from my front door. Her clothes did not give off the impression of one who is homeless. She was moderately dressed in a thin coat and some kind of microfiber pants. I'm only guessing about the microfiber because most pants (most clothes) are made out some type of fiber, and I couldn't see the individual fibers with my naked eye. I don't ususally go walking around with my eyes naked, but I left my glasses (eye clothes (not made out of fiber)) at home thinking that no one is going to be walking around at two in the morning. I wasn't thinkning that, my glassses were.
The girl's shoes were those sandel flip-flop thingees that have the really skinny straps and the think five inch soles. I supposed she just liked that kind of music. She wasn't wearing, carrying, or holding any type of purse or bag, so I assumed that she either had been robbed or kept everything in a pocket. Maybe she was the type to not carry anything with her and expects the people around her to pay for everything she needs. I don't like people like that. I thought about leaving her right then and there, but then again... I was only supposing. I didn't know if that was the way she was, or if that was just the way people perceived her, I being one of those people.
Thinking I have had recent cootie shots, I dared a finger (a pinkie actually because if it got infected and I had to cut it off, I think I would miss that finger the least) and poked her in the shoulder. She was soft. Her eyes opened a little, so little in fact that it was almost impossible to see. I saw of course, or I would not be able to tell you this. She looked up at me, crouching over her. Her hair... oh yeah, she had hair too. It was shoulder-length and brown. Her hair was in her face a little, so she pushed it back with her hand.
"Who are you?" She asked me as if I had just walked into her bedroom, but she didn't seemed scared, or surprised. This intriegued me so much in fact, that I forgot the answer to her question.
"I... I... don't remember... who are you?"
"I'm Sophie. Can I call you Samuel."
"Okay." I had never been called Samuel before. At least I didn't think I have... Was my name really Samuel? If not before, maybe then, for that minute, or hour, or day that passed. Was I Samuel?
"Why did you wake me?" She asked this as though it was a legitimite question.
I wanted to say because you were sleeping outside my apartment or because you look like you need help or because I'm making cookies and I don't have any eggs, or suger, or whatever else goes in cookies, and I was hoping to borrow some but all I said was "I don't know."
She asked me to help her up, which means that I stayed there crouched as she used me to hoist herself to her feet. "Well... Samuel, it's been fun. I think you're really great, but," and this is where she yawned and looked at her watch, turned around to the inside of her left wrist. "I have to go. You don't mind do you?"
I didn't tell my lips to move. I didn't push the air out that formed the word "no," but before I knew it, That's what happened and she was walking away from me, down the block and around the corner. I still don't know what happened, but the first thing I did was to go inside and look at my driver's license to see if my name was really Samuel.
She didn't say a word, but kept right on sleeping... well, that's at least what I assumed. I crouched there for a minute, on the sidewalk at two in the morning. The sky was clear, and the stars were still out. Their mother, the moon, gave them a curfew of midnight, but they, as usual, were breaking it. She decided to stay up until they came back home. I, however, stared into the face of a girl I assumed was sleeping on the sidewalk, two steps from my front door. Her clothes did not give off the impression of one who is homeless. She was moderately dressed in a thin coat and some kind of microfiber pants. I'm only guessing about the microfiber because most pants (most clothes) are made out some type of fiber, and I couldn't see the individual fibers with my naked eye. I don't ususally go walking around with my eyes naked, but I left my glasses (eye clothes (not made out of fiber)) at home thinking that no one is going to be walking around at two in the morning. I wasn't thinkning that, my glassses were.
The girl's shoes were those sandel flip-flop thingees that have the really skinny straps and the think five inch soles. I supposed she just liked that kind of music. She wasn't wearing, carrying, or holding any type of purse or bag, so I assumed that she either had been robbed or kept everything in a pocket. Maybe she was the type to not carry anything with her and expects the people around her to pay for everything she needs. I don't like people like that. I thought about leaving her right then and there, but then again... I was only supposing. I didn't know if that was the way she was, or if that was just the way people perceived her, I being one of those people.
Thinking I have had recent cootie shots, I dared a finger (a pinkie actually because if it got infected and I had to cut it off, I think I would miss that finger the least) and poked her in the shoulder. She was soft. Her eyes opened a little, so little in fact that it was almost impossible to see. I saw of course, or I would not be able to tell you this. She looked up at me, crouching over her. Her hair... oh yeah, she had hair too. It was shoulder-length and brown. Her hair was in her face a little, so she pushed it back with her hand.
"Who are you?" She asked me as if I had just walked into her bedroom, but she didn't seemed scared, or surprised. This intriegued me so much in fact, that I forgot the answer to her question.
"I... I... don't remember... who are you?"
"I'm Sophie. Can I call you Samuel."
"Okay." I had never been called Samuel before. At least I didn't think I have... Was my name really Samuel? If not before, maybe then, for that minute, or hour, or day that passed. Was I Samuel?
"Why did you wake me?" She asked this as though it was a legitimite question.
I wanted to say because you were sleeping outside my apartment or because you look like you need help or because I'm making cookies and I don't have any eggs, or suger, or whatever else goes in cookies, and I was hoping to borrow some but all I said was "I don't know."
She asked me to help her up, which means that I stayed there crouched as she used me to hoist herself to her feet. "Well... Samuel, it's been fun. I think you're really great, but," and this is where she yawned and looked at her watch, turned around to the inside of her left wrist. "I have to go. You don't mind do you?"
I didn't tell my lips to move. I didn't push the air out that formed the word "no," but before I knew it, That's what happened and she was walking away from me, down the block and around the corner. I still don't know what happened, but the first thing I did was to go inside and look at my driver's license to see if my name was really Samuel.
posted by Jonathan Dow at 3:00 AM
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