2008-07-24
deli ghost
I walked up to the deli for lunch today. A pretty Asian girl and her friends waited outside the deli. She had all these plastic or rubber bracelets on her wrist. She looked me right in the eye as I rounded the corner and offered me one of her bracelets without saying a word. It startled me, because I'm not accustomed to random strangers noticing and attempting to interact with me on the street unless they want something from me. My first thought was that she mistook me for someone else (I'll be the first to admit that all white people look the same) or she wanted to sell something. "No thanks," I muttered and hurried into the deli and placed my order. I sat inside and waited for my order and felt bad for being so suspicious and unfriendly. I wondered if she was from the nearby art school. It would've been very nice to wear something that had touched her skin. I am constantly fascinated and aching for all the beautiful strangers like her I observe in this city. And, when I finally encounter one who is clairvoyant, the first thing I do is retreat into my own shadow.
She and her friends were gone when I came out of the deli. Sunlight shined on an empty bench imprinted with missed opportunities. I returned to the mailroom and ate lunch alone in front of my computer.