Even though I didn't sell any books today for the first time in a long while, I was reminded how lucky I am. A half block away, at the juncture where Sheepshead Bay Road, Avenue Z and East 14th meet, two men were replacing a window on the third floor of the shiny triangular building that went up on the spot about ten years ago. A scaffold reached the second floor, a step ladder to the third. Atop it stood an intrepid soul - without a harness. His partner was on the scaffold, handing things up to him. I don't know why they couldn't do the job from inside the building. Imagine doing that every day for a living. I was reminded of how much I hated climbing the ladder in the alley at my old house and untangling the clothesline for my mom, which was nothing compared to what that guy did. One gust of wind, a misstep - wow. What big ones. I hope his kids appreciate what he does to bring food to the table. Kudos.
Later, I got another long visit from Esther, who opened up more of her life to me. She has gone through the legal formality of disinheriting her son, who no longer visits her or her husband, who is in a nursing home, a double amputee diabetic who suffers severe arthritis and near blindness. When she was ten, her mom died of cancer at 37. Her father, a baker who worked nights for Fink on Long Island, could not raise six children himself. All were put in foster homes. Esther was separated from her twin, Regina. She lived with her foster parents until she was 24, when she married in a civil ceremony at City Hall. Her two older brothers have succumbed to cancer. It is sad and amazing what some people suffer in this life. It reminds me how easy I've had it.
Rest in Peace, Danny, who used to play his guitar outside the Sheepshead Bay train station. He lost his long battle with drug addiction.
Read Vic's stories, free:
http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
No comments:
Post a Comment