For the past six Sundays I'd set up shop in front of the TD Bank on the corner of Bay Parkway and 86th Street, where thousands pass. I sensed the tiny, pretty Asian managers were not happy I was there, but they never said a word as they went to their smoke breaks on 85th Street. Today a male manager requested I leave. I asked if he'd mind if I stood in front of one of the pillars of the el or against the elevator for handicapped commuters, and he said the bank owned that property too. I called him a liar and moved further up the street, where the volume of passersby is at least 50% less. That put me in a negative frame of mind that even a visit from writer-proofreader Bill Brown and a call from actor-singer Johnny Feets did not chase. An old-timer, Jerry, stopped to wish me luck and lamented how the neighbor had changed, fondly reminiscing of how it once was. Another, younger male asked if I knew where he could purchase bathroom fixtures. I said the neighborhood had changed so much I wasn't sure. He was even more disenchanted than Jerry, dubbing fellow Italian-Americans who had moved "sell-outs." I simply said: "Things change," but he wasn't appeased. I noticed that there was no one selling socks or novelties along the sidewalk's edge, and wondered if the cops had cracked down. I was uncomfortable the entire session, and frustrated when a couple of potential customers passed on the books. There was a hairy moment during the proceedings too. People were pointing past me. I turned and saw a little dog scampering along 86th Street, then heard his master's footsteps. As the pooch crossed Bay Parkway, I turned away, certain it would be squashed. Fortunately, no squeal of tires or anguished yelps ensued. The owner threaded his way through the steady flow of vehicles, endangering his own health. I don't know if he ever caught up to the dog.
I'm already thinking about where I will set up shop next Sunday. It would be great if I could do it in front of the Dolphin gym on 24th Avenue, but parking is very limited there. The Sheepshead Bay promenade is cool, but any kind of strong breeze makes things difficult there, and parking is a problem there too, as it is anywhere in Brooklyn. Maybe Park Slope, Hipsterville, is the answer.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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