I set up the floating book shop an hour late today. I'd accompanied a friend to a dentist appointment at Coney Island Hospital, which is just nine blocks from our building. To my surprise, it went smoothly and we were out of there just after ten AM. She was a bit distracted while driving home and let expletives fly when those behind us beeped to get her moving. After brunch, we headed home and she sniffed when she saw our stellar porter, Frankie, whom she accused of being a snitch while her law suit against the co-op was in progress, as if surprised his loyalty should have been to her and not to those who paid his salary. She has not forgiven him, although she complains that one of the board members has not return her calls since she settled the case. She is surprised at his hard feelings, as if the suit was just business as usual.
Once I set up shop, the complaints about the heat began, although so far it has not been nearly as hot as past summers. Estelle, 89, said she was telling her doctor today would be her last physical therapy session. It hasn't relieved her hip pain a bit. I'm sure it all gets charged to Medicare. Doctors know there's no cure for old age, but they're not about to turn down easy money. Her daughter, Shelley, is suffering tendinitis in each arm and also made a trip to a doctor. The other Shelley remarked how glad she was that workers were repaving the sidewalk in front of her building, where she took a header a few years ago and fractured her kneecap. Barbara was pissed about the red blotches on her white khakis, which she hadn't noticed until well after she'd left Sephora, where she bought makeup. Rosemary is in the process of pulling up all the rugs in her apartment, and finding other problems, like beetles and termites. A retired postal worker related how his ground floor apartment, pre-Sandy, suffered sewage backups at least once a month. Since the entire flat flooded during the storm and had to be repaired, management, Lefrak, finally addressed the problem. He is scheduled to move back in on the first. The funniest moment of the day came when a cranky old woman pushing her stroller got into it with two of the maintenance crew from our complex, Atlantic Towers. They were seated on the ledge of the garden of the Lefrak building, yukking it up as always, speaking Spanish, when the woman snapped: "Speak English!" as she often does to Russians. Eddie began shouting "Orale! Orale!" like wrestling fans did for the late Eddie Guerrero, and the poor woman went into an ugly rant. I couldn't help chuckling. She is old and probably in a lot of pain, but she makes the worst of her situation. Whenever a bus is late or the driver fails to deploy the handicap ramp to her satisfaction, she goes off.
As far as sales go, it was a dismal session, but, watching the two men taking sledgehammers to concrete in the hot sun, I didn't dare complain. I had only one sale and it was because I spoke up. One of my regulars, a middle age black woman, is married to a white man. I suggested Anne L. Watson's Pacific Avenue, which I recently finished. I'm curious to hear her opinion on how the author handled the inter-racial relationship at the novel's core. I thought it was enlightening, but what do I know. I went on one date with a black girl and, if it was any indication of what such couples experience daily, more power to them. I doubt I'd be able to take such abuse regularly, although I expect attitudes have moderated since the late '70's. Thank you, ma'am. I love that she doesn't get insulted when I suggest a book on the basis of race. The first time I did I prefaced it by saying: "Please don't be insulted," which I do with others. She said something like: "You never have to worry about that with me." Some people take offense.
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 Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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