5/14/2015
Sirens wailed through the city every few minutes. The neon lights of Times Square adorned the night with colors and images. The looming billboards gave me insight into the life of an ant. I was back in the city once again. I returned to the place of my college years and the destination of my journey five years ago. I was naïve and innocent when I lived in the fast pace back then. It was something I would have like to have kept. But, change has been the only reliable constant in life.
On this trip into the city, I visited old friends. They were more like family. Michelle and Dawn were a pair of sisters that were born on the same day and their brother John was a runner. We had seen Dawn when we passed through Wellington, Florida but she had returned to the city. We talked and laughed through the entire night. I was happy they were able to meet Crystal.
Cutting through New York to reach Connecticut was a task. I had to run up and down hills with cars zooming towards me. And, I frequently overshot my roads which meant lots of back tracking. My respiratory system had seen better days but I functioned none the less. I just had to expel mucus every so often. Once we made our way out of the city my mind processed all that had happened. I could not believe just how lighting fast the meter maids were in big city. Crystal and I remarked that we didn’t know where the city put the money because the shoddy roads were peppered with potholes.
Port Chester sat on the border of New York and Connecticut. It was a quaint town. When I stopped running, we took dinner at the Peruvian restaurant Acuaria. This cuisine has been one of Crystal’s favorites for a long time but she has always been partial to a certain place in Los Angeles. However, the shrimp chowfa won her over. It is the Peruvian version of fried rice. I was limited to the vegetable tallarine noodles. I found the sauce which we dipped our bread to be the highlight of the meal. It had a spicy zing that settled into the mouth without burning the taste buds.
From there we cleaned up at the local YMCA and rested our heads. The wind rocked the trailer and we prayed that rain would miss us. Our demolished air conditioner left a gaping hole in our roof and we had wrapped it in green, packaging, cellophane as a stop gap. We didn’t want to see if it would hold up. I fell into a deep sleep but was woken in the middle of the night by a loud booming sound. It was two officers that had received a call about where our trailer was parked. They told us we should move to the next building. I stepped out of the trailer and found myself freezing. Despite the cold, I couldn’t conquer my zombielike state. Our move was a blur.
The next morning I slept in. My respiratory system had taken a turn for the worse. My throat felt rough and I was happy to spit out as much phlegm as possible. We crossed into Connecticut early and immediately noticed the emerald green nature. On the route to Westport, Crystal had stopped at a Dunkin Donuts in Stamford which was owned by a very nice man named VJ. He showered us with donuts, drinks, and food then proceeded to give us a donation. It was an excellent break. I didn’t think the day could get any better but it did when Crystal gave me the news that Hotel Delamar, a luxury hotel had arranged for a night of comfort. Pollen assaulted me as I made my way towards Westport but I was a valiant soldier that prevailed in battle. My reward was a place that greeted me by name when I ran up to the building. It was a high king sized bed that cradled my body. It was a huge tub filled with salt.
When I finally settled into my room, Michelle and Dawn arrived to visit again. Michelle resided a few minutes away from the hotel so we got to pick up where we left off. During the visit Michelle had mentioned she would kidnap Crystal for a girls’ day out and I had been contacted by some friends from the next town. I had two engagements in Bridgeport. It was perfect. There were times when plans fell into place.
Leave a reply