part five

here's part four wherein our hero goes through the memories that brought him to the impoverished, lonely state that he finds himself in... but it seems he's found a new friend in...

"i'm rebecca, what's your name?"

"re... bec... ca," i repeat, dazed with my hand inflating like a helium balloon at a five-year-old's birthday party.

"that's a funny name for a dude. and it could get confusing, i think. if you don't mind i'll just call you rebecca 2. and this is sara."

"what," i say, having heard but not understood. then, of course, it hits me. "oh, no. i mean, rebecca... it's nice to meet you rebecca. i'm leo."

I hold out my hand out of habit, but she wisely refuses it.

"So, what's going on that's got you so bent, there, Leo mah boy?" She gives my shoulder a playful nudge.

i sit down, pull my pouch of tobacco out of my backpack and fumble through my attempt to roll a cigarette with one good hand. "well, i guess it's everything, really. no money, no job, my car broke down, not that i can afford it. but it's all i had, and even that's not working for me."

she hands me a pre-rolled smoke, lights it for me, and says, "wow, you're quite the mess there."

"yeah, well, i've made my mistakes, and here i am. i don't really want to talk about it. what's your story?"

"sara and i were just enjoying the day, chillin' as the kiddies say."

"yep, jes cole chillin'," sara adds.

"then, i don't know, you caught my eye. sara said you looked crazy, and i guess she's right that you looked crazy, but i kinda figured it was more than met the eye."

"... a little from column a, a little from column b, i suppose," i say.

"wanna go smoke a bowl," rebecca asks.

"i don't know--"

"oh come on, i know you don't have a job. why the hell not? what've you got to lose?"

"well..." i look at her, her hair in her face, a mischievous smile graces her round soft face. "i mean..."

"come on leo, what are you a man or a..."

sara makes a mock-chicken sound.

"or perhaps you're the king of the jungle."

"that was a little easy," i say.

"but it got you to smile."

i put a hand to my mouth. "oh, heheh, so it did."

"let's go you little pussy."

she grabs my good hand and leads me to the parks and recreation ladies' room and gets me high. at some point during our illicit merrymaking we're interrupted by a pre-teen wanting to use the facilities. she was awfully rude and we were high enough so we left. an older lady, presumably the pre-teen's mother, gave us a crusty as we emerged, but sara and rebecca kept it light and kept moving... i had little choice but to follow. we lay on the grass, look to the clouds, talk. the girls are friends from college, about a year from graduating. sara's from southern california, rebecca's from the bay area. when i tell them i'm from denver they razz me about my lack of a cowboy hat and accent. i respond defensively, call them ignorant and they laugh.

"take a joke pussycat," says rebecca.

oh god, i hope that that petname doesn't stick...

"ok, so i'm soo friggin' hungry," says sara.

"me too," says rebecca.

"yeah, i got the munchies, man" i say, "but i've no dough."

"s'okay," says sara. "i got visa. and daddy loves his princess." she hams up the last part with emphasis on 'loves' and 'princess.'

we head to a deli on 2nd and couch...