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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Alley Life - Part Two

A whole other world exists in my son's neighborhood once the sun goes down. I know this because I just visited Denver again, where he and his wife live in an 11-unit downtown apartment building.I was up in the small hours for two reasons. First, they have no air conditioning, so I was sitting on their front balcony drying off and enjoying the cool night air. I also had to catch an early-morning flight, so going back to bed seemed pointless.

I heard what sounded like a party going on somewhere nearby. It seemed close, but I couldn't see anybody. Just voices. From that noise I picked out the sound of two people talking, a man and a woman. He was pouring out his heart to her. Of course I considered going inside and giving them their privacy, but I have to admit I was riveted. He loved her! He couldn't live without her! He'd waited his whole life for her! Silence. She clearly didn't feel the same way. My heart hurt for him. It was as if I was right there in the room with them, that's how clear the sound was. I wanted to give him a hug. Poor guy. And then....the sound of the laugh track. Turns out I was listening to a re-run of Cheers, playing on the TV in the apartment one balcony over.

Bu t wait! At that moment the can man came by. He was having a good night. His grocery cart was stuffed with cans, and so were the bags he had hanging from the sides and underneath. Perhaps that's why he didn't try very hard. He wheeled up the alley, peered into the dumpster, tossed an empty peanut butter jar and a fast food bag out onto the cement, then let the dumpster lid clang down, wiped his hands on the front of his t-shirt, and continued on his way.

That dumpster is the site of a lot of city life. Arguments happen there, along with transactions I've described in previous blogs. On this night, though, all was quiet once the can man left. Even the TV was off next door. For a quarter of an hour it was just me and a tiny bird waking up and singing in the branches of a tree not two feet from my face. At
4 a.m. the garbage trucks arrived with their backing beep and their diesel fumes. But for just a moment, Denver and I were at peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXyeS-jZSpA




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