He stopped me on my way to the grocery store. I was running behind- and no time to talk. I asked him if he wanted to hang but it would be while I was shopping -he was welcome to join.
He got in my car, complimented me on my hair: “see, long hair is sexy on white girls”, he says. “I liked you with short hair but it’s much nicer long”.
Holy shit. Who just got in my car!? It is usually, “you ain’t got no makeup on and you didn’t do your hair, you looked better when you had a job and got all dressed up. Gimme’ a smoke.”
We get to the store and he insists on pushing the buggy…he usually does. Told me about his new place and wants me to come visit, would like to have a big BBQ and get a pool table for his new place: “not sure if I can afford to buy the house but I sure like it and here are directions to come visit me”, he says, “I sure miss you shorty”
Never asked me to buy him donuts, wine, soda or the usual he requests….or just throws stuff in the cart and says I am getting this. Of course, we both know he has no money in his pocket. That’s cool, though. I like his company (in doses) and he helps me load and unload the buggy. I will always get him food. He didn’t do that today, no strings attached. WOW!
As we leave the store, he says he should go back and get that 20. “What are you talking about”, I ask.
Butch: “that guy in the blue sweatshirt just dropped a 20 on the floor, I should go back and pick it up”.
Me: “Now that is not right, if you saw him drop it, you tell him he dropped it, not go take it from him. If you just find a 20 floating on the ground with no known owner, consider it a lucky day and spend the 20 on something nice for yourself.”
Butch: “Fuck that, ain’t nothing wrong with me taking what he dropped!”
A difference of mentality – no use arguing; he is in pure survival mode and I’m not.
I’m sure he came to the ‘hood today in hopes of seeing a familiar face, be important again and maybe get some smoke or whatever anyone was willing to give up – he says the trip was to get stuff out of the Blue Stingy Machine-E, but there is nothing in there worth the bus ride both ways.
He asks for a ride home…..I think I can do it this time. I like Butch when he doesn’t puff up his chest in an attempt to compensate for his dire living situation, but then I guess his situation isn’t so dire anymore and his fingers seemed to be freed from the pipe, for today.
Then the ride home. You see, the Blue Stringy Machine-E (pictures in a previous post - titled the same) was where he lived until about January of this year. An investment company is putting him up in another house until they close on his house. This house he is living in is not exactly a fair trade, but my husband says it is better than the alternatives (on the street or house with no roof – this picture is the view on the opposite side of my house - Biggie T.'s view).
But they have put him up in a rehab house, under rehab! He has a small corner in a room with blankets, pillows and a TV. No kitchen appliances, no gas/heat and piles of construction material and dirt everywhere; except in his little corner. I feel sorry for him, but then the balled up tinfoil around his corner, pocket knives with “powder” on them and other signs of his addiction are evident.
I leave him and feel strange. The last 3 years of hands outs, having him over for Thanksgiving because family never came to get him, feeding him and giving him work to do for us… But then he is back in Edgewood Estates the next day. I close my blinds and doors so he doesn’t have the opportunity to ask for more. I have been generous, and as usual, he will keep coming back until he exhausts me (and anyone else who helps him) of all generosity. I would rather leave it with our good byes the night before.
LaLePoP’ summed up Butch – without knowing him but by chance posting this the same day I am finishing up my thoughts on Butch (and I am plagiarizing with his permission but his fonts are much cooler than mine)
Relatives of Goodness.
One who lives as a materially poor person,
and has a flawed faith in goodness,
has a hard life,
but if one is living as a poor person,
having a rock solid faith in goodness,
life is filled with joy and understanding.
Butch obviously being the first rather than the latter
