It started out as a normal, even pedestrian, relationship. He was older, a med student who worked in a guitar store. I’d been introduced to him by a previous boyfriend. When that relationship ended, the med student, who I will call Jason, was quick to offer his emotional support. We went out a few times, but I felt an inexplicable sense of dread whenever I was around him. I woke up one morning to discover he’d been staring at me while I slept, an eerily detached sort of gaze that sent chills up my spine. I quickly ended the relationship. That’s when the 2AM calls started. Breathing heavily, he’d ask, “Are you still my girl?” I’d slam down the phone with my heart pounding out of my chest. In the time before cell phones and Caller ID, it was impossible to know who was on the other end of the line. But of course it was Jason. The timbre of his voice was unmistakable. I had a hard time sleeping.
"No one group of people is entirely evil. Except Nazis." Because...well, fuck Nazis, right??
Mr. Rogers once said that when things went south you should always look for the helpers. Sometimes the helpers wear uniforms. Sometimes they come in other forms. It sounds like you've been fortunate to come across a few.
I wonder what flavor the kid's ice cream was? I hope the combination of ice cream and driving has been a traumatic connection for him throughout his life.
I wish I knew! There was a truly skeevy Baskin Robbins right up the street, so I'm pretty sure that's where he went. The ice cream ball probably rolled right off the cone.
Being a cis-white-male, I was brought up to believe they were on my side, even when I fucked up. The only "bad cop" story I have didn't even involve me, I just happened to see the guy walk through while I was having coffee at the Heartland Cafe in Chicago. The guy was WAY over-weaponed, and gave off the vibe of someone who lived to hurt other people. My friend Toni, who had much closer community connections than I, confirmed that impression. Otherwise, it's been good, even when I felt outraged. (Pulled over for "driving too close" when the traffic was bumper to bumper. Statie just pulled into traffic and turned her (yes, her) lights on and I was the one who pulled to the side.)
The loving way you describe Toni makes me wish I'd known her, Gares. She sounds so generous and smart and intuitive. I know you miss her every single day. That's what horrible about losing a friend. They're gone. Their rotations around the sun are over. It's the ones they leave behind that feel it.
"No one group of people is entirely evil. Except Nazis." Because...well, fuck Nazis, right??
Mr. Rogers once said that when things went south you should always look for the helpers. Sometimes the helpers wear uniforms. Sometimes they come in other forms. It sounds like you've been fortunate to come across a few.
I wonder what flavor the kid's ice cream was? I hope the combination of ice cream and driving has been a traumatic connection for him throughout his life.
I wish I knew! There was a truly skeevy Baskin Robbins right up the street, so I'm pretty sure that's where he went. The ice cream ball probably rolled right off the cone.
Being a cis-white-male, I was brought up to believe they were on my side, even when I fucked up. The only "bad cop" story I have didn't even involve me, I just happened to see the guy walk through while I was having coffee at the Heartland Cafe in Chicago. The guy was WAY over-weaponed, and gave off the vibe of someone who lived to hurt other people. My friend Toni, who had much closer community connections than I, confirmed that impression. Otherwise, it's been good, even when I felt outraged. (Pulled over for "driving too close" when the traffic was bumper to bumper. Statie just pulled into traffic and turned her (yes, her) lights on and I was the one who pulled to the side.)
The loving way you describe Toni makes me wish I'd known her, Gares. She sounds so generous and smart and intuitive. I know you miss her every single day. That's what horrible about losing a friend. They're gone. Their rotations around the sun are over. It's the ones they leave behind that feel it.
I'd have paid real money to get the two of you in a room together.
(by the bye, while she and I tried several times, we were never really a sexual item.)
That doesn't make the love any less real.
I know. But people (not you) tend to get confused, and I want to keep the record straight.