July 28, 2011, 4:33 a.m., D.S.T.~
Salty Riggs here. Couldn't sleep, so I'm up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, just like one of those squirrels I see at the park some days. Pastor let me use his computer again here at the church, so here I am.
Pastor knows I have insomnia, so there you go. Sometimes I swear my brain is on permanent alert mode; it's always thinkin' and my muse ain't far behind: it's always callin' my name, beggin' to be activated.
I and most of my friends are doing good, or fairly good. Tiny did end up losing her leg to the neck-fack, or whatever you call that flesh-eating disease; she got sick with that and she's still in a very bad way, but doctors think she might make it after all. I hope so; I love Tiny so much! To me she's kinda like a second sister!
As for Chico, I haven't heard hide nor hair about his lot in life. He got caught by the border patrol for being an illegal immigrant: he sneaked across the border and the big guns found it out, so they threw his buttinkski in jail. Don't know if they gonna end up sendin' him back to Mexico or what, but I'm getting worried about him.
Grover, who has AIDS, is sick. He ended up in the hospital with another ragin' Cajun case of pneumonia. He ain't doin' good, last I heard ... I pray he makes it; his lover, Tyrell, is so worried about him. So are the rest of us; Grover is such a crack-up when he's well!
It's only four a.m. here in Chi-Town. Good thing some of us are shelterin' at the church tonight: it's stormin' to beat the band: really lightning and thundering, and it's come up a real gully-washer! It's really pourin' out there! I just feel sorry for the poor saps who didn't get to shelter in time; they probably look like drownded rats by now!
It's nearly August and I still ain't found anything in terms of employment. I'm gettin' more and more frustrated with each psssin' day. How am I gonna gain experience or a chance to get off the streets if nobody gives me a sportin' chance? It's really stupid how some people act towards us homeless folk! Most of us are good people who just got kicked to the curb; we didn't ask to end up this way! They act like we got the plague or worse! It's awful how a lot of people treat us!
What would happen if THEY ended up in OUR shoes? It could happen, y'know ... What would they do THEN?? They'd better think 'bout this before makin' assumptions or passin' us by yet again when all we want is a li'l money so we can get us a burger or a cup of coffee; it's not like we're askin' for hundreds of dollars, y;know!!
I also could find me some better lookin' clothes than the dirty, smelly ones I got on now. I stink and the summertime heat just amplifies it. I'm embarrassed about my body odor; I can't help it at times! If I could find me a bathtub or a public shower, I'd be liviin' in there, tryin' to get all this crapola and grime off of me! O, what I wouldn't give for a bar of soap or some runnin' water or better yet, shampoo!
Ahh, that sounds so heavenly: wonder what is like to be clean: I haven't had a good hair washin' or a good bath in over a month! (The shelter where I am at has some showers and stuff, complete with the toiletries, but it is always a free-for-all when it comes to bathtime and I usually end up gettin' mowed over by some of my buddies! It's a real competition to see who gets first dibs on the bath/shower!)
Some of us don't move that fast, y'know; people tend to forget that sometimes ... like Tiny or Grover, for instance. Also me when my arthriti is givin' me fits! (I use a cane, or, on bad days, a crutch that's seen better days.)
Well, I'm gonna TRY to get me some beauty sleep, so I'd best skedaddle outta here and go to bed. Too freakin' early to be up; even the birds got better sense than me than to be up at this ungodly time! I will write in here again soon; please pray I find gainful employment and pray, please pray hard, for Tiny and Chico! I know they would greatly appreciate it; I know I do! Thanks!
~Your friend, Salty. :)
