Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 06:59:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steven Rhodes
Subject: Re: Tales of the City
To: SixthRomeo@aol.com

Good Friday Morning to you, my Spencer!

Last day of the Disaster turned non-disaster week! YAY! Another good thing to be thankful for! Oh, and did you hear the NY Lottery was 911 on 911 - about 5,000 people played that number, and won around $500 each!

Just heard of a near-Disaster in Miami. Terrorists were stopped, this morning (Fri.13), on I-75, near Miami, with bombs and detonators - bound for Miami. We just got a phone call, about it, here in the computer room, but it is unconfirmed, at this writing. [False report]

Another disaster happened yesterday, sort of in my world, or at least a little closer to home.

After I spoke with you, my homeless friend, Will showed up. He had $3 in his pocket, his mother gave him. It took him almost 3 hours to walk to her house to get it! He stopped by his campsite under the viaduct, and the Dept. of Streets and San. had thrown away all his clothes he had stuffed in a garbage bag, and his protective tarp, when they mowed, yesterday.

I threw his clothes he was wearing, in the wash, on Wed, and let him take a nice, hot shower, and sleep in a warm, clean bed, (well, sofa.) We ate cold-cuts, (he bought us, with the last $4.75 on his Link card,) picnic-style, around the living room, on pillows, and sat up and talked for hours.

I got him up at 5am, when I left, and saw him off. I let him use one of my bikes for the day, so he could make better use of his time (i.e. to find a job.) One of the guys who works at Panera, has also befriended him, and promised to meet him at noon, there, today to put in a good word, since he has already turned in his application.

He kept saying this phrase, "If you think things are bad, just think of me." And he is right. And you have to feel better, when you think about living under a bridge. I sat up with him and talked for a little while, last night, trying to keep his spirits up, and assured him that things will get better. Chicago is a rough city, when you're down. But, aren't they all? He says this one is really bad. I am not so convinced. I think it may be no worse than, say, the Deep South, or NYC, or any of the other cold ones in the North and Midwest, for that matter. I pray for each meal I receive, with deeper thanks, these days, is all I know.

Then, after I got WIll settled in for the night, I also tried calling Sonny back, several times. No answer. I was getting a little worried. His roommate walked in, while we were on the phone, and started a fight, and he had to let me go. Said he'd phone back, but never did.

When I woke up, this am, there were about 5 msgs. from him, overnight! Then he called before I left for work. He and the roommate indeed fought. Sonny's lip was bloodied. But he said he refrained from beating the guy up, too badly. He called the Police out, but since they'd both been fighting, and both wanted to press charges, they'd both have to be taken in. So, they ended up doing nothing.

I told him to try and stay away when the roommate is there, and soon he will be out of there. I know that is next to impossible to try and do, all the time. Soon, he will be with me, and these days will be a faded memory! Judy, (my brother's girlfriend out in CA,) and I both knew the roomate was a potential abuser, as did Sonny, and we have been worried about the living situation since we met Sonny. We sat down and talked about this very thing, when I was out there. I was so glad to hear from him this am, and to learn that he is okay.

I know you still love Junior, the orignal one. I know you miss that one. I think it was only a matter of time before you learned to see him, for the "whole", as I do. And, perhaps that would be better than feeling lovesick. I don't know. My only solace to you is, Time will help heal what the heart cannot. And consider yourself lucky to be alive, to not be permanently scarred from the abuse, to be free from future repurcussions of the violence. And pray that whatever town he travels too, the residents be protected by the Almighty, so this never happens to anyone, ever again. Period. . .