WALKING ON THIN ICE

I saw a young guy roughing up one of the older street vendors.

“Really?”

Yeah, he was middle aged or older. A young twenties guy or late teens shaking him back and forth. My first thought was protection racket. Paying. Who knows. I was gonna watch a while, then decided it wasn’t my business.

“Where was this?”

On my way to the bath house.

“A lot happens on your way to the hammam, eh?”

My hammam pops!

“I’m afraid. If you stay and watch such a thing, you might get hurt.”

I just figured if I lingered it would get complicated. So I continued on to my public bath.

“This is the first you’ve told me of this.”

Well, it happened today. On my way to the hammam. So it only happened about four hours ago.

“Well, I’m concerned!”

I’m not. It’s just one of those things going on, part of the city. So I went on about my part of the city.

“Sounds like Kitty Genovese.”

Oh, is that a mob guy?

“Oh a dozen people watched her get murdered from their apartment windows. But I’m glad you didn’t intercept. You’re 61.”

You know, I intercepted, interjected once. San Francisco, 1966. I saw a man manhandling a woman, I think trying to get her into a car. So I put myself into the equation and they both turned on me. It was a drunk man and wife, fighting. So… tried to do good, got bit. At least there I could speak the language! Here what am I gonna do. Shake my finger, “no” or something? I got enough fights inside my head to look for more outside.

“Something like that’s pretty instantaneous with me. I can’t control myself.”

I’m getting better. I’m getting a little wiser and slyer. A damn lot slower. Besides, I’ve become a lot more mellow since we worked out the Earth isn’t gonna survive. Can’t do what I can’t do, so I’m not gonna get upset about it.

“I’m worried about you going to the hammam alone.”

Not gonna do you any good. Actually, I like walking over there. It’s sunny, there are crooked narrow alleys. I know its zigzags, its vendors. It’s enjoyable, walking over there and back. I was gonna go today stoned just to try it once. But decided the whole experience was enough as it was.