There's two of us in the subway, just she and I. It's 7 on Saturday morning, so the 4/5/6 train is all kinds of messed up and the electronic sign indicates that we have at least 14 minutes before the next train.
She tells me a story.
"Bobby, my youngest, he 7. He a good boy, but he dont know how da spell. Readin tough for him becuz I dont read so good myself and so I couldnt tell him dings about letters like I wanted too. It really aint his fault, that reading bit. Actully, its the schools falt fur not teachin'em how to read. What is he doin over dare for all dem hours a day? Teachers is lazy sometimes, ya know dat? Always be tryin to blame us parents for kids problems. What dey need to do is shut up, is what dey need to do.
Anyway, Bobby, he good at math. He a wiz with dings lik addition and, at the teacher confrence, teacher said that he was real bright with subtraction too. Only ding that trips up Bobby is dose problems where they give you a situation and makes it all complicated. da word problems, ya.
So dats Bobby. Mary my older daughter. Maria what I named her but she tryina be grown like so she git on my nerves and be callin herself Mary cuz she know I dont like it. She 13 but she got herself a body on her so she really do think she grown, for real. She mus git that from her daddy people cuz aint nobody in my family got dem titties lik dat. And you know dem nasty mens out der givin her da eye like she some sorta somethin, and i cant stand dat. dem nasty mans.
But i can see dat you aint one a dose kinda mans. You look nice. Where you git dem shoes? Hm? Oh, u dont gotta answer, I just wunderin cuz dey look like someplace spensive. Dat coat from, wats dat place down over dere called, you know the one, downtown, what is it....oh, yea Jo bank? Joseph Bank? Das nice.
Dis train sho is slow in comin, huh. Ha. Don never come when you want it too, right? Oh, dat remind of dat Bible song, right? You know dat one? Ya, I dont really know it either, I wuz just sayin, but say, what you eatin? It sho smell good. Look like egg an cheese and somethin. Oh, naw, naw, I aint haungry, I aint haungry. Well, ok sho, I'll take a little bit o dat, ok. say, you done wit dat coffee? Oh you sweet baby, danks.
Hey! Lemme guess ur age. I got experience at dis, I really do. No, dont move dont move, i gotta see you close to git it right. yea. yea...your 27. Am i rite? huh? aww. your just sayin' im rite cuz you dont want me to feel bad. I can tell dese things, I aint gotta guess. u 23. I KNEW it!! HA HA!
Fella, what u doin' workin' on a Saturday. huh? i mean u aint strike me da type dat gotta go somewhere to work on a Saturday. oh you a tutor? Well damn, here i was talking all dat mess about teachers and you standin dere just takin it, u crazy, u know dat. what u teach? ya, I coulda guessed english. you talk good, so i knew. see, like i said i KNOW dings.
Shit, you should tutor Bobby. My son. Bobby, I told you bout him remember? Yea, he need a strong man like you in his life. His daddy aint never roun no ways, that mother fucka.
Sorry, i hope dat didnt 'fend you. Im a Christian and dont curse, but im just sayin, his daddy real nasty like, i dunno why ever got in wit him.
But ya, u live around here, I feel like I done seen you runnin'. so it IS you?! I KNEW it. You a fighter r somethin? Trainin' fur the olympics? Woah, where u goin? Wait, I didn't git to--HEY I----You should meet Mary! MISTER! MISTER!
SHE LOOK REAL NICE! YOU COULD DO WAT U WANT AN SHE WONT COST YOU MUCH. FO REAL, MISTER, IM BEIN HONEST, SHE SEE U RIGHT NOW! AND SHE REALLLLLL NICE! MISTER! HEY MISTER! MISTER, MY KIDS, MISTER! DEY GOTTA EAT! GIMME A DOLLA! HOW 'BOUT A DOLLA! HEY MISTER! WHAT KINDA TEACHER IS U?!"
Outside of the tunnel, I can still hear the woman's yells. They are the screams of destitution and I cannot stomach them. They remind me that even in these times of economic hardship that I'm experiencing, I'm a privileged mother fucker. After a silent prayer, I throw my hand up in the air and hail a cab.
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