angelo
Tale443:
The new lad was visible through the back slats of the bench without seeing his face so I could watch him unnoticed. He was dressed very neatly in tan corduroy trousers and a black tee shirt, new-looking shoes, and was quite meticulous about how he arranged the trousers as he sat there. When I later got a look at his face, I guessed he must be sixteen or seventeen. A delightful new neighbor.
Tale443a:
The new fellow isn't as young as I first thought. He has such an innocent, boyish face that it was misleading, but after a better look at him, I'd guess late teens or early twenties. So his parents are off the hook.
When I got to the hacienda on Sunday evening, there was his backpack stashed under the bench, a black tee shirt and black shorts draped over the back of the bench. As usual after an alcohol-free day, I had a hard time getting to sleep and he still hadn't arrived when I did finally drift off.
I was thinking about what to call him, but couldn't come up with an appropriate name. Sitting at the bus stop next morning waiting for the bus to the mall, I decided on "Angelo".
Shortly before one in the morning, Angelo showed up. With the Sleeptalker.
Tale450:
Angelo certainly stays clean. Almost every night there are clothes draped over the back of his bench and he'd done more laundry than usual on Tuesday since there were his black shorts, a gray tee shirt and white boxer shorts with thin gray and blue stripes hanging there, his backpack as usual stashed under the bench. I thought I'd like to have the boxers, just because they were his.
Tale455:
When I arrived at the hacienda on Sunday evening, the Sleeptalker and Angelo were already there, sitting on adjoining benches. The Sleeptalker had the headphones on and was staring blankly into space. Angelo returned my wave, asked if it had been crowded the night before. "No, only three people." He asked if a short Japanese guy had been there and I said no. My first conversation with Angelo.
[it was months later I learned his question referred to the Iceman]
Tale455:
I was sitting on the bench enjoying the last flask of a Mickey's nightcap when Angelo and the Sleeptalker came walking up the path. The Sleeptalker came over, two very short snipes in his hand, and asked for a light. I handed him a pack of cigarettes and the lighter. He sat down on the bench beside me, Angelo sitting on the steps at the bottom of the bench, his back to us. I asked the Sleeptalker by gesture if Angelo would like a cigarette and consequently found out Angelo's real name. It suits him better than the nickname.
the tales