On Her Way to Sleep

I was waiting for Mel a few days ago, sitting on a bench situated beside one of the busiest areas of the city center. The low wall between me and the woman in white is actually the top of the wall to the steps that lead down under and across the street and there is a major bus stop at the top of the other side. I snapped several photos while sitting there. One of them, the one above, was interesting not for the photo I took but for what happened after I took it. The woman in the white jacket bent her head forward and slowly, oh so slowly dropped it down on to the table. She was sound asleep, sitting there with dozens of people walking by, cars and buses roaring past just a few feet away. I can only imagine how exhausted she must have been to be able to go to sleep there and then. She was still asleep when Mel returned and we left. I just hope no one ripped her off while she dozed.

I have another interesting memory of that exact spot. One day, several years ago now, Mel and I were walking toward these ladies, ladies who sit there every day rain or shine, snow or blazing sun, selling a variety of items off their little tables. The umbrellas are a new addition - before there was no relief from the weather at all. Or from critters flying around.

As we approached, one of the older women sprang up from her little stool, started yelling and ripping her clothes off. The other women all started chatting away at her, and whipping the air around her. By the time she was down to her very interesting underwear, the bee or other stinging creature had found it's freedom again. Yes, it was interesting underwear. Kind of like what a sumo wrestler might wear, modified to be a little more modest, kind of like a humongous diaper or something.

We quickly averted our eyes and kept on walking. Other people hardly glanced her way at all, except for the other women around her.

This particular spot is one that is burned into my memory by that incident. Now I have something else to add to it!