Interrupted

Speaking with enthusiasm
Joining in, taking part
Really NOT a part
A man's world
Speaking with enthusiasm, interrupted
Spoken over as if not there; NOT HERE
No questioning what was spoken
No apology needed
A man's world
Clam up, shut up; retreat
Things to say, things to contribute
Talk to yourself, good company
INTERRUPTED
This woman in a man's world

Lu'
04/30/13

April 2013 began thusly

Bad things happened; fuckers! 
Not as far away as Boston nor as bad, yet farther still; momentous. 
Shattering contentment, rocking stability; fuckers!
Pooled blood to cheeks, distress distress; longing.
Dark, clothed, uncertain, nary slept; fuckers!
Bump in the night bump bump yet daylight intrude
Guard against the possible, guard against, guard.
Fear the possible, the ever present possibility.
Look at the faces, who's face; who!
Time marches on.
Time does heal.
Reel back, recollect, move on; fuckers!

Lu'
04/18/13

Night walker part 8

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Night Walker part 8

Detective Toucahn looked one last time at his desk to see if all was in order before taking to the streets in search of a witness.  As he slid his chair away from his desk, grabbed his coat and headed for the door, he heard a fellow detective ask where he was going, hey Earnie where're you headed.  Detective Earnie Toucahn replied I'm going back to Front Street to see if that no show hooker is out walking tonight;  he then proceeded out of the squad room not waiting for a reply.  The day of her reported disappearance, Detective Toucahn had canvassed the area near Miss. Ballentine's apartment on Second Street garnering very little helpful information.   He would wait until nightfall and canvass one block over, toward the river, to Front Street.  Sunday evening he set out once more, after speaking to some of the "ladies" frequenting Front Street, he was informed by them that one of the new "girls" had not been around for a couple days.  Her name was Shaniqua.  She was new on the block, a little over a month they said.  She kept to herself.  She was an independent, meaning she had no pimp.  Once she was done working for the night she seemed to just disappear; according to his notes from the conversation with the women.  Detective Toucahn had gotten no useful information from the hookers except that he had not spoken to all of them.  Hoping to speak to Shaniqua, Detective Touchan had gone back out to Front Street on Monday night.  When he parked his car he noticed a woman standing by a light pole looking at one of the MISSING PERSON fliers that in a very short time seemed to be on every pole for blocks.  He did not recognize the woman but her profession was obvious, very obvious he thought; hooker.   Stepping out of his car he began to walk toward her.  At the same time Shaniqua looked from the pole and spotted a cop!  She was new to hooking but knew how to spot a cop in plain clothes; learned from other assignments Bertie had been on.  She thinks, damn a cop!  How's I gonna pull this off.  I's good but is I this good?  Deciding it was better not to engage the detective; Shaniqua slowly dropped her eyes down and began to turn away from his direction.  She no sooner had begun to turn when she heard, you there, Miss Shaniqua is it?  Stop. Police business.  It was not his request to stop that succeeded in stopping Shaniqua but it was the sound of him speaking her name.

Stepping backward as Detective Toucahn approached her, Shaniqua was trying to get to an area with a little less light before their inevitable meeting; face to face.  It wasn't difficult to get out of the light at night, with all the alley ways and set in doorways on Front Street.   As Shaniqua's back touched the corner on the building behind her she made a slight turn to the right and entered the alley; there she stopped.  Detective Touchan approached her, stopping at a distance of two feet.  He found this to be close enough to start with and not too close as to have his interviewee retreat within themselves.  Hello.  I am Detective Earnest Toucahn.  I'm out tonight speaking with anyone in the area who may have seen Miss Ballentine.  When I parked my car I noticed you looking at her MISSING PERSON flier on the light pole over there.  I spoke with the other "ladies" here abouts.  It doesn't appear that they saw anything that could help with my investigation of the missing Miss Ballentine.  The "ladies" did offer up your name as someone else to interview.

What you mean "ladies" Shaniqua making air quotes when she says the word ladies.  I hear dat tone in your voice.  What you think I's a workin girl?  Well OK I is, but ain't nothin' wrong with it Mister.  Everyone gots to make a living don't they?  You don't KNOW ME.  She was looking right at him when she spoke.  Shaniqua would not be belittled.  Detective Toucahn had meant to offend, to belittle with his reference to the "ladies".  He wanted to make sure she knew her place; she was the hooker and he was the law abiding office of the law.  Now however having heard her reaction and having felt her indignation he felt badly about having spoken to her this way.  She didn't just speak her prideful words but she appeared to truly believe them.  You're right he said to Shaniqua.  I apologize for my bad manners.  May we start over?  I am Detective Earnest Touchan, extending out his hand waiting for a reply.  Shaniqua shrugs, extends her had to shake his and says my name is Shaniqua.  Shaniqua what? he replied while gently squeezing her hand.  Just Shaniqua; for right now anyways and pulls away her hand from his.

Lu'
04/04/13

Night walker part 7

Night Walker part 7

It has been three nights since Shaniqua witnessed the doggie cannibal incident.  Three nights since she actually witnessed the incident, the other nights Bertie saw it in her nightmares.  Bertie chose to lay low, rest and rethink her life choices.  She had been hitting the streets pretty hard as Shaniqua in an attempt to cram in as much experiences as she could in a short amount of time.  Bertie found this assignment nothing short of disgusting but she chose it and she would see it through.  Her idea for getting through this assignment was that, as in the movie Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts, by not kissing the johns she somehow detached herself from the sexual acts.  This idea was not panning out too well.  Equally as ineffective was thinking that condoms in some way would help her detach emotionally, maybe if she wore the condom over her Limbic system.  There was a modicum of detachment; she was after all researching a topic not living this lifestyle out of necessity or circumstance.  As a researcher she was able to approach her johns with a clinical mindset; to a point.  She did share her cerebral space with Shaniqua however and Shaniqua "felt" things differently.  Bertie was a bright woman, really she was but what on earth was she thinking!  Her plan to spend two months researching for her latest book as a prostitute, a night walker, would sound absurd to anyone; it was starting to sound that way to her.  Shake it off sistah!  We gots to gets ta work said Shaniqua to Bertie.  Never before had Bertie heard so clearly and independently in her head the voice of her latest alter ego; it was disconcerting.

Bertie, taking heed to what Shaniqua had said, retrieves the identity shoe boxes from the bookshelf next to the TV.  Bertie places "her" in the wood grain box with the calligraphic B, returns the lid to the box, the box to the shelf.  Bertie then takes Shaniqua's bedazzled pink and chartreuse box into the bedroom to breathe life into Shaniqua.
Not too busy out tonight.  Be someone come though.  Mens always wants it.  Shaniqua began her "shift" on her corner the same way she had for the past six weeks; relentless.  Nothing seemed to have changed since she last worked.  Le'me think, was Thursday when I seen dem dogs eatin one 'nother.  I ain't no mind to nothin' over the weekend, but 'tall looks da same so maybe nothin' gone on.  Just then Shaniqua noticed a flier taped to the light pole; MISSING WOMAN.

Instantly she remembers the sight of the leopard print pump.  The sight of dem dogs eating one 'nother put it clean out my head.

Lu'
04/01/13