It's late.I should be in a cab but I'm all the way on the lower east side.
When it's the difference between a $50 cab and a swipe of the metrocard and I'm dressed in work clothes? I'm going to save that $50.
I've had a few drinks and no sleep so as soon as I sit, my eyes close.
As the song on my iPod changes from Dwele to Fred Hammond, the train jerked and halted in between stops.
My eyes struggle open and my eyes meet a set of greenish grays.
He's fat. His attire is horrid. Dark blue wind breakers, sneakers, a camel pea coat, a gold watch and chain straight out of the eighties. But I can't stop staring at his face. He is racially ambiguous. Reddish hair peaking from the sides of his ugly skully hat with a beard to match. His fat face is covered in freckles the same colour as his hair.
I'm not attracted in the slightest but I'm intrigued by his strange, unique beauty.
I blatantly stare at him trying to figure his ethnic origin. I'm completely stumped.
My eyes slowly close again as the train crawls through the tunnels.
My eyes open again as the train stops. It has pulled into the next station.
I see what appears to be a 10 year old child carrying her little sister who is almost as big as she is.
I wonder where they could be coming from this late and why their parents have them out in the streets.
I lean my head back to go back to sleep and look over at the little girls again, only to realize it is actually a very tiny mother and child.
I find myself staring at the small woman with her absolutely precious little girl, dressed in pink. The little girl looks exactly like her mom. I smile as I watch both sets of tiny feet swinging. Neither of them tall enough for their feet to touch the floor.
The little girl takes out a banana from her little pink bag and peels it. She has what appears to be a notepad in her hand and is writing.
I stare a little longer.
As I stare at her tiny little face and huge teeth, I begin to wonder if she is indeed a child at all or if she is just a really small lady.
I'm sleepy. That's preposterous.
Right?
*ding dong*
Thank You for Riding the MTA
