Sitting in the park, listening to Wilbur, playing Sudoku, I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced over. It was an Aimless Crazy Man, of which there are many in Gone West, and he was standing in the shade with the hood of a winter coat over his head. I accidentally met his eye. "It's hot!" he said. "I need the shade."
A few minutes later, I saw the way a woman on the sidewalk looked at me as she walked past, and I knew he was standing behind me. Right behind me. I'd seen him do it to other people. I turned around and looked at him, a foot or two behind me as I sat on the ground. "Use the sixes." he said, "I like the sixes."
"You know," I answered, as kindly as I could, "I came here to be alone."
He flared up, angry. "It's a public park, b%^*&! I will kick you in your back and break every bone!"
I continued to stare back at him. If I have learned anything in the years of my life, it is that the anger and the crazy do not mix. I stared at him for a while and then I turned deliberately around, put my ear buds back in, and continued the Sudoku.
The next time I saw him, he was standing immediately next to someone else.
A few minutes later, I saw the way a woman on the sidewalk looked at me as she walked past, and I knew he was standing behind me. Right behind me. I'd seen him do it to other people. I turned around and looked at him, a foot or two behind me as I sat on the ground. "Use the sixes." he said, "I like the sixes."
"You know," I answered, as kindly as I could, "I came here to be alone."
He flared up, angry. "It's a public park, b%^*&! I will kick you in your back and break every bone!"
I continued to stare back at him. If I have learned anything in the years of my life, it is that the anger and the crazy do not mix. I stared at him for a while and then I turned deliberately around, put my ear buds back in, and continued the Sudoku.
The next time I saw him, he was standing immediately next to someone else.
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