It was a cool morning in early May. A rain shower had passed through the city in the pre-dawn hours. Mist still hung over the Cape Fear River but the sun was beginning to spread a soft light over downtown.
I wasn't planning on being hit by a bus yesterday morning, I was simply getting to Cafe Luna a little early to marshall my thoughts before Lupe and Claudia arrived. I planned to recruit them into my personal support group to help with building the new life that I've written so much about.
As I approached the rendevous spot, I discovered that a new thrift shop had opened across the street and I stopped in to look for a vintage 1990's Hawai'ian shirt, preferably from Cooke Street in Honolulu.
The search was a bust but I did find a little knick-knack. Not something I generally care for. I avoid tchokies and their ilk like I avoid steamed shrimp. But for some reason this one attracted me strangely. Back out on the street, I stopped to admire the little thing in the morning light.
I fumbled it while taking it out of my pocket, a technique that I've mastered of late, and it tumbled off the curb and onto the street. I maneuvered around the few early morning pedestrians and paused to look down Castle Street to make sure there were no buses headed my way.
When I looked back, I noticed a dark shadow growing out of the storm drain. The mind reeled. I stepped closer to get a better look and the shadow became a feathered arm of sorts that grabbed the what-not and pulled it back into the sewer.
I looked around me to see if anyone else witnessed this glitch in 21st Century reality. No one seemed to be aware. I moved closer to the curb and was about to step into the street when something grabed me by the collar and pulled me back to safety.
At that very moment, the WAVE number 11 whooshed by.
I was in shock. No other explanation comes close to describing my reaction. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before although recent experiences seem to have been leading up to it. I immediately felt that someone or something had pushed the reset button and that I was back to square 1 as far as my new life was concerned.
"Hey, boss," said a familiar voice that had walked into the act from stage left. She was wearing a 50's beehive hairstyle in a pastel lavender. I was feeling very shaky before she arrived and now seeing her I was positively goose flesh.
"Lupe," I said, "did you see that?"
"I saw you stumble at the curb," she said. "Lucky for you that all-pro Carolina Panthers tackle came by when he did. You really must be more careful, Genome."
"Lupe, I saw an arm come out of the sewer; an arm covered in feathers."
"I'm cutting school to meet you this morning," she said. "I'm going to need a note."
"Are you listening to me?" I said. I was having some trouble breathing by this time.
"I heard you, Genome. You've got to deal with this manic episode. Try taking three deep breathes."
"All I'm doing is deep breathing. I'm beginning to hyperventilate."
"Well, try doing something else then."
"If you have something to suggest, I'd love to hear it," I said.
"I don't know," she said. "How about sticking your finger into an electrical outlet? I've heard that shrinks have a lot of success with that."
"Lupe!," I said. "Get serious. I'm having a hard time here and I need you to pay attention to me."
"So," she said, "to be perfectly clear, you want me to listen to your story, maybe even record it on my phone, so that I can play it back for the big guys in white coats and become personally responsible for having you committed to the looney bin."
A deep silence filled the next few moments as her words sank in.
"Coffee?" I said.
"Let's," she said.
The sunshine and ocean breeze had finally cleared the clouds out of the sky. The day was becoming warmer and it promised to be one that would allow some recovery from the drama generated by the passing of the WAVE number 11.
Still, had I been struck by the bus, I doubt the view of the bridge would have been worth the trouble and I expect that it would have made little difference to me that it was a fine day for it.