Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Bring me Peace

I like that I'm a regular on the bus now. How I get on at that certain time of night and there's the guy who is straight out of Office Space. I want to bring him a Swingline and watch his face light up behind those enormous glasses. Then there's the quiet, mysterious one who gets off at my stop and lives in the big white building on the corner. He's always sporting the same getup -- button-up casual shirt with loose, comfy-looking pants. And then there's the Mexicans. They may be Guatemalans or El Salvadorans, I don't know. Hispanics? There's always two to four of them that get on at my stop and slowly peel off one by one as the busride goes on. I've taken to stuffing my face in my book and listening to music, though. Being the only woman on the bus on a busride home after midnight is intimidating enough.

When I walk down Tunlaw Road, I always hope those Russian kids are hanging out on the balcony that overlooks the street. Talking or listening to music or doing something. There's usually three of them huddled together and two others off talking, privately. Sometimes by the first gate there's that guy in polo shirts and khaki shorts smoking. He always wears the same thing, just different colored shirts. In the building, down the stairs, to the door with the padlock and normal lock. Automatic lock when it shuts and kitchen light on, into my room. I drop my things, open the fridge, sigh, and sit down in front of here. And that, is what happens when I leave work each night.

Today on wikipedia at work I read about this special school in Hawaii that's being sued for only admiting students with a genuine Hawaiian background. Out of the thousands of students in K-12, only two do not have Hawaiin ancestry. So I looked it up and found out the place is endowed by the last will and testament of the last member of a dynasty of Hawaiian royalty. People say she was a princess, but I guess it isn't true. The school system is the Kamehameha schools, and that name is also the name of the first line of the royalty. The last living member who created the school system was Bernice Pauahi Bishop. So I spent my first hours at work reading up on Hawaii and its history; I should e-mail Merynn, maybe she knows about it. Afterall, she's the only person I've ever known from Hawaii. I hope she gets married there someday ... that way I can finally visit Hawaii ... selfish, eh?

I think I now have some social partners in town. AMEN. All said social partners are Jewish and keep the same hours as me (mostly) AMEN. One more day of work, then I'm done. AMEN. For now, anyhow.

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu Yaaseh shalom aleinu, v'al kol Yisrael. V'imru, Amen.