--- P E T E   A   D E   M A T T E O

SO HERE I AM SITTIN’ ON SOME NEW YORK CITY BUS DOWN IN THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT IN LOWER MANHATTAN.

A NICE DUSTING OF SNOW HAD FALLEN UPON US THE NIGHT BEFO’, SO THE OLD MENTHOL CIGARETTES AND THE STRONG, BLACK COFFEE TASTED ESPECIALLY DIVINE.

ACROSS FROM ME WAS A TOTALLY NON-DESCRIPT, MIDDLE-AGED WHITE SECRETARIAL TYPE.

SHE WAS SUNSTARVED AND HAD DARK CIRCLES UNDER HER EYES, TOO.

HER FRIEND WAS A BLACK WOMAN WITH A VOICE THAT WAS NO DOUBT THE VOICE OF A GIN DRINKER OR A MENTHOL SMOKER, LIKE MYSELF.

THE ELOQUENT CALLED IT A CHAMPAGNE VOICE.

INSTEAD OF WEARIN’ A NORMAL SKIRT, THIS WOMAN WAS DECKED OUT IN A SKIRT THAT WAS MADE FROM OUR PRECIOUS AMERICAN FLAG.

SHE SAT THERE TALKING RAPID-FIRE TO HER SUNSTARVED FEMALE FRIEND.

THE OTHER PASSENGERS WHO WEREN’T SO JADED TRIED NOT TO STARE AT HER.

I WAS IN MY LATE ADOLESCENCE AND WAS FASCINATED AND ENTHRALLED BY THE WOMAN’S HISTRIONICS.

MORE THAN THAT ENGROSSED ME, THOUGH.

WHAT WAS MOST ENGROSSING WAS THAT MENTHOLATED ARETHA FRANKLIN VOICE.

BUT WHAT WAS WITH THE CURSING, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GOOD LORD?!

WHY OH WHY COULDN’T SHE HAVE BEEN A BIT MORE MORAL, LIKE SOME OF THE BELOVED SOUTHERN BAPTIST LADIES WHO FREQUENTED THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF BROOKLYN ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS?

SHOULD THIS ECCENTRIC WOMAN HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED AS BEING NOTHING MORE THAN GARBAGE OR WAS SHE A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS WHO HAD BEEN VICTIMIZED UNTIL NOTHING BUT OUTRAGE AND DISGUST MADE SENSE?

ANSWER ME AT ONCE, YOU BLOODY DOLTS OR I’LL RUN AND TELL FATHER PALOMA ON THE BEST OF YE’ ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!