The word from the street
Hi all,
He called me from the hospital a couple of hours ago. He was waiting to be admitted and expects to be there for a while. The next time I speak to him I’ll make sure he tells me why he’s there but I do know what he’s on an intravenous feeding tube. Meanwhile, he could really use a sandwich; he always feels underfed when in hospital. I’ll try to see him tomorrow.
More when I know.
Philip
TONY
“I don’t know if I should tell you or not, because what I saw last night was pretty disgusting, and I don’t know if our blog readers will want to hear about it.”
PHILIP
“I have no idea what you’re talking about and I’m not sure I want to know either.”
TONY
“Well, you know the old homeless guy with that big beard and pushes around the old grocery cart with all the plastic bags?”
PHILIP
“I think I know who you’re talking about … I think I know the guy.”
TONY
“OK, Phil, I don’t know how to say this to you but he eats his own skin, I mean really eats it, tears it right off his own legs. I just saw him doing it last night and I was thinking about it now, you know. Once I even saw him do it so I got him a sandwich to eat instead. And you wouldn’t believe it but he just went and shoved my sandwich into one of the bags and went right back to eating his own skin. I never know whether to feel sick or sorry for him after seeing that, if you know what I mean.”
TONY
“There’s this woman who brings me a homemade lunch most mornings. So recently she hasn’t, which she was apologizing to me for, but I know she’s moving her home and she doesn’t have any place to even make me a sandwich right now. So I just told her not to worry; I said: ‘When you’ll be ready, I’ll be ready.’ “
Homeless Man Speaks 