[i]Waking up at 11 a.m. with a heavy, heavy head. I want more sleep but I can't have more sleep.
Honey Bunches of Oats with Almond Milk.
All day shift at China Wok.
Kevin didn't work full day shifts the past few days so I have to pick up his slack and do extra chores at work like cleaning the glass windows, snapping the snow peas, and prepping the bags.
Five Guy's French Fries with Ketchup. Honey Green Tea.
As it usually is on the last business day of the week the traffic is exceptionally congested in Hilltop. Longer wait times for right turns. Longer wait times at lights. Longer wait times for anything.
Strawberry Greek Yogurt.
The deliveries are steady.
Later on in the night I make a delivery to 1120 Ocean Trace, the same address my ex-girlfriend, Margot, lived at and even the exact apartment too. In the back of my mind I consider it could be a joke. A cordial young lady with kids answers the door.
I make it known, "Hey there. You might find it strange but my ex-girlfriend used to live here. I spent a lot of time in that room."
Lady: "Oh really? That's funny."
I mean what are the odds out of all the apartments in Ocean Trace that this particular resident orders from a restaurant that I work at.
Off work and back home. Settling down gratefully in my bedroom with dinner: Hot and Sour Soup. Broccoli, Carrots, and Rice in Brown Sauce.
Darren pops in out of nowhere.
Me: "Whoa! Look who it is."
He hands me a PBR tallboy and plops down on my bed. We sip on the beers while he talks about how fucked up his life and future is. Nothing ever changes in him; he'll always be the same. In a way that's kind of comforting to know someone won't ever change. But then he moves on to his recent experiences, his sexual escapades on Craigslist in Radford. He calls one of them a fiasco but I can't divulge.
Darren: "I was just tryin' it out. The Craigslist is goin' crazy."
Me: "And you're going crazy with it."
...
He's still kicking it in Radford working as a delivery driver at one of the only two Chinese restaurants there. We compare income. He complains about the college scene.
Darren: "Yeah man, all these college kids suck, yo. All so fucking pretentious. Oh, dude! But yo, I'm maturing in ways cause I'm sleeping with this black girl, and check this out, yo! Yo, check out this girl's body."
He pulls up a picture on his phone and shows me.
Darren: "Check it out. Like oh my god, dawg. I'm fightin' racism like every day! Shit's left and right, dawg."
Our discussion brings us to the topic of security and love and how everyone has to choose one or the other.
Darren: "I mean, yo, shit's just fucked dawg. Shit is not tight...with my life. My life is alright but my life is only alright because I tell myself it's alright."
He sees new opportunities in New York City where he plans to move next spring.
...
Another thing he still talks about is this girl that he just could never shake from his heart. Through all his relational disasters she still takes up residence inside his head. I crack open the fortune cookie I took from China Wok and it happens to read, "An old love will come back to you."
Me: "Oh my gosh, Darren! This is for you."
What are the odds?
Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Sleep 3:30 a.m.
[i] Jeff Koons.
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