‘The world is changing; grinding on its gears. Seemingly to a new set of rules. People are afraid and confused.’

Zach stopped at the corner of ‘walk and don’t walk’ and locked eyes with Steven Jacks, a rail thin alcoholic native man sitting on the sidewalk with a bottle of wine.

“Did you say that?”

“No you did.” Steven smiled and continued.

“What did I say?” Zach asked Steven.

“You said, ‘The world is changing. Grinding on its gears… people are afraid, something like that.”

“I must be losing my mind. “

Zach was tall with a shaved bald head and a short beard. Steven never asked his name, he just called him ‘Big Guy.’

“Take off the mask Big Guy. “

“Why?”

“The pandemic is over. Government says you don’t have to wear it anymore.”

“Finally.” Zach said removing the mask and stuffing it in his shirt pocket. “I stopped listening to the news a while back. Thank you Steven.”

“I need money for smokes.”

Zach took out his wallet and handed Steven a twenty.

Steven smiled, “How’s the little girl?’

“Not so little anymore… She’s 10. She’s great, thanks for asking.”

I did not have an example for good parenting; so I looked into a book called ‘Everyday Blessings’

The message I got from this book written by a married team of child psychologists was develop trust with your children and never publicly humiliate.

10 years on and we are family and friends.

It starts with tears.

I ask her why she’s crying.

She shrugs, “I don’t know. “

“Are you nervous or afraid?” I ask.

“No.”

“Do you feel safe?”

“Yes. “

“Good, because I love you and there’s nothing here to be afraid of here.”

She begins to tell me about her troubles at school; how she is made to feels like an outcast.

I listen.

Her best friend is no longer her friend. She’s lost trust. He has used something against her that was private. Something about her mother.

“They whisper while staring at me as if I don’t know they are talking about me… Why are they so mean?”

I offer my opinions on human negativity and let that settle.

This morning I dropped her off a samosa at school and told her I enjoyed our talk.

She told me it felt good to get it off her chest.

I met Jack while I was a waiter at ‘Frans’ which is one of the chain of diners on Young Street north of Ellington.

He was tall and this with long black curly thinning hair. He gave you the impression of that happy kid in High School who had taken the whole persona of being the most popular; a season or two to long. Jack was now 30.

Sarah Greenspoon was what the current generation would refer to as a ‘Karen.’ She would come into Frans day after day for no other reason it seemed than to abuse the wait staff. At first things usually went well.

The first waiter would put down a glass of ice water and gave Sarah a menu.

“Can I get you a beverage to start?” He smiled and asked.

“Why are you bothering me?” Sarah snapped.

She was thin and tiny with shoulder length blonde reddish hair and brown eyes. She would have been considered attractive and 30 if she never spoke; but soon as she opened her mouth she aged 20 years and was ugly to the bone. She grabbed the menu and got up and moved herself to another section in a huff. The little waiter looked around confused and eventually shrugged and left.

Jack looked at the manager and smiled.

“A regular?”

“Every fucking day!”

The manager grinned before continuing, never taking his eyes off Sarah.

“I swear if I never see this woman again… it will be too soon.”

It was a slow day and Jack and the Manager watched the scene repeat itself. Ice water, menu…

“Can I bring you a beverage to start, verbal abuse and move to another section.

Jack placed his hand on the managers shoulder and said,

“Put her in my section.”

The manager did that. Jack approached Sarah and put down a glass of ice water and a menu. He asked her about a beverage to start and Sarah berated Jack. Jack took her verbiage for a few seconds before he leaned over and whispered something in Sarah’s ear. All eyes in the restaurant were watching as Sarah’s face went into a sort of open mouthed perplexed shock.

Jack stood straight smiling and spoke loudly enough for us all to hear.

“And will there be anything else I can get for you?”

Sarah stood and pointed at the manager with one hand while her other hand knocked over the glass of water. The manager appeared and asked Sarah if anything was wrong. She brought back her hand that knocked over the glass of water and accidentally struck the manager across the face with the back of her hand which sent his glasses flying across the room. Sarah let out a groan as the manager yelled to call the police. Her arms swung around again, this time knocking over the cutlery as she hissed while eyeing Jack and pointing an accusatory finger!

“Did you hear what he said? Did you hear what he said!!??”

The manager found his glasses and locked eyes with Jack.

Jack smiled, “I just asked if she wanted our special.”

The police arrived quickly and handcuffed Sarah who never stopped screaming over and over…

“Did you hear what he said!?”

She never actually got to the point of actually saying what Jack said.

Days later, moments before Jack The Waiter retired from the service industry forever he admitted what he shared with Sarah.

“I asked her her if she would care to stick that abusive tongue up my tooter…”

Jack smiled before leaving. “She declined.”

I start usually in the dark and leave her sleeping.

Her Nanny wakes her up at 7:15 to get her ready for school. I try to call before 8 for our morning chat which she calls our routine.

She is in a good place and seems happy. I have so much great help now and she knows that she is loved and cared for.

There is hope and harmony.

The rising sun is now routine… finally!

She said, “I had a good weekend Dad.”

This is probably my favorite phrase to hear.

She is 10 and genuinely happy.

I am trying to do the next best thing and see the good in people. It’s difficult sometimes, however keeping my circle small helps.

‘See right there… Was that necessary?’

There will always be a residue of the past.

A stain, a murmur, a shadowed thought that can remind me of the opposite of a ‘good weekend. ‘

I feel great actually!

Waiting in the darkest hour for the sun to rise.

The warm air will arrive today.

A Special package from the South.

The complaints will go on silent mode.

Recalibrations of the month.

Neither one will last to long.

So you won’t have much to fear.

Nothing but complaints and weather.

Have lasted long around here.

The rain fell from the heavens.

The land was scorched and dry.

The tongues were parched and lonely.

To the reasons they screamed, ‘Why?’

There was silence as the answer.

Their hearts beating in their chest.

Some were praying to God knows who?

The sun was setting in the west.

The darkness overcame them.

Stars shone out of the black.

There were murmurs in the shadows.

For the rain to please come back.

The surprise for me is with all the history and all the stories, and all the examples… somehow we do not question or scrutinize when someone lies to us.

All it takes is a tear on the cheek and a tale of abuse and we are hooked.

SURPRISE SURPRISE!!! Motherf#@kers!

This phenomenon is not new. Shakespeare’s wrote about it and there is an example or three in the Bible.

Alexander S. was so aware of humanities abilities to make false statements that he said during his Nobel Prize winning speech “A single person who stops lying can bring down a tyranny. “

YET… In my lifetime I have heard and read people say with conviction that

‘Women don’t lie.’

And large groups of people preach that as their truth.

Yesterday I spoke to a psychologist and I said, “I am surprised by how easily mental health professionals are taken in with lies.”

She said, “They never would believe that someone who is the Applicant for trying to protect their child from abuse is the abuser.“

“Tricky those lying psychopaths; aren’t they?

I want to paint.

I have lost my studio however I have gained a daughter. There will be another studio.

The days have turned to months and there will be more paintings.

I have been busy with the Lawyer. He has held me in the grip of savage Greed, however worth every penny.

Peace will soon be upon us…