Work to do

9/5

Call from Stephen. He’s got an important walk through with a contractor and Sean is spread out on 86th again. I tell him I’ll be there as soon as I can. When I get there, I ask him gently to leave. He needs me to bring him stuff from his bag. Clothing. And he’s trying to locate his meds. So I go to get him clean clothes. Ask him to come around front for the meds search  because his bags are too heavy.

Inside, Danielle said she didn’t want to speak to him because he was so upset yesterday. I hear him calling outside the door. Bob, Bob...so I drag the bags out. Feel this strange sense of being tied together. 

Back inside, Martin and Mitchell have tired of waiting for Stephen who’s still tied up wit the contractor who arrived late, so they’ll take off. Maybe Martin can come back later. 

While we’re talking, an older Italian guy, Michele, walks in. Just wanted to see what’s inside the church. (Yes we're open. Yes, it's stil a church. Yes we have services. Every Sunday...) He lives in a boat down at the Boat Basin. Wants to do some film screenings. We talk about the Boat Basin. The old Japanese guy who used to spend every day carving long tikis. Placed them on other boats. Attached them to the fences at the ball fields. Had a constant struggle with the city who kept removing his stuff. Seems he went back to Japan and could never get a new visa. Some tikis remain.

I hear Karen playing and singing in the sanctuary.

Two visitors from Germany come in to look at the Sanctuary. I talk about my son who lives there.

It’s late afternoon. I go outside. Sean is still there. Against the scaffolding railing. The stream of people leaving Rosh Ha Shana services flow around him like currents around a grounded, wrecked ship. I see Elle, the elderly retired fashion designer from next door, coming down the street dragging her oxygen tank on wheels behind her. She sees Sean, feels intimidated. I walk out, help her get home safe.

RL drops in. Hungry for Chinese take out. We go down to Kam Lai, get our lo mein, go our separate ways. I’ve go more work to do.

By the time I get up to leave, I go outside. Look around.  Sean is gone. The cardboard remains still there. I go inside, get my yellow gloves. Go outside. Work to do.