Innermost Thought

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September 10, 2002

Mary, Mary

Last night I was debating whether or not to go see a movie and half talking myself out of it to write this blog when I ran into a friend who auditioned for the Moby Dick reading and made it. This guy is probably all of 21 years old. He looks 17, is blond and blue-eyed and has the innocent look of a boy raised on a farm. This Moby Dick reading could be a really great break for him. We had a lovely chat; he offered to help me with my Voiceover marketing for his book and even gave me some gum he just bought from the Duane Reade on the corner. As we were chatting this woman stood parked in front of the electronics store next to Mamma Mia on Broadway. She looked like the lovely old granny who takes care of tweety bird. She had a bright, yellow kerchief on her head and she was imploring all passersby, "can you help me I'm hungry?". At one point, she decided to get aggressive. She had trouble walking so I could see her slowly sidling up to me and my friend as we were discussing his Moby Dick experience. When she got up to us she asked again, "Do you have any money? I'm hungry." in that sweet forlorn voice of granny. We, not finished with our conversation, promptly dismissed her with a quick no. She said, "you really don't have any money?". We said no again and she loped back to a spot just behind us in front of the Japanese restaurant next to Mamma Mia to implore the other less-heartless passersby. I finished my conversation. My friend had to get back for the end of Mamma Mia; he did usher-type work there and the crowds were just about to let out. So I decided to try to help this woman out. I was uncomfortable giving her money. I don't know why. She didn't look like a drinker. I wanted to buy her a meal. So I went up to her and told her I didn't have any money but I would be happy to buy her a meal on my credit card. She asked me if I was sure I didn't have any money and said allright. There was a pizza place on the corner but she didn't want pizza. She wanted a steak and potato. There was a deli down the street but that was perhaps too far. We settled for a different deli a little closer and around the corner. I held out my hand to her and we walked arm in arm to buy her dinner. I found out her name was Mary and she was from West Virginia. A "mountain Mama" with no children who used to work in a pen factory putting ball point pens together unless it was December. In December they laid off the pen factory workers and she would get a Christmas job working at the Woolworth's. After which, she would go back to the pen factory. She said she hadn't been in NY too long. She lived in Queens and wasn't looking to move back. When we got to the deli there wasn't anything substantial she really liked so she picked a couple of Snapples and Hershey Chocolate Bars. She said she couldn't eat alot of things because of her teeth. No cheese or yogurt because of lactose intolerance. She asked me if I took care of my Mother and I was a little embarassed to admit that, hell, my mother still takes care of me. I did tell Mary that my mother would most likely be fought over when it came time to decide whether I, my brother, or my sister would take care of her and that made Mary smile. She asked if she was a good Mom because "sometimes it's the mother's fault and sometimes it's the child's fault". I said she was a good mom, that all three of her children were polite and ethical people.

Mary lived with some woman in Queens she said. The woman let Mary live there but didn't have enough money to help Mary out for food and such. The woman had to send money to her mother, wherever she was. So Mary relied on the "kindness of strangers" on a daily basis.

The deli wouldn't let me charge anything under $10 so I ended up with 2 cups of yogurt and a diet A&W while Mary also picked up some bottled water. After the deli, Mary asked me if I would buy her a subway ride home. I have to hand it to Mary; she had no problems asking for what she wanted. I had offered to swipe my subway card to let her through the turnstyle before we made it to the deli; but she said she wouldn't be ready to go home then, could I just give her my card. I decided that would be a bad idea as it had about $28 left on it and I do have to get around myself. So I popped on down to the subway and put $6 on a subway card. That amounts to four rides. Mary seemed reasonably pleased. I walked her back to her spot in front of the Japanese restaurant just in time for the Mamma Mia patrons to have the opportunity to be strangers extending their kindness. On the walk back to the restaurant I asked Mary just how long she had been in NYC. She said again, "not too long" but then added "since about '64". That brought a chuckle from me, after which, Mary admitted, "well, I guess that is awhile". We said our goodbyes and god bless yous. I walked on down to 42nd and over to Port authority thinking Mary was a whole lot more fun than Gwynnie and that guy from Erin Brokavich. I skipped the movie in favor of Mary.

There is always a new experience waiting in Times Square.

Posted by mermu at September 10, 2002 02:11 PM

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Posted by: at September 15, 2002 06:04 AM

Posted by: mom at September 10, 2002 09:01 PM

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