Speak Up, I'm Hard of Hearing

Yes, yes, I has...been too long since...what's that? I live over there, across the street, in my own place, down in the back of that house, so there, up the street, in that brownstone with the awning, yeah, that's the landlord, with the dogs. I know cause I go see her every month with the rent. Its nice, especially in the summer, cause I get this breeze through the window, coming up from the canal, but the thing is, it warps all my papers and pictures. But then again, the good lord doesn't give nothing for free.

How's everyone? The kin, I mean, your kin. Kins the most important thing in this world. I came down here cause my son told me, dragged me down here. In fact, I just came outside here because I'm waiting for my nephew. See, he works for the hospital, and I never know what he's gonna be driving in. See, his daddy gave him a new car, one them SUV's, and he also has a motorcycle. God, he loves that motorcycle. Takes it everywhere, and gets them pretty girls to get on the back. I remember, back when I was a younger man, I used to go on down to Coney Island.

Sure, I used to live in New York. Nah, not in Queens or nothing, I lived in Manhattan. Sure. Up on 71st. Yeah, used to own houses with my wife. We had us a couple buildings in Brooklyn, and we owned our own place in Manhattan. Did well for ourselves. Left it all to my son, Terrance. Then Terrance goes and sells it all and moves me down to Baltimore. I hate it here, Lord have mercy, I hate this city. I hate the way the people here walk hardly anywhere. You know, in New York, we have the greatest public transportation system, its a system you know, and a man could go a lifetime without having to set one foot in a taxicab or a car. Buses and subways, and where those weren't, I had my own two legs to carry me there. People here, in this town, they're lazy. Waving their hands, wanting a ride, shameless. If we had a decent subway system, this place'ed be livable.

I wonder where that boy is, my nephew, you know. I got to be standing here waiting for me, since I broke my cell phone. It doesn't work anymore, and I'm waiting for Terrance, my son, to bring me a new one. Can't just wait inside, since my nephew doesn't remember what number my apartment is. But like I was say, its been too long since I had anyone to talk to, really talk to. I love the English language, our beautiful language, and speaking with friendly faces nowadays doesn't seem to happen very easily. I remember, when I was a younger man, we'd talk to one another, rather than just slip by with cold eyes. That's why I come up to you, sitting on your stoop, to have a chat. See, these kids here, they're rude. They speak such profanities, and they'll just as soon provoke you as say "have a nice day." That's the world now, no time for a conversation. Rather, just fighting words and respect. What good is respect when no one talking to you?

As I was saying though, I want to invite you over to eat at my house. It ain't much, but I love entertaining. Cooking is my life. I love making anything, especially seafood. That's my forte. Ain't had much use for my cooking though, except around Christmas and those holidays, when relatives have me over for my cooking. I like my food like I like my women, salty. These here people, our neighbors, they don't seem to have the time to just sit and talk anymore. You here, smoking on your stoop, I saw you and I thought to myself, I'll introduce myself and we'll sit and talk, like neighbors, cause he looks like a nice enough fellow.

Yes, I guess I should go back across the street anyway, since the nephew is liable to come by any moment, puttering on his bike. I mean it, now, you'll come over, I'd invite you now, but that seems too much, especially with the nephew coming, but I'll cook up some food and get to be hospitable. They say a man shouldn't go to long without company, cause entertaining takes the edges off a man. So, I'm serious now, come on over sometime, just knock on the door.

Good talking to you too, hope to see you soon.