Stranger On A Bus
The back of the 38 Muni line can be a lively place. I've seen two undercover policewomen handcuff a disruptive, bald woman and escort her off the bus. I've heard scruffy men muttering to themselves, but it could be they were faking it in order to get people to leave them alone, because that is really all anyone wants on the bus: to be left alone.
The other day, I sat down on a bench next to a scruffy guy in baseball hat and purple knee pads. I pulled out the book I am reading about the 2010 Giants championship team, my accustomed shield against having to notice the loud teenagers--seriously, can't the city afford school buses so the rest of us don't have to deal with teenagers?
As I was reading, the guy in the kneepads asked if it was a good book. "I have it, but I haven't read it yet. My dad's a season ticket holder, and they gave everyone a signed copy."
We started talking about the Giants and their lack of hitting this year and how everything came together at the right time last year.
"I went to the parade and got REALLY drunk," he said. "I wound up in the Drunk Tank. That was my last drink." He told me he couldn't drink anymore, because he was sick. He had been on sick leave from work for a year.
"I guess that would be as good a moment for your last drink as any," I said.
"Yeah, it was something. I've never seen the whole city come together like that."
He told me that his dad was still a drunk. He told me that he was writing a book about everything that had happened to him. He and his dad were both ex-Army Rangers, and he had seen so much shit in his life. He told me he had a recording studio, and he was tired because he had stayed up all night recording, trying to be creative.
"I'm Travis," he said, proffering his hand.
He told me he used to be a great athlete, playing for the Cal basketball team from 1992 to 1994 as a backup to Jason Kidd.
When I was in fourth grade, Vaughn and I loved Battle Beasts. Another kid in our school told us that he had some dinosaur Battle Beasts that he would give us. He kept forgetting to bring them in, and then told us that a fire destroyed the shed where he kept them.
Years later, I went online, and found no indications that dinosaur Battle Beasts ever existed. Similarly, I looked online for the history of Cal basketball, and couldn't find a record of anyone named Travis on the rosters for that time period.
The other day, I sat down on a bench next to a scruffy guy in baseball hat and purple knee pads. I pulled out the book I am reading about the 2010 Giants championship team, my accustomed shield against having to notice the loud teenagers--seriously, can't the city afford school buses so the rest of us don't have to deal with teenagers?
As I was reading, the guy in the kneepads asked if it was a good book. "I have it, but I haven't read it yet. My dad's a season ticket holder, and they gave everyone a signed copy."
We started talking about the Giants and their lack of hitting this year and how everything came together at the right time last year.
"I went to the parade and got REALLY drunk," he said. "I wound up in the Drunk Tank. That was my last drink." He told me he couldn't drink anymore, because he was sick. He had been on sick leave from work for a year.
"I guess that would be as good a moment for your last drink as any," I said.
"Yeah, it was something. I've never seen the whole city come together like that."
He told me that his dad was still a drunk. He told me that he was writing a book about everything that had happened to him. He and his dad were both ex-Army Rangers, and he had seen so much shit in his life. He told me he had a recording studio, and he was tired because he had stayed up all night recording, trying to be creative.
"I'm Travis," he said, proffering his hand.
He told me he used to be a great athlete, playing for the Cal basketball team from 1992 to 1994 as a backup to Jason Kidd.
When I was in fourth grade, Vaughn and I loved Battle Beasts. Another kid in our school told us that he had some dinosaur Battle Beasts that he would give us. He kept forgetting to bring them in, and then told us that a fire destroyed the shed where he kept them.
Years later, I went online, and found no indications that dinosaur Battle Beasts ever existed. Similarly, I looked online for the history of Cal basketball, and couldn't find a record of anyone named Travis on the rosters for that time period.
posted by Devin at 12:42 PM
3 Comments:
Gosh, that's kind of sad, isn't it... maybe you made his day, though, giving him a chance to live an imaginary (?) life out loud for a while...
Well, the thing is, I don't know that everything he said was false. If you were ONLY weaving stories, would you mention that you were in the Drunk Tank?
I thought so too, that it's a mixture... very interesting, for sure! And I remember that long ago disillusionment/mystery, too.
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