nother day in paradise

Connie came in today, she’s so warm and friendly, I’d wondered where she was yesterday but today when she showed up she told me, she’d been sleeping…for a full 24 hrs! We talked for longer than usual, she uses a walker and loves (and I do mean loves) my grilled cheese sandwhiches.

I asked her today if she would like an apartment or if she likes sleeping outside. I often do her laundry and have given her blankets before though the nice ones always get stolen. “I just can’t handle the cockroaches” she told me, “I wasn’t raised that way, so I’d rather sleep outside, you know what I mean?"

She went on to tell me how she used to have a lot of money and when she started partying too much she slowly lost it all until she wound up in the downtown eastside. She told me she remembers the first time she came down here “I was terrified by all the black guys, they really scared me at first”. She went on to tell me she’s been clean for five years but all she can afford is the small room she keeps her stuff in but can’t sleep in as the entire building is infested. I felt close enough to her to pry so personally, “is this where you want to be?” “no, its not.” She simply said. She borrowed another $5.00 (she always pays me back every welfare day) and went on her way but before she left she said, “I love you Amanda, I really do” and then hugged me. And they call this the hood, ha!