See you
by adina
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Toronto streetcar story.
Last night I was on the Spadina streetcar and this developmentally delayed man in a Russian fur hat in his 40's was sitting across from me, staring intensely at me with his crusty mouth wide open. I thought "ew i always sit across from the goonies" and then I felt bad for thinking that.
Then he said in this loud voice: "I only got 60 percent in grade 13 English."
People were quiet.
He repeated himself with a chuckle in his voice, then added: "Mr. Nicholson. I could have gotten 59, but he gave me 60 and said 'you just write the final exam in june.'"
More quiet. "That was very nice of him to give you 60 percent." I said.
"Yeah," he answered, "He passed me. Hey, I saw William Shakespeare."
"Oh yeah?" I said.
The whole friggin streetcar was listening.
"Yeah. William Shakespeare and John Lennon and Paul McCartney. And Liz Taylor."
Then he started to laugh. "Liz Taylor..." he repeated. It was my stop so I wanted to say something else to him.
"Liz Taylor? She is a good actress." (I don't really think that but he smiled the hugest smile at me).
"See you," I said.
"Yeah, see you!" he called after me.
I don't mind the insincerity of "see you" at all. It is a nice way to say goodbye to someone even if you won't see them again.
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