Getting Real

Dressed elegantly in a black velvet dress and pearls, Siobhan entered the hotel lobby. She spoke with the desk clerk, Tamara, for a moment, before entering the dining room. They smiled and nodded before Siobhan broke away.

All her old school mates waved her over when she paused at the threshold.

She’d known Lourdes since grade school. Though not always friends, the decades had softened edges.

Ford and Axel were always buddies, inseparable. The jokes about their names went way back. ‘Where could you go without me?’ was Axel’s famous question. Since childhood, Ford’s name was said to be an acronym for ‘Found on Road Drunk.’

Tristan was the center around which all else revolved. His arrival in town determined when to meet and where.

Attendance was mandatory. It just was. How dare one skip a family reunion? Every summer they’d meet at the same restaurant in the best hotel in town. Tristan always booked the same room. Never having seen it, Siobhan heard each year it had the best view.

They always ate at the same table and Tristan always sat at the head.

Siobhan wondered, ‘Why the big show?’ Lifelong friends could meet anywhere. They could play rummy at Bub’s Tavern. No need to impress anyone. Or was there?

Spouses and significant others came and went. These were the core friends. No one else would get the connections, the in-jokes, or the history. Outsiders would distract from the ‘real stuff.’

That’s if ‘real stuff’ could be found amidst endless war stories and banter. These soirees reminded Siobhan of watching an old sitcom rerun. The jokes were funny back in high school. One of their circle could write up all their worn-out anecdotes. Each would get a copy. Instead of reciting it every time they met, they could read it any time they chose. Let the wild laughter begin.

Years ago, Siobhan realized if a friendship stops growing, the friendship stops.

‘As long as I’ve known them, do I know them at all?’

Siobhan arrived at the table as her friends reacted in awe at Tristan’s tale of financial prowess.

He said, “…Really shows how creative destruction makes the world go round…”

Siobhan said, “I thought love did that.”

Ford said, “Same difference…”

Everyone laughed.

Ford extended his hand to Siobhan. “Welcome, Princess.”

“Don’t call me that. You know I’m no princess.”

“You are to me. Always have been.” He grinned.

She smiled at the group. “Sorry I’m late, guys. Think I’m about three drinks behind…”

“Time to catch up…” Waving for the waiter, Tristan said, “I was catching them up on the fortune I’ve accrued from the recent market rally.”

Siobhan said, “Fascinating…”

Axel said, “With a killing like that, you could buy a sports team.”

Tristan calculated mentally. “…At least three or four players.”

Laughter erupted.

Ford said, “Speaking of sports, Tris… you think they’ll take it all the way to the bowl?”

Axel interjected, “Who? What bowl?”

“The Rangers, doofus! The Super Bowl… pay attention, man.”

Siobhan ordered a glass of wine. Going around the table, everyone ordered dinner.

Lourdes leaned over to Siobhan. “I haven’t seen you for so long.”

Tristan observed, “She’s ever elusive.”

Axel added, “Comes and goes on her own schedule.”

Drinks arrived, accompanied by appetizers.

Tristan raised his glass. “To us all. Once again… the usual gang of misfits.”

They approved and drank.

Siobhan said, “I have to say, the conversation, when I walked up, I thought I’d stepped into a time machine. Could’ve been any of the last ten times we met.”

No one responded.

Siobhan tried again, “So what have you all been up to?”

Tristan looked bemused. “Getting rich… or richer.”

Everyone laughed.

Lourdes said, “Staying pretty… getting prettier.”

Ford said, “Same ol’, same ol’. Better all the time.”

Axel thought for a moment. “Traveling. And saving up to travel…”

“Oh? Where to?”

“Vegas has my number and calls incessantly.” He whispered, “I’d get a restraining order but crave the attention…”

Everyone laughed.

Ford added, “We’re not really misfits though. We should call ourselves ‘the Movers.’ Because we make things happen.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. You know… everything. Like we said…”

Siobhan sipped her wine, set it down and pushed her chair back. “Excuse me.”

Lourdes called after her. “Don’t run away. I have something for you.”   

With some urgency Siobhan walked straight to the rest room. She assessed her image in the mirror. Satisfied, she nodded and stepped into the first stall.

A few minutes later, Siobhan re-entered the lobby, transformed.

She’d adopted the guise of one living under a bridge or crossing the street behind an overloaded shopping cart. Siobhan had perfected the appearance of the easily dismissed, overlooked, or avoided.

No one would suspect she was the fashionable young woman who’d left the party minutes earlier.

The weather had been warm, but she wore a puffy zip up jacket with a hood. Discolored and grimy, it looked like it had been slept in. This outer coat covered several layers of clothing. The hood and a scarf covered much of her face.

A trench coat tied around her waist hung almost to the floor. It partially covered baggy, torn jeans. Her stylish heels were gone.  Tattered tennis shoes, reinforced with duct tape, now adorned her feet. The bulky shopping bag slung over her shoulder hid her evening dress and shoes. 

Her barely perceptible nod acknowledged Tamara. Bypassing the dining room, she walked through the lobby and exited.

Steve, the desk manager, stepped up behind Tamara. “What’s that homeless person doing here?”

Tamara smiled. “Like I told you, we get a few every week. I always say the facilities are available only to hotel guests.”

“They never read the sign. What can you do?”

“Getting angry doesn’t help. I tell them. Word will get out.”

“Yeah. Consistency… Let one in and it’ll be an invasion…”

~

Blending in with other pedestrians, Siobhan walked away from the hotel. It was a short trek to the freeway bridge spanning the railyard. She ducked through a gap in the chain link fence and scaled the embankment to a small homeless camp.

The lookout, Len, walked down to meet her. His limp evened out on the uneven terrain. He relieved her of the bulging bag and offered his hand to assist her climb. She waved it off.

The rumble of semi-trailer trucks harmonized with the steady rush of traffic overhead. Down below, a passenger train crawled by. Bright windows revealed crowded cars.

Len said, “Whatcha got?”

“Clothes, snacks… Some stuff for the crew.”

“You always come through, girl…”

As they approached, a young woman emerged from her tent.

Len said, “Glad to see you again…”

He set the bag down and returned to his lookout.

Holding a baby, Vera hailed Siobhan with her free hand.

“Hey!”

“I brought something for your girl.”

She cooed at the baby who gazed with wide eyes.

“Oh, you’re so sweet. You didn’t have to. What can I get you?”

Siobhan thought for a moment. “Hot tea?”

“Chamomile…?”

Siobhan nodded and held the baby while Vera scurried to the campfire to get the tea. She brought back a steaming cup.

“Come to me, my Jasmine…” Taking the baby, Vera gestured toward the fire. “Come sit…”

A guy joined them. He wiped his hand on his jacket and offered it to Siobhan. They shook hands and smiled.

Vera said, “This is Milton. Don’t think you’ve met…”

“Hi, call me Milt… You’re Siobhan? Welcome. Heard about you.”

She nodded.

“Hungry?”

“Maybe later. I brought some snacks.”

“Cool…”

She sipped her tea. “How’s it going?”

Milt said, “Pretty good… You know… This is a good spot, all in all. Pretty safe. Cops don’t hassle us.”

“Not much…” Vera offered, “Milt got a job.”

“That’s always good.”

“Yeah, well, think so. See how it goes. Might afford us something more stable.”

Vera said, “And warmer…”

He gestured toward the railyard. “Never meant for this to be permanent… Sick of living like Grizzly Adams…”

Vera hugged the baby close. “But we’re together here, Milt. That’s what counts.”

Smiling, he gave her a thumbs up.

Siobhan said, “Right… Let me know if you move…”

Vera laughed. “Of course! You’re my BFF.” They laughed. “You staying?”

“Yeah, if my tent’s still stowed back there…”

Vera comforted her baby.

“Of course!” She said, “Hey, Siobhan… Don’t get me wrong… we love you. Want you here. But why? You could be anywhere.”

Siobhan smiled and stared at the fire. She thought of the annual dinner she left behind.

“You know? Anywhere isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Honestly, I prefer you guys. Feel I belong.”

Milton said, “Amongst us misfits?”

They laughed.

“Seriously… misfits are the best. As out of joint as the world is… you guys are sane. Everyone chooses their family. I choose you.”

Vera and Milton exchanged glistening looks. “Well, we choose you too.”

Milton said, “Almost time for my watch. Let’s set your tent.”

He went into the gloom to find Siobhan’s gear.

Vera shifted the baby to her other arm. She looked at Siobhan. “You doin’ okay? Know you can always talk to me, right?”

Siobhan smiled and nodded. “Yeah… now that I’m here. Everything’s good.”

Milton carried her tent out. Siobhan pointed to the next open spot.

A train rolling into the yard sounded its horn. The baby tried to imitate it. They all joined, singing in chorus and laughed.