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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781491809211 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 08/19/2013 |
| Pages: | 340 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.81(d) |
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#100 for 1
A SHOESHINING EXPERIENCE
By J. L. ADAMS
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2013 J. L. AdamsAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4918-0922-8
CHAPTER 1
IDENTIFY
"I'll Give you the bulletproof, ok?" I said as I folded up my polishing cloth. "Where you heading to?" I asked the gentleman that climbed into my shoeshine chair. Since I was one of the resident shoe shiners in JFK international Airport at terminal 5, I loved hearing what far-off destinations my customers were traveling to.
"Dominican Republic." He answered.
"Dominican Republic? You live there?" I asked him with noted impression.
"No, going to visit my mother. She's kind of ill," He replied.
"Are you traveling alone?" I asked next, as I began to clean his shoes.
His quick response was, "Yes."
"So where's your family?" I asked.
He hesitated a bit and stammered the first words of his sentence, "Ah my, um, my two brothers and my nephews; they're on another flight."
"What about the wife, and kids?" I smiled and said.
"Don't have a wife," he said, as he relaxed into the chair.
"You don't have a wife?" I was shocked by my own boldness.
"Divorce." He replied matter-of-factly.
"Why? Marriage is a beautiful thing." I proclaimed.
"Oh you know, shit happens so ..." He trailed off as if the answer were universal and didn't need to be spoken, then concluded, "Shit happens."
"Damn man. How long were you married for?" I asked him.
"Thirty years," he said, this time glancing down the terminal as if his ex were nearby. Then he continued, "Then I remarried somebody else; that lasted for four years. Now, I'm single. It's not "til death do you part,' it's "til someone starts doing something wrong,' then it's 'Fuck you and I'm out.'"
I laughed at his honesty, then asked, "What do you do for thirty years to make it last, like, what do you do?"
"Nothing, you just ignore the shit outta them." He advised me as I laughed more robustly and questioned him, "To make it last?"
He chuckled too, and then added, "It's like with anything else in life, my dude."
"Pardon?" I wanted to know exactly what he meant.
"It's like with anything else in life: If you start paying too much attention to everything that's going on around you, you go fucking crazy. So you just got to look at it, observe and respect it, and keep it moving."
"Keep it moving?" I couldn't tell if this was the reason or the goal.
"Because you know, you aren't here for eternity, that's bullshit," he added, as I agreed with him. He then went on to say, "So you make the best of it, you learn, you identify yourself, and you live. I don't bother you; you don't bother me. If you fuck with me, all hell is going to break loose."
I nodded my head in agreement, still chuckling. "So are you still friends with your ex-wives?"
"Yeah." He smiled and responded.
"It's a better relationship now?" I went on to ask, as I applied the last layer of polish to his shoes.
"Yea, I go out with them, I take, well, with the kids. I take them out ... I go out with them and the kids when there's a special occasion and stuff like that. It's a little bit better, not impossible."
"Oh, okay. That's nice." I commended him as I buffed his worn shoes.
"And my last wife, we have a good relationship. We go out, we talk on the phone, and it's like a good friendship with like no problems."
I then smiled and said, "I think marriage is a beautiful thing."
"It is, it is, but you have to, you know, the thing is, if you're doing good, and you got a job and everybody is working, everybody is making money, you know, everybody is happy, no problem, somebody doesn't start working and staying home and stuff like that, soon they start with the shit and trust me ..." He trailed off like the end to this sentence was apparent.
"So that's one of the major problems, huh?" I asked.
"Money. They'll stay with you while they can use you and then after that's gone ... You get married, this is my motto: You get married hoping that your wife never changes and she gets married hoping that she can change you into the man she wants."
"Wow," I am somewhat speechless, never having heard that theory before.
"Analyze it, and tell me it's not true. First of all, they eliminate your friends." He said.
"Yup!" I agree, more to keep him on his roll.
He continues, "That's gone. You used to go out, that's gone. You used to go out whenever you felt like it, but no more. So, what is the deal, are you married for love or are you married for changes? What the fuck?"
"I know, that makes sense," I nod.
"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but some of us needs some, some wisdom." He advise me, as I smile and say, "Yeah."
He shakes his pant legs down and changes the subject; "I almost didn't make it today. My brother had, luckily I gave the keys to my brothers and they got into my house and woke me up. Otherwise, I would a still be sleeping."
"How long are you going to be out there?" I looked up at him and asked.
"Till Friday morning." He said.
"Well, I hope that your mom gets better." I said as I gave him the thumbs up signaling that he is all polished and ready to settle up.
"Yeah, we're going to keep her out there for at least three months and see what happens after that." He said, then looked down at his shoes and said, "That's very good, looks great," as he reached into his pocket for his wallet.
"Thank you, thank you for the business." I tell him as he pays me.
Before walking off he said, "Be very observant with their behavior and any sudden changes."
CHAPTER 2
READY
I had a bad habit, a really bad one, whenever I would work the morning shift which started at 6 am and finished at 1:30 pm. I really don't know how it happened, but I would never, ever come into work with the intention of going right to work, meaning that if a customer was already at the stand waiting for me to open to get a shine, I would be kind of upset at that customer. I would never show it, but it meant that I didn't get a chance to take my morning stroll across the terminal to get my morning treats, which were mints, a newspaper, hot chocolate or oatmeal. I also liked to go to the restroom to make sure my face was OK and my hair was looking good. Only after doing all of that was I ready to begin my day.
"You need a couple more minutes?" My next customer asked me as I was setting up the stand that morning, while listening to music from my cellphone.
"Yeah, just give me two more minutes," I replied, as I continued to take out my supplies. I then took out the cushions for the chairs, placed them on it and offered him to take a seat.
"Thank you," he said as he climbed the stand and got seated. I then placed the footrest up and immediately attended to him.
"Which of our shines would you like to have?" I asked as I stood and looked up at him.
"Oh, I'll just take the basic" was his response as I nodded my head and began to wrap the balm rag around my wrist and began cleaning his shoes.
"Can you do a quick one? My flights leaves in less than ten minutes." He requested.
"Of course, we're going to be finished way before that" I assured him, as I began to brush the balm off of his shoes. "Where are you heading today?"
"Ah, DC," he replied.
"You live there?"
"No I go there every week for business, I live right here in New York" he added, then went on to asked, "What about you?"
"I'm from Guyana, but I moved here four years ago," I replied, as I began to clean the soles of his shoes. "How long are you going to be out in DC?"
"Just a week. I go out there every week and come back on Thursdays and spend the weekends here," he stated.
"Oh that's not so bad," I assured him, as I looked up at him then asked, "Are you married?"
He then began to laugh and then said, "No," as he continued laughing.
"Why are you laughing? What's funny?" I asked him since I clearly didn't get the joke.
He continued to laugh and said, "I'm not ready for marriage yet."
We both laughed aloud. I really didn't know why he was laughing, but I thought that it was funny that he said he wasn't ready for marriage and looked as if he was in his late forties, so I kept the questions rolling, asking, "Did you have a bad experience?"
"No, but ah, you know, just not ready, got to find that right person first," he said as he quickly glanced at his watch.
"Do you think marriage has the same value that it had twenty, thirty years ago?"
"Society wise, no. I guess for me it does," he stated.
"Ok, why is that?" I then asked, since I wanted him to be more specific.
"My grandparents were married since they were seventeen or eighteen, something like that, and now they're like seventy-something, and they've never lost love for each other."
"Ok, did they argue a lot?" I quickly asked him.
"They might have," he said, then added, "I stayed with them a lot, but you know what, my parents never saw them arguing and neither did I."
"Ok, so therefore you would get married?" I asked him with a smirk on my face.
"I would do it, if I find the right person, but ah, I haven't found the right person. If she came in my life right now, I still would have to think about it, and I do envy my grandfather for finding that right person, you know, 'because I have a friend who's been with his girl for like, ah, seven years. Since in college and he still loves her like he met her yesterday, so you know, if you find somebody like that, It's definitely worth it for you, but I haven't found that person for me. "How about yourself, are you married?"
I continued to brush the polish into his shoes and said, "No I'm not married, but I just like to hear what people have to say about marriage, because it's something that I'm thinking about."
He then smiled and said "Man, I feel if it's the right person, you should do it."
"Yeah but, you know, I meet a lot of people every day and the stuff most people say about marriage ... like at first it can seem like it's the right person, or it could even seem like it's not the right person and then 10 years after being married it could be the right person. Different people, different opinions."
"I hear you. Well, I guess the problem is you've got to meet the right person," he said.
"Yeah, but the big question is: How do you know if it's the right person because people change over time?"
"Ah, you got to go out there and search, but I think the right person will come along when the time is right. But, maybe when she does come along, you won't be ready yet," he said, then added, "then that's another story," We both laughed aloud.
"Life is unfair" I joked as we continued to laugh.
"Yes it is." He agreed.
"Thank you," I said to him after giving him the thumbs up, signaling that his shine was completed.
"Enjoy. What's your name?" he asked as he stepped down from the stand and paid me.
"It's Lancelot" I responded.
"I'm Jamie. Nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you, too" I replied, as he took off.
CHAPTER 3
COMMUNICATION
"How are you today?" my new customer greeted me, as she interrupts me from reading my newspaper.
"I'm good, how are you?"
"Good."
"Okay, how much time do you have?" I asked her.
"I only have about fifteen minutes."
"Oh, we're going to be finished long before that. Where are you heading to today?" I asked, to get the ball rolling.
"Back home to St. Marten," she said with a broad smile on her face, I then asked her to place her feet on the footrest.
"Oh, sorry," she said, as she put her boots onto the footrest.
"That's alright." I reassured her, then went right into asking her, "Could I ask you a question?"
As she smiled, she said, "Sure, why not?"
I asked her, "What is your take on marriage?"
"Ah." she said suspiciously.
"Like getting married and staying married. I'm try to get some information about marriage. Are you married, by the way?"
"No I am not. I have a boyfriend and we have two children together. A wedding is very expensive. Plus, my sister just got married over the summer and they're already having issues. So I think things were best, and they were happier, before they got married."
"Damn," I said, surprised.
"My boyfriend and I talked about it, and the only reason that it would be of any benefit to us, is that if he got sick or something like that, I would be able to make decisions, but other than that ... and the divorce rate is so high." She stared me in the eyes.
"Yeah, it makes you think, right?" I replied immediately.
"Yeah, all that planning and money. Why, are you planning on getting engaged?" She asked.
"No, but I think marriage is a beautiful thing, and I want to take it seriously. I want to know what I'm getting into," I said as I stopped polishing her shoes and looked up at her.
"But I think, you know what? I think that a lot of people don't think about it. They just do it, even though they say these things to the person in front of all these people that are there, witnessing."
"Yeah, in front of a church and all of that, that's what I'm saying. I'm not going to go in front of an altar, in front of a priest and say, "Till death do us part" and then make a mistake, and then you're going to want to leave me and all that. I want to take it seriously," I assured her.
"Yeah, because a lot of people just want a big party," she quipped, as we both laughed.
"They do."
"A big reception."
"Hmm-hmm." She murmured and we laughed some more.
"Instead of actually thinking about what it means, my sister, who lives in Indiana, she called my house this Sunday and she's like 'Maybe I should just get a divorce,' and I'm like, 'Simone, you guys just got married, you said these things, this is for life.'"
"For life, till death do we part," I added.
"And she's thirty-eight years old and it's her first marriage, so that's why I'm like, yeah its hard work and that's part of it, and it's not easy. If It was easy, then people would have been married like they used to be; for fifty years."
I nodded.
"And you could move on like that." She continues.
"Yeah, that's the sad part of it, the divorce. It's even harder to get a divorce than it is to get married." I stated.
"Yeah, you have to decide if that's what you truly, truly want," she said.
"Yeah definitely." I agreed.
"No, I mean if that's what you truly want, then you're going to make sure when you say that, then you're not going to take—" Then she stopped and looked at me and said, "You even asking me this question means that you would do everything that you possibly could to make sure that it won't break up. There are inevitable things, but if you work on them on a daily basis, then it can work," she stated.
"So what is she saying is the problem, lack of communication or money? What is the problem?" I wanted to know.
"Yea, she's saying lack of communication. They're both very, very stubborn people ..." she paused then said, "My brother-in-law called last night and he talked to my boyfriend and said that they both took off their wedding rings and this is the second time they've done it and they only got married in July. My boyfriend said to him, 'Listen, you could sit here and fight about it, and be bitter about who's right and who's wrong, or you could just be like, you know what, whoever was wrong doesn't matter and go apologize. Is it worth it to fight for another week about nonsense?'"
"I know, right," I say.
"So that was what he told them. They both were like, 'Well I'm not wrong and I'm not wrong, so I'm not apologizing.' Alright then, you know what? Continue to fight and be idiots. It's easier to apologize, suck it up, and be the bigger person." She said as she moved forward and nodded her head while raising her left hand.
"Yeah, that's true." I agree.
"And I've been the same as well, you know, when you think that you're right, and you're absolutely not," she said.
"Yeah." I agreed with her, as I began putting the final layer of polish on her shoes.
"These looks wonderful." She complimented my work.
"Yea, they were looking pretty rough, scuffed up pretty bad." I said to her, as I continued to work my hands.
"Do you think living together first, before getting married, would be a good idea?" I asked her very kindly.
"It depends on what your personal beliefs are." She nodded her head and removed her blonde hair from her face, then added, "If your religion says that that's not a good thing to do, yah know ... I on the other hand, I'm a completely optimistic person, so that's bull."
We chuckle.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from #100 for 1 by J. L. ADAMS. Copyright © 2013 J. L. Adams. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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