The Cigarette
2023-04-25, 11:27 p.m.

There's no well-crafted story here or some shocking revelation about my life. The only thing to read is me getting a reminder of how low life can get someone.

The kid downstairs was smoking a butt out front trying to calm down after fighting with his girlfriend. We are not what I call friends but I do say hi and bye when I see them.

I don't know why I stopped to chat with him today on the way out of the house. Was it boredom? Was it I sensed something was wrong? I'm not sure.

We spoke about the past the present and the future and every 5-10 minutes his girl popped out to check on him. It was pretty funny how each time she came out she tried to get him to come in and stop talking.

I suppose I should give him a name let's call him Ronnie.

Ronnie’s mom is in the hospital but he didn't want to say what was wrong. I volunteered to go up there to bring her stuff because I saw him visibly upset. He told me that wasn't necessary because his dad was on the way up there.

He told me how a few of his family members died during the pandemic and how his mom and dad were on the verge of losing the house.

Ronnie’s dad called while we chatted to say he was on the way on the way to the hospital and the electric company just turned the power back on at the house.

Ronnie didn't ask for my help all he was doing was smoking a butt. I thought about all Fran and I had been through over the years and I shared some of that with Ronnie.

I don't know what I want to say about all this stuff other than maybe Ronnie kind of reminds me of me 30 years ago. Don't get me wrong we are not fucking twins Lol. It's just I've been overwhelmed like that I know how it feels.

Ronnie finished his cigarette and I drove away and we most likely will never speak of any of this ever again.