good aftah-noon, cts

regardless of the time of day, this is how lillina answers the phone. sometimes she catches herself, but usually not. she's our travel agent that i am constantly emailing or calling. her voice is unique: low, raspy, and a bit on the nasal side. the inflection of her voice suggests she most likely hails from the bronx: "good AFTAH-noon, cts."

lillina is lovely. she makes my life easier, and she is one of the many constants in my daily grind these days. as are the two guys that work at moon pie, the pizza place on the corner near my apartment. i stop by and say hi even when i'm not getting anything. the same guy is always at the zip in deli across the street from moon pie, offering me "special prices" on diet dr. pepper or cigarettes. the same girl is always outside on the stoop of the zip in - dark tan skin, short frazzled hair, and lately she's been hobbling on crutches. i see some of the same people on the train every morning, and some of the same people at the gym after work. it's these consistencies that keep me going. they are all signs of normalcy, at least for me. we all have routines and the usual suspects, no matter where we are. mine might just be a little rough around the edges.