Manual

November 7 2009

Meet sarah in the Market after wrangling koi and dogs on the island. She was with Lisa…we all chat and shop and then after Sarah and I decide to walk the Dejuindre Cut. And its still gorgeous outside..and as we approached the end we could see construction workers and I started to get worried as I could not exactly recall if Manuals place was directly at the end or not…well I tried not to get upset and asked if she minded if we go look and as we were heading there the field next to the workers was empty…my heart sunk until we come over the small hill and I could she his shack.

It is much smaller than last winter, like it had been torn down. He was not home. But his shopping cart was. I was so happy his place was still there I started to cry as we continued our walk. I asked if she was cool going around the block as I like to take new routes. And I am glad we did cuz a man was approaching us from down the second block and it ended up being Manual!

I spoke his name and asked if he remembered me. Mind you he speaks Spanish and damn it all to hell I have not yet learned to speak it so we have a language barrier. I speak to him about coming around again as the weather gets cold and ask about his shoes. He has on good boots! I tell him I will see him soon, he tells me ‘everyday’ I tell him we shall see. And he gives me a magazine he has in hands..its some ladies mag. I take his kind gesture and introduce him to Sarah and we part ways.

I was very happy to see him and he looked healthier than last year..but it was not winter yet and living in his shack esp in the worse condition it was in was sure to take its toll.
Spent the next few hours sharing life love and stories with Sarah who is a sage for her age and someone I am so grateful to have in my life…to be called her friend.

I am blessed with some amazing people in my life and I am so glad I now understand that I can call on them in my time of need, or when they call on me, to accept there love and support and challenges and pushing and listening and words and just no non-sense bull shit to help me to continue to become the person I know I can be. To each of them I am honored.