Snowfall

Now Zappa's gone, just like Kool. Joe told me to give up, but Zappa's the only friend I have around here.

Jupah's incessant noise is driving me crazy. I wanna take that stupid pan of his and throw it into the lake.

Rai is back, they tell me. I've met this guy, the most ornery beggar you could think of, and he's not too happy that I'm here. He says I stole his spot, or I think he does. I can't understand much of what he's saying.

He sits in the middle of the sidewalk and hollers, switches between hollering at the people walking by and hollering at me.

"Hey watcha hey hey!!!" In his gruff voice, and then at me, "Don' ya hey ma hey hey!!!"

He stares with his wild eyes open wide and his tongue lags out of his mouth to one side.

Every once in a while he gets up and shakes convulsively as though he was mad.

Now it's snowing and shelter is more important than ever. I'm not about to give up my spot, even if it means he'll kill me. I'll die either way.

The Onset of Winter

With the first few flurries and temperatures in the low twenties, the competition is dwindling. Last night, me and Zappa were the only two out on our block. Joe and Kool had hunkered down for the night, Joe's boom box still blared from his corner of the archway, but he was tucked safely under his blanket for the night. Kool was nowhere in sight, maybe dead, Zappa thought. I had my first good night of business, fifteen dollars. Jupah said my act was all wrong, but what did he know. He sat by the newspapers and beat his pan against the pavement. He never got anything except what he stole.

Zappa says I need to fatten up if I'm gonna last the night, but I'm tougher than he thinks.

It is so cold.