FROM THE HERMIT 

8/16/2022

 

M  I spoke with the new neighbors, who are both in a wheelchair.  Roberta and Ken’s house burned down on a nearby street, so they are now renting around the corner from me.  She slipped and fell running from the fire, and as a result, she had a 12” scar on her leg that she showed me.  I try not re-look at it over and over again.  She’s also a Gyn nurse at Mayo.  What a great new source of stories for me.  One of her employees, Kathy, showed up to assist Ken and Roberta.  “I can give you a business card if you think you may need me,” I said.

Kathy replied that she was a nurse at Mayo who worked for Roberta in the Gyno Department.  “I don’t think we’ll ever see each other out there.” She replied.   “Oh, I don’t know.  I may drop into the department to read a Cosmopolitan magazine.” I said.

She arched one eyebrow perfectly.  “You single?” she said.  “Uh-huh,” I replied.  “I live in a house by myself around the corner.”    She pulled out her wadded-up tee shirt that had worked its way up tight against her armpit.  She started to smell her fingers but stopped when she saw I was looking at her.  She kept standing sideways to me to accentuate her rather large breasts in profile.

I wanted to tell her that I appreciated that.  But I didn’t.

Roberta and Ken want to meet Maggie.  I don’t know?  Their sullen indoor cat disappeared for two days but just now returned wearing a collar and a bell.  “I think you are like our cat,” says Roberta.  “No one wants to put a collar on me,” I reply.

M  Linda Harper said she wanted to meet Elisa.  Linda may be riding her exercise bicycle and watching a soccer game while talking long-distance to her son on the phone when Elisa shows up.  Linda lives across the street from Roberta and Ken.

Elisa may be better at trolling people, but Linda confirmed everything that Roberta told me about Roberta’s house fire.  She checked the internet and said that it was all true.  Damn.  She’s good too.

“Elisa is coming to town and wants to celebrate her birthday with me,” I said.  “When is her birthday?”  Linda asked.   “A long time ago,” I replied.  “That makes sense,” Linda said.  “We should go to the Amazon return store and buy her something.”

I suggested a giant cactus or a puppy.

M  Jacksonville City Counsel wants the dancers at the gentlemen’s clubs to fill out a form detailing specifically where tattoos are on their bodies for identification purposes and for the licenses to dance.  John Phillips, the Tiger King attorney, has filed a protest claiming that it is cruel to ask a woman tell where tattoos are on her body.   The city police already have a problem of harassing young dancers about their bodies, which is documented by his lawsuits.  In an effort to prevent human trafficking, John has suggested that consensual sex work be allowed in Jacksonville.

 

M  Neighbors are reporting that wild macaque monkeys are raiding their backyards.  Wildlife officials state the monkeys have made their way from Silver Springs to the St. Johns River.  Meanwhile, herpetologists are apologizing for the Python roundup, but there is money involved.

 

t  “You have to get out of the house,” my sister yells at me over the phone.  “I haven’t received a Jacksonville newsletter from you in over a month.”

 

M  My friend Carol and her husband want me to go to Fort Mose with them instead of going to Saturday services.  “Where is Fort Mose?” I ask.   “Down the street from your house.” They reply.  You better Google Map it so you don’t get lost.  Anyway, it is going to be awesome.”

The historical enactor was great as he discussed the history of the fort.  But it was awesome when several of us went out into the swamp trail.   There were live flamingoes nesting in the trees.  We just stood there in the marsh and looked at them.

 

M  “We missed you at Tai Chi, Rambo.”  Sharon calls me Rambo because it is so hot at Mandarin Park that I sometimes wear a black headband to keep the sweat and suntan lotion out of my burning eyes. 

Estelle brought out a towel, and then she set a battery-operated candle on top of it in the grass.  We form a Tai Chi circle around it.  Then Estelle set up a Bluetooth speaker linked to her iPhone.   ‘Sacred Journey’ by Kitaro is playing.

“We are going to do the Dao form today.” Phyliss, our sifu says.  “We will start with Scoop the Moon.”

I always leave my glasses in the car.  Today I’m not wearing sunglasses either, despite my ophthalmologist’s warning that I may get cataracts in the Florida sun.  I glance over at my car, safely parked nearby.

My body slumps and relaxes.  Sharon is standing next to me.  “I believe there is a man wearing boxing gloves punching the oak trees next to my car.”

“Yes,” she replies without breaking her concentration.

“I don’t have my glasses, but it looks like he is wearing feathers in his hair too.”

Wap go his gloves against the oak trees.

Kitaro plays softly in the background.

Everything is working just as God planned for me today in Mandarin Park.