I was down on North Ave, and I heard the train stop, and then roll on again. A couple appeared, and walked on the sidewalk towards me. There was a white man, average height and weight, probably 50 years old, with jeans, t-shirt, grayish hair and a moustache. He's beside a black woman, much younger than him, early 30's. She's thinner than average, with blue leggings and a black halter top. Suddenly they go from walking side by side, to separating.
I am walking the other direction, crossing paths on the same sidewalk, practically brushing against them.
The woman pauses a moment, and yells, "I f--ing do what I f--ing want."
Okay. I stare down at my dog the whole time and keep going. I circle back towards my house, and hear yelling again. There they are, on Main Street now. The man is yelling into his cell phone, "I can't. I don't want to. She's passed out on the curb."
I pass by him, keep walking forward, and find the woman sitting on the curb. She's awake. This whole situation just doesn't feel right. It bothers me. I gotta say something.
I re-grip the leash, look down at the woman, and ask, "Are you all right?"
This is not a 'Are you too drunk?' or 'Are you lost?' this is a serious question. Like, 'Are you in danger?'
The girl looks up at me, pauses, and smiles. Her eyes are glossy as hell. She's not sober, but she's responsive.
"Yes," she nods. She smiles.
I keep walking.
"Thank you," she says.
"Uh huh," I reply.
I don't look back. I don't want to know. I didn't call the cops, but I thought about it.
That was some kind of prostitution business, I suppose. And it was way too awkward. Hopefully, me, being a complete stranger, and posing a question, may have helped her to sober up, and realize that she needed a change. Who knows what happened to her, or the guy, but it was unsettling, and will probably haunt my dreams.
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