7 am at Westwood, the park across from Target, there is a woman lying face down, sleeping, she is brunette, grey hoodie, she has the brown skin possibly an Islander, her pants and underwear are off, they have been folded, placed next to her elbow of the arm her head rests on. Her right knee out and almost equal to her hip.
An empty bottle of Jack Daniels lays on the other side of her clothes.
I can’t help but to look at the details of the situation.
It was not sexual for me,
There was some concern of perhaps rape, but her folded clothes, empty bottle, her deep, seemingly comfortable sleep led me to believe she found a comfortable spot.
I pick up the radio and call TCC
The Grass is long in this park, it is due
for a mowing, dandelions are tall, some yellow buds are turning white at the end of tall stalks where one has found itself to be standing behind her entrance.
It’s a warm morning, nearing 80 at 7am, a woman in her 80s that I often see walking, stops, approaches her, tries to wake her. The sleeper raises her head, then turns it the other way.
The elderly woman has a cell phone to her ear as she reaches for the woman’s pants and gently lays them across her rear.
I open the door to the bus, call to the elderly woman that I have called this in, she responds, “I just called too, the police will be here, 2nd time this week I have found her like this”.
You ok mam? “I’m fine, I’ll stay with her.
Thank you, mam, have a good morning.
TCC responds, I tell them to disregard.
A male in his 30s is doing his morning run, stops where the old woman is, they have a brief conversation, he turns his back and faces the street keeping his eye open for the police.
I pull out, start my route, heading east, sun in my eyes.
Transit Transients and Other Stories 