southbound Trax car >>> Valentine's Day 2010 8:30 am
"Mornin sunshine!" a loud voice calls from the far end of the train car.
No response.
A large woman with a man's bowl haircut stands up from the last bench wearing a misbuttoned flannel shirt and tan cargo pants with torn cuffs. She is smiling, slightly crosseyed and sipping from a Maverik travel mug.
"Mornin sunshine!" she calls again.
Still no response. She begins a slow progress down the aisle and walks the entire length of the car to the last bench on the other end, still smiling, crosseyed and sipping on her mug.
"How're you?" she asks a bearded man in sunglasses and a red hoodie.
"I'm tired. I's up till four in the morning partyin."
"Want some coffee?"
"Nah, thanks."
"It's gooood."
"No thanks."
"Boom boom pow! I don't usually drink coffee neither," the loud woman says. "But the money wasn't on my card."
"Money?"
"From my food stamps."
"You can get money for food stamps?"
"If you're on SSI you can. I already called 'em - they're s'posed to call me back."
"Where you livin at?"
"Kearns."
"Kearns? Why the hell you way out here in Salt Lake?"
"Having fun."
Her cellphone rings and she answers it.
"Yeah? Really? - 'cause I just checked. OK. Bye."
She hangs up, then stands up and attempts to perform some kind of gymnastic feat but fails and falls back onto the seat.
"WOO HOO! They put my $97 on my card! Boom boom pow!"
"It's party time!"
Another call comes through and she picks up.
"Hi! Yeah, can I come over today? Yeah. Yeah. No, no, no! I have money! I just gotta go get my - OK."
She hangs up.
"Boom boom pow! That was my dope dealer."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. In fact, I'm going to see two dope dealers today."
Her phone begins to ring again, this time she lets it play and she sings along.
"Boom boom pow! I love this song! It's Black Eyed Peas. It's on their new album."
She answers.
"What? Nothing. On the train. No. OK."
She hangs up.
"What're you doin today?" she asks the bearded man.
"Nothing."
"Want to take the bus out to Riverton? You know where Riverton is?"
"It's the sticks."
"Yeah, but that's where my dealer lives."
"It takes forever."
"No it don't - just take the handicapped bus."
"I am handicapped."
"Me too! - both physically and mentally. Boom boom pow!"
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