I walk out after that mess at Lucas'- well, maybe "mess" is exaggerating. It was just more like, *inconvenient* for the both of us from my horning on in without asking first. But I am known for being expressive, right? So anyways, after that mess, I feel uneasy. The weather is still crap. I figure the sun is setting because it's darker. I take the train home. I don't feel great on that either. I'm walking home from the train stop. Still out of it. I even forget to stop for the groceries I was supposed to.
Before I know it, I'm at my building and I suddenly forget- about being out of it- because I get this feeling. And this surprises me because I live in what is pretty much the basement of this huge and ancient- but well kept- catholic school. Twice as high as it is wide, and square around. Whatever you might think of the Practice, the Place is always... solemn I guess you could say. Grounded. Like two big blocks of stone stacked on the Holy Dirt. But now I'm getting this alert happening and I'm really wondering why, right?
So I take a gulp, and breeze through the carved oak slabs that pass for doors around here and get right into the busy. Children and Teachers buzz through the main hall and clump up into lines that disappear into the warmly lit opening at the far end of the space. Really they're just going down the big winding stair that hugs the wall of the pit down, but from where I am, they look to be swallowed up by the glow. I don't see anyone strange, but I feel like eyes are on me from the shadows that stick to the sides of the foyer. But what am I going to do about now, right? So I make my way to the stair clogged with school people.
The kids are all lined up to go down for lunch. And as usual, I've got to be polite and say excuse me, and hello, all the way down, to the teachers and maybe some kids that recognize me and whatnot. It might sound like a little much to deal with to get home, but I tell you: the kids are not there all the time, I've got a huge place in a solid building, I come and go as I please and the rent is for nothing. So it's worth it. I'll tell you some other time how I got into it. It might be interesting.
Anyways then- not like usual- I run into a guy standing there a ways down. Acts like he knows me, asks me about my day. Couple of other things I don't hear because I'm too busy noticing a pin on his lapel. Like a green rectangle. But I do get that he's trying to act familiar even though he's not. He's fishing, but I don't know for what. And this bothers me because that's always trouble. Truth is though, right now I don't care and I do not want to talk to him. Then he starts on about the kids and some of the little girls making their way by. How are they doing in school and so forth. I've had enough, so I point him to one of the principals I know and call out to her. In this moment of confusion, I play it slick and take advantage of his having to deal with Ms. Ingles. I slip away down the steps. I don't think he's following me, so maybe he's asking everybody questions. I don't know.
I make it all the way to the bottom- three levels down to the basement- and past all the little happy, hungry children queued up for the cafeteria. The adults are looking out and keeping the line moving orderly, like. I feel the eyes on the back of my neck this time, and I look back to where this Questions Guy was and he's not there. I look around and don't see him or Ms. Ingles anywhere so I think maybe it was nothing, but in my gut, I know it was something. My feet go a little faster home...
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