Grateful

When I pulled in to the Day Labor Site, a hundred men swarmed my car, creating a frightening vision of paparazzi stalking this princess. Four desperate men opened the back door of the car and crammed into the back seat, before I even had a chance to make an offer. I made them get out. As I have now done, I was to leave them them with my friend K. who is 58, single, female, and is being evicted this morning. I was trying to be certain that I was comfortable with them. There's a coordinator there, Tony, just one for the hundred of men still there at 7:30am. He helped me. I told him I was looking for bi-lingual men to help with a rush move, no furniture.

"Excuse me, sir, may I go with you?" (hmmm. . . new plans going on . . momentarily.)
"Yes!"

His name is Fernando. Nice young beautiful man. Still, Tony saying:

"Sir, sir! do you want these men?" indicating the 4 now crowded in my back seat.

"No", I said. "None of them."

Order, I needed some order. As I explain to Fernando what the deal is, Tony is insisting that the four get out of my car, the other hundred are tapping on the windshield or pushing up to the driver's window pleading

"me? me? me?"

I can still see their eyes.

They were small men, the ones who had pushed through into the back seat. They didn't speak English, and they needed the job. Tony kept confirming that I wanted them out, and telling them I hadn't changed my mind while I negotiated with Fernando (and thought about getting his phone number.) In the matter of seconds upon hearing him ask if he could go with me, noticing his grooming and professional manner, perfect English, not to mention big shoulders and beautiful face; I had decided that he was my foreman. I was offering $50 each, he wanted to negotiate for $70, I said

"No, she can't afford that."

The clamor of window tapping and plea's closed in. Tony asks me who I want to go with me, I said I needed two more bi-lingual men.

"This one? This one?"

"How about $70, we should do it for $70"

"Hey meester, me? Me? I go?"

"Fine. $70. You - and you."

"That's my friend, I work with him."

"No, I've already selected. It's done."

I hope they don't freak out when the police show up to throw K. out. She'll need them to stick with her to unload to the storage unit. She's given up trying to make a dignified exit, and is now just trying to get most of the things she needs. She got all the furniture out, but everything else is a huge jumble. It's what happens to a pack-rat when there's an explosion.

Rolf and I were there to help her last night. We didn't do much. I packed her music, and went through a closet packed with binders, books, and financial records, to make sure I'd gotten all the music and theater material out. All the rest will be trashed. Rolf dealt with her computer, packing up wires and what else, I don't know. And K. talked. She talked so much, slowed us down so much it was alarming. K. had sent out a desperate email to many friends asking for last minute help. Two others showed up. Laborers from her job had been volunteering and helping her out. All the furniture was in storage.

Here's the email she sent:

Hi, everyone!

Well, I'm being evicted from my apartment at 10:00 tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 6/7) and I don't have everything out. Two guys from where I'm working (who helped me for a long time yesterday) were going to come back today after work but they just called to say they can't come! I have a storage space and am desperately trying to get everything I want to keep OUT of here. And you know I'm a packrat! I've gotten rid of a lot of furniture, but there are some things, including my show music collection, I can't risk to lose. AND it's going to rain! If ANY of you could come for even an hour this evening - or even tonight - I would appreciate it more than I can say! There may be some things here you'd like to have ... or maybe you'd just be willing to help me move stuff out! One thing these guys were going to help me move was my PIANO. It's a spinet, so not the heaviest piano in the world, but I have that flight of stairs ...Help help help - any of you! Please call me to let me know if you could come to carry even one load of stuff down to my borrowed truck!

Thank you!

K.

When we got there, the men from her job had showed up after all and moved the piano and the last of the furniture for her. She hadn't gotten the truck. She thought she could get it in the evening, and it turned out that they were closed when she was ready for it. So she had to get that this morning too. It was our idea that we get the day laborers. I hope they don't rape her or beat her up. One of the men is too desperate, and I'm afraid. She's not alone. I hope. I think a neighbor is with her now, although she wasn't when I left. She didn't have boxes either. I went to Safeway for boxes, they didn't have any. I got what I could and went back to the apartment and she was still there not having left for the truck, and it was almost 8, and she is freaked out. Then I went to Harris Teeter (grocery store) for boxes.

"I'm trying to help out a really nice lady who's being evicted this
morning. Could you please help me by giving me boxes? We are
really desperate."

I took the little I could get, then went through the store looking for more. Success! I found a cart full of large boxes that tortilla chips had come in. Later, as I unpacked them from my car, I found the men packing boxes and taping them shut with duct tape. K. had gone to get the truck. It was 8:20, eviction is at 10. I drove up the road looking for her, and found her at a gas station/ garage where she was picking up the truck. I stayed until I was sure there wasn't going to be a problem with her credit preventing her from getting the truck, and then I gave her a kiss and a hug and left.

And I have depression. By what fucking right am I ever anything less than ecstatic about my charmed life? By what fucking right?!