Chapter 4
Antonia was making good time on her way to work. The bus was on time for a change, and the weather proved yet another glorious California day, no clouds, just sunshine and warmth. She couldn't imagine how people lived in places like the Midwest…or Seattle…where the weather was either freezing or rainy.
The same homeless dude was there where she'd passed him during the first interview...no, this time he had moved a little further up the street, which surprised her: he wasn't near any busy intersection where he could make money panhandling. But there were a couple of dollars in his desert boonie hat helpfully propped in front of him (maybe all those rich people felt guilty about sending him to Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever it was…now that was an Annalia thinking, Antonia thought).
The vet was sitting with this back propped up against a brick, and he was dressed in the same ratty clothes: a faded desert-camouflage trousers torn at the knees, revealing sunburned hairy legs and bare feet stretched out in front of him, threadbare black sweatshirt jacket with USMC on the front, which was stained and torn, the zipper's teeth hanging detached. A pair of tan boots, spare change, and some newspapers were scattered near him. She thought she could see part of a nametape on his chest that started with Ma- but it was hidden by its huge folds. The hood of the sweatshirt hid his face, which was tucked down on his chest. He seemed to be asleep.
He still had the same cardboard sign propped up next to him…no, the words were different this time. Antonia gave it a passing glance, then stopped and stared at it. It wasn't the usual, "Vet can you please help" or "I'm honest I need money for beer" begging sign. On the cardboard was scrawled:
BEWARE
WE ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE THE FOURTH WORLD
STRAP YOURSELVES TO YOUR SEATS!
TIME IS BREAKING THROUGH!
THE FIFTH WORLD IS COMING COMING! ANY MINUTE NOW!
HEY ALL YOU HOES WATCH OUT…AND IF YOU SEE….(this part was smeared and unreadable)
REWARD OFFERED! YAY!
"What's up?"
Startled, Antonia hadn't noticed that the vet was watching her. She could see his face now. He looked like he was in his twenties, with a few days black growth on his face, and he was smiling. He was very handsome, and didn't look really crazy or out of it like most of the pathetic drunk, homeless guys where her family lived.
"Um…just going to work, "she stammed.
"Oh that's great! I'm out of a job…well, obviously since I'm hanging out here. It's not too bad."
"Were you…are you a vet?"
"Yeah. I'm a 'downsized' now so I'm not doing anything now. I miss it sometimes, not all the time. No one bothers me though, not even the cops. I don't cause any trouble to the people, here. I just hang out during the day. I go to the shelter at night, or I stay with some friends."
"Well…that's good."
"Actually I got some work lined up soon, real soon, just waiting for it to start. Then…maybe I'll not be hanging out here anymore."
He had a really nice voice too, very melodic, although Antonia didn't know why. She suddenly felt a little flustered, and a bit confused…she rarely gave any money to homeless dudes, she knew that most of them just spent it on booze or drugs, but he didn't look like an addict or a junkie, and she usually never talked to them either, if they tried to talk to her, as usually they just made sad attempts to ask for sex, but strangely, she found that she didn't mind talking to him…she even felt like she wanted to talk to him. He didn't seem to smell at all either.
"So…what does your sign mean?" As soon as she asked, Antonia winced, wishing she could take the questions back. This would probably set him off on some crazy rant about the Illuminati or maybe he was a racist and he would go off on a tirade about Mexicans and Jews.
"Oh…oh this…I like to think I'm a bit visionary…it happens when I was in the desert. I get visions and I just write down what I see…like a premonition? Mostly, people just like to read crazy shit huh? The 5th World…well, that's coming, you'll see. Everything is always changing. We have to fix things for better."
Antonia nodded. "You fought in the war?"
The man smiled, but his eyes seemed a bit different. "Yes. It wasn't like everyone says it was….it was…well, it sounds strange to say but I really liked it."
He laughed, and though his voice sounded attractive, Antonia felt a chill. He seemed to notice, and changed the subject.
"You going to work in one of them big houses, down the block?"
"Today's my first day, so I don't want to be late…"
"Oh, don't let me hold you up! Thanks for talking with me…and hey, thanks, but I don't need any money, but if you can get me a doggie bag from their kitchen…I bet they have some good chow there! Me gusta!"
"I'll see what they got, I got a feeling they only eat out."
"Only 5 star for them I bet! Haha! Bye!"
Antonia waved, and hurried to her job. She wondered if he would be there the next day; she resolved she would try to help out this guy who had fought for his country.
She glanced back. He was sitting again with his head bowed down on his chest, hidden by his hood, as if he had fallen asleep again.
