B O N D P H O N E.
Words and pictures by Chris Lamb.

I have lived in New York for a year, as of last weekend.

Sitting at work, bored and reading. Stood slanted with poor posture over a book and waiting, just waiting for the cash register clock to tick over to one so oi can chase everyone out. A girl comes in, short with strawberry blonde hair pushed back and freckles, dear God so many freckles. Dressed the sort of casual cool that comes with classes. I make her coffee and she asks where I'm fron, where I went to school, do I know an Erin in Huntsville? I don't; I know people who do. Not only that but she's Camille's little sister, twice as smart and together and just as crazy. Ten minutes into comparing notes she offers to get me high and hits on me. I'm sorry, you're cute and smart and a sponsorship deal from ruling the world, but you fucked that Steve guy two years ago. I'm sorry, but no.

Nina moves to Florida via airplane a year to the day from my landing at Laguardia. I have her television, her shelves, her Trivial Pursuit (Genus IV) and her potatoes. I give my trusty old mattress to Val for her new apartment a year after finding it outside my building while talking to Huntsville. People come and go, they move in and out and break up and propose on all my little anniversaries for the end of May, going through the same motions in unrealized tribute. I'm in Rothko again, the first proper bar I went to upon arriving. I'm lying on my back on Will's roof, my first New York roof and proper view of the skyline, making jokes about Easy E in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Confluence, Ellison's Slippage is every where. It comes off on your hands and stains your jeans when you try to rub it off.

And now I'm on the N train home at ten past six in the morning, leaving Queens for Manhattan after a night closing bars and fighting landlords for people I just met. On the seat, waiting for me, today's paper already printed, bought, skimmed and abandoned to tell me what I missed in the meantime. My city, she takes care of me.

posted by chris  # 6:15 AM