tattooed across his 4 fingers are the letters of his last name, s-h-u-e, like ozzy. he plays the harmonica, performing regularly at local open mic nights. self sought and promoted, never requested to play. matted clumps of gray hair expose his balding scalp in between. cloudy eyes behind blurry glasses that sit on a large pocked marked nose. unkempt, a green army jacket stained with grease and sweat. smells unwashed and dingy. tall and bellied.
he brought in a black and white photo of himself when he was 5. so cute and fresh. a suit jacket and bowtie. hair combed over neatly. a grinning kid of the 50's golden years.
what happened in between, who knows. the picture disconnects what i thought of him with what i now imagine.
meet charlie shue. my mom's delivery man.
