The connection, among other things, was breaking up.
"Are you alone?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Would you like me to meet you?"
"Sure. If you're up to it, that'd be great."
"Alright. I'm not far."
I put the cell phone away.
Only minutes earlier, I had exited the Grove Street PATH station, and was on my way home. It would take just a few steps, however, to get back to La Conguita, at the corner of Grove and Bay, where she was waiting. I turned in the opposite direction down Jersey Avenue, made a left onto Second, a right onto Manilla.
La Conguita has become one of her favorites now that she's got some free time. La Conguita was a favorite of mine when I lived in that tiny, wet basement apartment on the wrong side of Marin. It seemed I had all the time in the world.
"Patience," she tells me.
"Patience," I tell her.
I walked into La Conguita to see her there — beautiful, kind, thoughtful, and alone. She stood to meet me, and I could tell by her hug that something was wrong. As we sat down to talk about it, I realized how lucky I was to be able to enter this restaurant, walk over to this woman, and be given such a hug. How many people have walked down Grove Street in the last hour to look into the window of La Conguita and see her sitting there — beautiful, kind, thoughtful, and alone? How many have wished they could be sitting there with her? And how many others sit now, at their own empty tables, waiting? And what am I waiting for? And how much longer will I wait?
"Patience," she tells me.
"Patience," I tell her.
She loves music as much as anyone I know. And she loves to share. She especially loves to give. She came up with this thing she calls "Chinese Laundry." There are about twenty of us involved now. A person is assigned a month in which he or she must make a mix CD and send it out to everyone else involved. November was her month. She made a double-mix CD: songs i would listen to if i were a squirrel and songs i would listen to if i were a koala.
I am more of a koala. An emo koala, perhaps:
1. Duke Ellington: "Dusk in the Desert"
2. Soloman Burke: "Down in the Valley"
3. Yo La Tengo: "My Little Corner of the World"
4. Mr. Airplane Man: "How Long"
5. Hank Williams: "Settin the Woods on Fire"
6. Marmoset: "Torn Cup, Fly Up Above"
7. Unbunny: "I Leave Stones Unturned"
8. Hefner: "Good Fruit"
9. Pavement: "Range Life"
10. Billy Bragg & Wilco: "California Stars"
11. The Get Up Kids: "Campfire Kansas"
12. Roger & The Gypsies: "Pass the Hatchet"
13. Desmond Dekker: "Honour Your Mother and Your Father"
14. The Dears: "Heartless Romantic"
15. Tilly & The Wall: "Let it Rain"
16. Modest Mouse: "Talkin Shit About A Pretty Sunset"
17. The Rolling Stones: "The Spider and the Fly"
18. Pedro the Lion: "Bad Diary Days"
19. My Morning Jacket: "The Bear"
20. Elliot Smith: "Harvest Moon"
21. Sparklehorse: "Hundreds of Sparrows"
22. Iron & Wine: "Such Great Heights"
"I love your koala mix," I tell her. "You do?" "Yes, it's great." "Thank you. I was listening to your last mix just the other day, and I found myself wondering how each song would sound on your new system."
"You did?"
"Yeah, I was telling my friend how awesome everything sounds. I asked him, 'Are you familiar with high-end audio?' He said, 'I have no idea what you're talking about.'"
"You should tell him to come over."
"I did. I told him, 'Well, if you're ever in Jersey City, I'm sure Stephen will be happy to tell you all about it.'"
"Good."
"You're turning the world onto high-end audio."
"I am?"
"Yes!"
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You're a star."
"I am?"
2. Soloman Burke: "Down in the Valley"
3. Yo La Tengo: "My Little Corner of the World"
4. Mr. Airplane Man: "How Long"
5. Hank Williams: "Settin the Woods on Fire"
6. Marmoset: "Torn Cup, Fly Up Above"
7. Unbunny: "I Leave Stones Unturned"
8. Hefner: "Good Fruit"
9. Pavement: "Range Life"
10. Billy Bragg & Wilco: "California Stars"
11. The Get Up Kids: "Campfire Kansas"
12. Roger & The Gypsies: "Pass the Hatchet"
13. Desmond Dekker: "Honour Your Mother and Your Father"
14. The Dears: "Heartless Romantic"
15. Tilly & The Wall: "Let it Rain"
16. Modest Mouse: "Talkin Shit About A Pretty Sunset"
17. The Rolling Stones: "The Spider and the Fly"
18. Pedro the Lion: "Bad Diary Days"
19. My Morning Jacket: "The Bear"
20. Elliot Smith: "Harvest Moon"
21. Sparklehorse: "Hundreds of Sparrows"
22. Iron & Wine: "Such Great Heights"
"I love your koala mix," I tell her. "You do?" "Yes, it's great." "Thank you. I was listening to your last mix just the other day, and I found myself wondering how each song would sound on your new system."
