Day Forty

     ****NAMES CHANGED TO PROTECT PORTLAND'S STREET KIDS*****

While I devour oatmeal Kitten Lady waits outside with a to-go plate Beard Man made for her. I go and sit out with her and watch the kitten eat for the first time since we got her. She chases the bacon around the bench and gobbles it up. It's rather adorable and we are both thrilled she is eating.

Mother Goose comes out and tells KL she can't sit in the court yard or get to-go plates.  I find this pretty irritating. She can't go to #2 because she and Houdini have a no contact order and now they are getting their panties in a twist over dishes. I'm not going to fight with them yet though. I don't really have the energy.

KL decides to spend the day with Houdini since she hasn't spent time with him lately. I chill at the library getting caught up on my online life. I briefly run out to Safeway to get cookie dough and yogurt. I don't like the yogurt; it's too sweet. So, I just eat the cookie dough.

At 8pm KL calls me to see where I am. It turns out she has been trying to find me all day and we've just kept missing each other and my phone hasn't rung at all despite the fact that she has called a million times. She's at McDonalds. I realize that I actually really miss her from not seeing her today so I run to McDonalds to make sure we have time to see each other.

Once we are reunited we walk to Fred Meyer to get proper yogurt and cookie dough. We sit outside and use their wifi once we get it. Despite Houdini trying to get us to leave right at 8:30 we take our time and get to shelter right at 9pm. There's quite the crowd and we get the news that Porch Light is full. KL doesn't have a bed. It's unbelievable that it's full when it's not even 9pm and it's nice outside. I bite my lip and weigh out in my mind what is the right thing to do.

I did something that others won't be happy about but I'll do it again and again to keep her safe. I cannot let her be kidnapped one more time. I will not put myself through that again. So, I told her I was sleeping outside with her whether she liked it or not. We try to go to Salvation Army to get blankets. On the way KL's laxatives kick in so we run to a nearby restaurant for her to use the bathroom. The lady that works there tells Houdini and me to stay back by the staircase to wait for her. She comes back five minutes later and tells me, "Can you go clean up after her? It's not right for someone getting paid $6 an hour to have to clean up after her."

I choose not to point out that minimum wage is $8.40.

I go in to check on KL and tell her the lady is bitching us out. So, when KL is done she decideds to still a roll of toilet paper just for the hell of it. Houdini ran to Salvation Army and no blankets. We're kind of screwed. Houdini stays with us until 10:30. We meet up with one of their friends. Once again KL does not introduce me. He gives her a tiny bit of pot and they smoke meth together with Houdini. I walk away while they smoke, with the kitten. I stay where I can see her but where me and the kitten won't be near the smoke.

Houdini goes back to shelter while KL and I walk to the spot that Jesus showed me. KL gives me a boost up so I can get on the railing since my legs are too short. I hoist myself the rest of the way up then take the bags KL hands up to me.

"When I did this with Jesus we had a lot fewer bags," I say.

It takes about twenty minutes to get all the bags in and safely over the wall. Most of it was spent trying not to be seen by bystanders. Once we're in we sit up and eat yogurt and cookie dough and the other snacks we have on us. We talk and laugh and eat like two girl's on a slumber party. We share opinions about various scandalous topics like abortion, nuclear war, and the death penalty. We both agree if abortion prevents more Vampire Girls and Drama Girls we are all for it. I realize that I have really missed having her in shelter. It has become way too boring. The kitten runs around chasing her tail until she falls over.

The blankets that were stashed have now disappeared. In their place is a bunch of condoms. We are both wearing shorts and don't have any other jackets or blankets with us. I made the mistake of putting the sleeping bag in my locker. It's not freezing but it is cold. We dump out all the clothes we have between us. I take a pair of jeans, she takes cheetah print leggings. We lay down our shorts and tank tops on the ground, not that they do much. I put on one of Houdini's t-shirts and try to fit my entire body inside of it to hold in body heat. We fall asleep shivering, curled next to each other trying and failing to stay warm.

--mm