and wondering who was living behind them. Out of breath, I made it to the sixth floor. Walked down the long hallway and found 634. Opened the door, and there was Shorty in his drawers.
“Put your bags down,” he said, “and use the bathroom if you wanna. It’s at the end of the hall. If you need tissue paper, I got some up in that cabinet. I’m pleased to see you, Buddy, but I gotta get back to sleep. What time is it now?”
“Little after midnight.”
I looked around his place. It was one room with a tiny little refrigerator, a sink, and a bed.
“Where do I sleep?” I asked Shorty
“Only got me one bed up in here. When I go off to work, you can use it. You gonna have to wait till I’m up.”
“What time you get up?”
“Come back ’round 5 a.m.”
“Where do I wait?”
“They got these coffee shops that stay open. Buy yourself a cup of coffee and they’ll let you wait there.”
“Is it safe to leave my stuff here?” I asked.
“Real safe,” said Shorty. “Anyone break in here, I got my gun next to my pillow.”
“Everyone got guns up here?”
“Anyone with any sense,” Shorty said.
I went down the hall to use the bathroom. I saw that the light was on and someone was using it. I waited. I heard a toilet flush and then a big woman walked out the door. She looked me up and down and then went on her way. The bathroom was small. The smells were strong. I did what I had to do and left.
I walked back down the stairs and stood in front of the apartment building. Didn’t know which way to turn. I was going to ask Shorty directions to the nearest coffee shop, but I could see he was tired and groggy. I’d disturbed his sleep and didn’t wanna disturb him no more. So I just decided to walk until I found something. Must have walked seven or eight blocks when I saw a yellow light off in the distance coming out a store window. When I got up on it, I saw it was a little restaurant with a long counter lit by two naked light bulbs on strings hanging from the ceiling. There was a white man frying eggs on a griddle. I was hungry and wanted to eat, but I was afraid of spending too much money too soon. The place was empty except for two black women sitting in a booth. They were talking real loud, like they was excited. I sat at the counter.
“What will it be?”
“Cup of coffee, please.”
“Coffee coming right up.”
He poured the coffee into a cream-colored mug. I added milk and sugar. It tasted real good, real sweet. When he was through scrambling the eggs, he carried the food over to the women. They wolfed it down like they hadn’t eaten in a week. When they was through eating, they got up to leave, but first they came over to me.
“You want a date?”
For a second I didn’t understand, but then the light bulb went on. They was working women.
“Well?” she asked.
“No, thank you.”
“Won’t cost you too much, given that you young and sweet.”
“Well, ma’am,” I said, “I better stay put.”
Up close, I could see their eyes were hard but their faces were pretty. They were ten, maybe fifteen years older than me. They were shapely. One was short with a big bosom that attracted me mightily. The other was taller. Her chest was flat, but her backside was beautiful. I couldn’t help but notice her backside.
“You sure?” asked the busty one. “You could have a date with the two of us. You ever done something like that?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Well, then, you must be new around here.”
“I am. Just arrived.”
She smiled a big smile and said, “We could welcome you to a Chicago with a party that you sure enough will never forget.”
“Better not,” I said. “Better just sit here with my coffee.”
“What’d you say your name was?” she asked.
“Buddy. Buddy Guy.”
“Alright, Mr. Buddy Guy. You go on and sit there with your coffee. But if you get lonely, we work around here all the time. We be looking for you.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said. “Thank
“Put your bags down,” he said, “and use the bathroom if you wanna. It’s at the end of the hall. If you need tissue paper, I got some up in that cabinet. I’m pleased to see you, Buddy, but I gotta get back to sleep. What time is it now?”
“Little after midnight.”
I looked around his place. It was one room with a tiny little refrigerator, a sink, and a bed.
“Where do I sleep?” I asked Shorty
“Only got me one bed up in here. When I go off to work, you can use it. You gonna have to wait till I’m up.”
“What time you get up?”
“Come back ’round 5 a.m.”
“Where do I wait?”
“They got these coffee shops that stay open. Buy yourself a cup of coffee and they’ll let you wait there.”
“Is it safe to leave my stuff here?” I asked.
“Real safe,” said Shorty. “Anyone break in here, I got my gun next to my pillow.”
“Everyone got guns up here?”
“Anyone with any sense,” Shorty said.
I went down the hall to use the bathroom. I saw that the light was on and someone was using it. I waited. I heard a toilet flush and then a big woman walked out the door. She looked me up and down and then went on her way. The bathroom was small. The smells were strong. I did what I had to do and left.
I walked back down the stairs and stood in front of the apartment building. Didn’t know which way to turn. I was going to ask Shorty directions to the nearest coffee shop, but I could see he was tired and groggy. I’d disturbed his sleep and didn’t wanna disturb him no more. So I just decided to walk until I found something. Must have walked seven or eight blocks when I saw a yellow light off in the distance coming out a store window. When I got up on it, I saw it was a little restaurant with a long counter lit by two naked light bulbs on strings hanging from the ceiling. There was a white man frying eggs on a griddle. I was hungry and wanted to eat, but I was afraid of spending too much money too soon. The place was empty except for two black women sitting in a booth. They were talking real loud, like they was excited. I sat at the counter.
“What will it be?”
“Cup of coffee, please.”
“Coffee coming right up.”
He poured the coffee into a cream-colored mug. I added milk and sugar. It tasted real good, real sweet. When he was through scrambling the eggs, he carried the food over to the women. They wolfed it down like they hadn’t eaten in a week. When they was through eating, they got up to leave, but first they came over to me.
“You want a date?”
For a second I didn’t understand, but then the light bulb went on. They was working women.
“Well?” she asked.
“No, thank you.”
“Won’t cost you too much, given that you young and sweet.”
“Well, ma’am,” I said, “I better stay put.”
Up close, I could see their eyes were hard but their faces were pretty. They were ten, maybe fifteen years older than me. They were shapely. One was short with a big bosom that attracted me mightily. The other was taller. Her chest was flat, but her backside was beautiful. I couldn’t help but notice her backside.
“You sure?” asked the busty one. “You could have a date with the two of us. You ever done something like that?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Well, then, you must be new around here.”
“I am. Just arrived.”
She smiled a big smile and said, “We could welcome you to a Chicago with a party that you sure enough will never forget.”
“Better not,” I said. “Better just sit here with my coffee.”
“What’d you say your name was?” she asked.
“Buddy. Buddy Guy.”
“Alright, Mr. Buddy Guy. You go on and sit there with your coffee. But if you get lonely, we work around here all the time. We be looking for you.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said. “Thank
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