“Curbside Prophet” proclaimed the beat-up and torn cardboard sign beside the man whose appearance was only made tolerable by the fact that the sign was dirtier than he was. The red letters jumped off onto the street almost as a dare for the people in too-clean cars to look. At least, that’s how I took them as I sat, in my own too-clean car, right beside him. I rolled down my window and then resisted the urge to roll it back up as the wind caught the man’s scent and delivered it straight to my unsuspecting, although not surprised, nostrils. “Curbside prophet, huh?” I almost sneered at him as I made no attempt to hide my distaste of his appearance and proclamation. The man simply nodded, his hands resting comfortably in his pockets as he sat
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“Great, you’re nodding to a stray. Of course.” I shook my head in disbelief of his behavior and negotiated my way through traffic. When we’d gone for several minutes and it became clear the man was not planning on volunteering his destination, I snapped “So where is this ‘curbside’ you need to get to?” The man continued to look out his window as he tried to get his fingers through his matted hair. “Don’t know,” he responded as the smell of sour milk filled the car. I shifted towards the window to breathe in the pollution to mask the smell before it made me sick. “You don’t even know where you’re fuc…” I trailed off as a hand hit the steering wheel in frustration. I shifted in my seat again as a hand swept thru my hair, which was starting to feel gritty. “I’m not going past where I’m heading,” came bursting out after a few seconds of mental blaring. “Won’t need to,” came the respond as soft as my newborn daughter’s hair. The man shrugged. “Stop when you see the dog,” he stated as logically as he had just solved a complex calculus problem in pen. I slammed on the brakes, let go of the wheel, and turned so I was looking straight at him. “The dog.” He nodded. “The dog is way the fuck back there!!” I screamed like a spoiled child, one hand pointing towards the back of the car for …show more content…
He gave no explanation or apology. “Just drive,” he replied before he turned his head forward again. I swore under my breath as I did as I was told and continued the journey. “Aren’t you supposed to tell prophecies with a title like that?” I asked, as sarcasm falling off each word and splatting with each wave of my
“Great, you’re nodding to a stray. Of course.” I shook my head in disbelief of his behavior and negotiated my way through traffic. When we’d gone for several minutes and it became clear the man was not planning on volunteering his destination, I snapped “So where is this ‘curbside’ you need to get to?” The man continued to look out his window as he tried to get his fingers through his matted hair. “Don’t know,” he responded as the smell of sour milk filled the car. I shifted towards the window to breathe in the pollution to mask the smell before it made me sick. “You don’t even know where you’re fuc…” I trailed off as a hand hit the steering wheel in frustration. I shifted in my seat again as a hand swept thru my hair, which was starting to feel gritty. “I’m not going past where I’m heading,” came bursting out after a few seconds of mental blaring. “Won’t need to,” came the respond as soft as my newborn daughter’s hair. The man shrugged. “Stop when you see the dog,” he stated as logically as he had just solved a complex calculus problem in pen. I slammed on the brakes, let go of the wheel, and turned so I was looking straight at him. “The dog.” He nodded. “The dog is way the fuck back there!!” I screamed like a spoiled child, one hand pointing towards the back of the car for …show more content…
He gave no explanation or apology. “Just drive,” he replied before he turned his head forward again. I swore under my breath as I did as I was told and continued the journey. “Aren’t you supposed to tell prophecies with a title like that?” I asked, as sarcasm falling off each word and splatting with each wave of my