Istanbul's blog

**Posted:** Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:01 pm

So the bus was late. In fact it had broken down and the trip had to be rescheduled. Nobody informed us so we all sat around patiently waiting like docile sheep. This kinda stuff tends to get my goat and before long I started to bitch and complain to anyone who would listen.
Finally an old man politely asked me to can it. The gall of the guy! Just because he didn't have to get to Constantinople pronto didn't mean the rest of us had to be inconvenienced.
The old codger quietly replied that he did indeed have to get there before noon tomorrow.
"Sure' I snickered, "tell us about it".

He looked at me for a few minutes then abruptly started to ramble in a low monotone.
"We were twins" he said. "The first set of twins born in that little prairie town. Winters were cold then but we always had matching boots and coats. Few people could tell us apart. We had good times then.
One day Dad went to war. He did not return. Dunkirk was his Waterloo the Postman said. It seemed Mom went from a happy laughing lady to a frail sickly woman in a matter of months. The final cough from her tortured lungs was on our 8th birthday. She had made us some turnip soup and baked a pumpkin pie. It was our 'birthday cake' complete with 2 candles. They buried her where they bury all the paupers in this area. A field outside of town. We never ate that pumpkin pie. A day later we dug a little hole next to her grave and buried it so to be with her. I had a dime coin and my brother 4 marbles which was also entombed with the pie.

The next day some people took us to the town-hall. I was sent to another town to live with some strangers. My twin was placed somewhere else and we never saw each other again.
At 14 I ran away from that foster home. I had always wanted to contact my brother but they discouraged me. I don't know why they were so against it. They were good people otherwise. I had most of the house chores to do while their own kids went skating but I didn't mind. I got their hand me down clothes too which is what happens to the youngest in most families.

I hung around some towns close by hoping to find my twin. Finally I met a man who had known both of us before. He said my brother was staying with an Italian family who had recently returned to Sicily. That was it. There was no hope now. Sicily was across the sea.
Surviving was tough as nobody wanted to hire a 15 year old beggar boy. I prowled the neighbourhood in the early mornings and stole milk left on doorsteps by the deliveryman. If there was only one quart I left it and swiped one from someone who had two or more. Then I would return the glass bottle for a quarter refund from the diary and buy some day old buns. They soon caught on to my scheme and before I knew it I was in jail.
They didn't know what to do with me so put me a cell for awhile. They left the door open so I could stroll about the station. I had to promise not to run away.

After that I got a job delivering newspapers. It felt good to earn some money and support myself. I realized I needed an education to get a decent job so enrolled in night school. With my high school diploma I landed a job in a bank. I was good at numbers and math so in no time was promoted to head teller. Then one day a lady transferred to our branch from downtown. We were destined for each other. Two people could not have been more in love. Or so I thought. One night I was stood up and heard she had dated the bank manager instead. I was going to ask her to marry me that night. I had scrimped and scraped for a engagement ring. It was not fancy and I missed many meals to afford it. The jealousy and rage was all consuming. I broke out in a serious case of acne on my face and neck. I was now ugly and couldn't bear to face her so badly disfigured. Betrayed and scarred I packed a bag and took the Greyhound to NY city. That was where the first bus was going.
Years later I found out she had attended a urgent meeting with the bank manager. He was going to the Toronto head office and needed to assess the staff's reaction to my replacing him. She was heartbroken that I had vanished without a word to anyone. She ended her life with her head in her kitchen gas oven. All because of my stupidity.

Brooding is very destructive. I would sit in Central Park and brood. I darent go to stores as I would catch my reflection in the windows. Meals were from street vendors pushing hot-dog stands. I bought some raisin cookies from a peddler in the park. Laced with LSD he said. Whatever flavour that was.
Turned out later I was judged to be psychotic and at 23 was placed in a New Jersey insane asylum.
I guess the State paid them to keep me there as no one took the time to listen to me. When Reagan opened the nation's mental asylum doors some 27 years later we flooded the streets and parks, much to the good local burgher's alarm. I frequented the libraries most days. They were cool in summer and warm in winter. I took to the Internet there and by chance discovered my twin was actively searching for me online.

I learned that he had searched for years. His postings became less frequent and finally stopped 2 years ago.
A friend of his replied to my frantic emails informing me he was now on death row in Constantinople. Apparently while strolling along a river bank he happened upon a young girl near death. Her windpipe was crushed and she had been brutally raped. He feverishly tried to resuscitate her and keep her heart beating until help arrived. The good Samaritan was charged and convicted for the crime. The appeals rejected and he goes to the gallows at midnight tomorrow. After noon all visits will be denied as they prepare for the execution.
So you see I do indeed need to get there as well as you do."

Thankfully another bus was pressed into service despite there were only four passengers. Maybe more would board along the way?
I wondered why the other two passengers were travelling to Constantinople?

One thing was for sure. On the face of it everything is not what it seems.