Picked up at Balbo and Wabash. Its our first big snow of winter. I get in, say my address.
“What’s your name?”
“Mary…Mary Rachel. What’s your name?”
“Oh! I’m Sid”
He reaches back and shakes my hand. We start driving and he still holds onto my hand. He misses the turn. We are going down the one-way part of Wabash the wrong way. He let’s go of my hand and makes a fast u-turn.
“Do you want to sit-up front?”
“No, I’m think I’m ok back here where I can stretch-out.” It is snowing pretty heavy and I’m a little nervous after the u-turn…..hearing the snow skidding lightly beneath the tires. So I just keep my eyes on the rear view mirror as we talk; not out the window.
We have the conversation about where I’m coming from so late, my work, photography.
“I had a camera back in India. It was 1960. It was like a box…ehhh….Kodak or something.”
“A brownie?”
“Yes, I believe that was it. I took it everywhere.”
“What did you photograph?”
“I photographed things I loved. I loved everything at that time of course. In India.”
He has 2 styrofoam coffee cups up front and a tupperware container full of books between the 2 front seats. More chatter about how long we’ve lived in Chicago. He lived in New York before he came here. I ask him about India.
“I had to leave India. My parents. It was 1979 and they were activists against the government system. They forced us leave. Never came back. We lived all over the Middle East…Europe. I left with nothing and still have nothing. All of the time traveling I’ve lost everyone. But I do have these memories……….(long pause)…………..when my brain’s good enough to let me remember…(laughter).
“Do you live alone here?”
“Yes. But I’m used to it. I think this is a good home, yes?”
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