I Had A Vision Of Love

We live in a tiny three story apartment building with just one apartment on each floor and the bottom floor is a toy store. The folks that live below us are elderly and have been there for 34 years. They have become good friends and I enjoy taking little treats down for them. We've shared some really cool moments. My highlight was Beatrice singing a gospel song to me on the stairwell in her hair curlers and robe. She was to visit her sisters for a reunion and apparently they always share a talent, which in and of itself is super fantastic. I remember researching the song directly afterwards but have forgotten the name at this point. Whatever it was it was so moving that I went from trying not to laugh at the site of this woman in this ridiculous outfit on the higher steps in front of me beginning to sing, to outright weeping at the end, so touched I nearly wet my pants. The beauty of her singing this glorious gospel song to her sisters was about the coolest thing I could imagine. I wanted to be with all of my sisters at that moment, all happy around some table eating and celebrating, sharing our talents. I would stand up and suddenly bedazzle them with some currently unknown exceptional ability. Sigh.

Bea and Mr D have given us many heartfelt moments like this. And like many real New Yorkers we've also been woken up from dead sleeps to Mr D screaming like he's gonna murder someone and also to someone banging on his door like they want to murder him. I also found him bleeding and drunk one morning where he'd just woken up from being out on the curb (yikes!) for who knows how long. I tried to pretend not to hear the plopping of the blood hitting the cracked linoleum in the entryway while we were exchanging pleasantries.

Anyway, unfortunately they are moving away. But yesterday, I came home to find a few packages of these cute little orange Mexican grape tomatoes left for me on the steps. I sauteed them with chopped jalapeno slices this morning and then put my eggs right on top, sprinkled a snap of cheese onto the eggs, then covered the whole thing and got the best skillet breakfast. This will be a returning dish.