Thy Sleeping Bag for a Beer?

I took Ferret the sleeping bag yesterday afternoon. Shifty was hanging out with Ferret. I was trying to figure out what Shifty wanted from a homeless man. Shifty is a crackhead of the highest order and only hangs out with people he can get something from. He is a total user. I have seen him with more and more frequency as of late. I would hate for him to become a regular part of the gang.

“Did you get cold last night?” I asked Ferret handing him the sleeping bag.

“Shit man,” He said. “It was so cold I couldn’t sleep. I stayed up all night drinking beer.”

Ferret offered me some beers for the sleeping bag. I declined.

“You used to drink all the time,” He said.

“It fucks with my crazy meds,” I replied.

Ferret laughed.

“Shit, you ain’t crazy. Now that motherfucker is crazy,” He said pointing at Shifty.

“Watch his ass,” I said quietly to Ferret where Shifty couldn’t hear.

“Oh, he be leavin’ as soon as the beer is gone,” Ferret said with a grin.

Shifty didn’t like us talking about him. You could tell he disapproved of what we were doing.

“That sleeping bag should keep you warm down to forty degrees,” I said.

Ferret shook my hand and once again offered me some beer. I declined and then got back on my bike headed towards home. I ran into Droopy over by the bank. Droopy is perpetually walking somewhere and just never seems to arrive at his destination. I wish you all could see Droopy. He is the oddest looking black fellow. His face looks as if it were wax and started to melt and slide off his face; thus the name Droopy.

“Sherman be lookin’ for you!” Droopy hollered out as I rode past.

I smiled. It sure would have been good to see ole Sherman. I wondered what kind of antics he was up to. I rode on up to the grocery store, but Sherman was no where to be seen. I certainly didn’t want to hang around long enough as they might try to put me to work. I peddled on home.

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We had a very dangerous line of thunderstorms pass overhead last night after dusk. It even started to hail at one point. All I could think of was Ferret down in that cheap Wal-Mart tent by the river. I do hope he stayed high and dry.

It was still raining this morning when I got up. I cheated and slept inside last night. I don’t know what I am going to do with my day today. I feel terribly listless and malcontent. It is an aggravating feeling.