Minding people business with a milkshake near a public toilet in Georgetown

Milkshake

"Yes we have milkshake" the woman says with a smile. I had asked quietly, like back in the day going to buy condoms or sanitary pads, because well , it was 9am. 

Call comes in as I am on my way to town for the 9am meeting and say meeting is now 10am. It make no sense to go home and come back , place hot, and traffic and so. I say 'no problems, I will go and sit in Demico' - one of Guyana's national treasures near the minibus hub and with AC. 

I walk over the soapy water on the pavement with an apologetic look at the man in long boots and no shirt washing down. 

Go in and try to ignore  signs saying 'No Loitering' and I realise heck but is loiter I want to loiter and there is this thing about the thin line between customer and loiterer. 

Go and stand up and look long long long at the piles of pastries. Demico. 

I see a single swiss roll, and my heart jumps, but then I say wait wait.. is a single one, I am suspicious, and realise that swiss roll must have been abandoned by its batchmates a while ago. Demico. 

The glass case don't look like it steamy. I examine closely, trying to gauge from the texture of the cake.. can I see some hint of softness or is there a firmness which has come from waiting for me for awhile,

looking beneath the lovely cinammon and icing on the roll, checking to see if the rolls have slightly indented as they cuddle each other, or if they like two strong man hugging up, and retaining their shape.. and 

looking at the pastry flakes still dancing or if it kind of flat, because well Demico.. national treasure and reflective of people generally, sometimes you lucky, sometimes you not lucky .. (except buns because you can always crumble the buns and soak in milk, while some people no matter how much milk you soak dem in.. nothing will change) .., . 

I contemplate coffee but coffee need pastry ..

to hell with it.. and I ask about the milk shake. I feel bad as I pay for the milkshake what I could have paid for a 2lb banana or 1 small pineapple or three bundle bhajee to make a smoothie.. 

Look around the place and realise two women my generation or older are each sitting alone, eating cones, and there is a child. I am shocked .. wondering about these women and their health and diabetes  I collect my milkshake.  

Make sure I set , one door to my right, one door in front of me. Spy movies and so , you do not back the door. 

Minding people business

Milkshake is frozen.  I didn't know I had to bring a book, and I don't have a smartphone. So I mind people business. I could  have meditated but I don't know if people would notice me meditating, while they would not notice me minding their business.

I seh rite, this gun last longer than say a hot coffee which get cold. I see one woman eating the cone slowly too. Looking to the door, and the phone. The other woman with her bag in front, eating the cone. She finishes the cone. I see her open bag, count money, change. I know that feeling after the end of market and deciding to go buy the things I should have bought. Some of us can just pull out the $1000 $5000 bill and just pay like it doesn't matter. Some of us have to count change, put aside the bus money.

Woman leaves her bag on the table. 

Comes back with a nice cold looking sweet drink. I say oh lord lady, but is how much shugah you done tek and is not even half past nine. The milkshake soften so I could sip it slowly.

Another woman my age or older , in scrubs, reading phone, face set in a relaxed smile. A young woman looking left and right, her toddler running around. I aint see no white bag or plastic cups or bottles on their tables. 

Some other people sitting alone like me. Lots of people on their phones. Old people, young people.

Woman mopping the floor, smile on her face. I always feel weird when walking on wet floors and apologise to the women nearby. 

Three cheerful young men. Straining ears to catch conversation , sounds like Spanish.  Maybe mixed with another language.

Rucksacks, tee shirt, knee length shorts, flip flops. Might be labourers, I think about miners.  

The  young men finish eating, get up. One of them points to a door in the wall and the woman tells him something and they both laugh. Nice to see this interaction, strangers laughing with other.

Woman opens the door and the man goes in. I imagine the door as a  portal. 

Eyes drawn to the door in the wall which is not far from the exit door in front of me. 

And I realise that people opening the door, come in, go through the portal.

Public toilet

The portal is the toilet. 

A big man with massive silver locks. A young man with a bag. A man who walks slowly, dirty shirt, dirty pants, dirty slippers. Comes in from the door to the right of me, goes through the portal, comes out and walks back slowly out.

I always have an eye for mapping toilets. Knowing what could be the 'cheapest' thing to buy if I have to use a 'customer only' toilet. Buying random pastries and juices because I didn't want to use Georgetown as the urinal.

I remember this book store in New York which had a sign, "yes, you can use the toilet. "

Realising that Demico has this public service going on. Do people go and use the toilets in the Parliament Buildings opposite?  

Minding more people business

 An older man sitting like me, eye on both doors. Face a bit worried, , plaid knee length shorts wid a litle bow knot , hot red boots with a shiny swirl. I am in awe. 

I watching big men fashion now. The relief security guard with his darkish pink shorts and hot pink short as he comes in the dusk to do night work, the pink showing up. Brave men. 

I watch the older man in the red boots with my cowardly blue tee shirt and black pants and dusty black sandals dat had to stitch up.

He is calling someone who is not answering, and calling again. I can see the phone icon. I can't see what name the contact saved on though.

I see a man sitting with the young woman with the toddler. The toddler is laughing at him. He is counting some money too, but he put the money back in his pocket. Did the woman have to give him money? 

He picks up the child and holds her above his h ead and the child laughs. They leave . Without buying anything. (His pants half down his hips.. and I wondering when old men wondering how young men dressing and I thinking about them hot red boots and pink clothes. 

Maybe one day I will walk around with one of my pants falling down around my hips, all I have to do is to not tie the elastic tighter. A pink pants)

Milkshake is nice and liquid now. Sipping though because if I drink it out, I gun have to go and buy another one.

Cleaner clears some tables. She sits and laughs with another woman.

Man walks in, long sleeved, cap, back pack. 

Sits for a few minutes, Gets up, walks out the other door. 

Another man, comes the door at the side of me. Nice black stick. He is walking across. I wonder if the toilet is disability friendly. 

Man walks though, past the portal door, walks out the other door.

 

Passing through.

Milkshake finish and I think arite, I can loiter lil bit. A young man comes in, black pants, gold shirt. Dressed like morning after a formal evening.

Gold crucifix hanging on his neck, not too visible on the gold shirt. Tattoo on his face.

No expression on the face, kind of serious. 

Sits for a bit, Gets up, buys something, sits at another table and faces both doors to eat.

Message comes through. Meeting is now 11. I think of them pastries at the back of me in the glass case. And a coffee.

I get up and leave .. go find another place to sit down and eat a roti and pumpkin and bhajee.

I don't know if anyone noticed me leaving.. like the man with the stick.. coming and going.