Curtain Up

 

We met at the light. I'd seen him around a lot recently and we'd begun the 'hello there other disabled person in a power wheelchair' nod phase of our relationship. He looked over at me when I pulled up beside him. We both knew the order of the lights and knew that the diagonal crossing was next. We were pointed north and east from the south and west.

"Do you see that?" he asked.

"What," I asked.

"We are the show this morning."

He was right, having two disabled people in power chairs each with bodies very different from each other and from those around us. The looks came our way. It's a busy intersection and soon there were a lot of people around us.

He said, loudly enough to be heard by others, "It's kind of creepy when you are surrounded by all kinds of normal isn't it?"

"Creepy AND disturbing," I responded.

Just as the lights turned and people started to move he said, "I'd rather be dead than have to get around on legs, good God, how do they cope?"

I laughed along with him as we crossed the street.

So we're passed the nodding stage and into the street theatre phase of our relationship.

Curtain up!