A Tuesday Night in November

I hate owing people money. Even a couple of bucks just bugs me when it is lingering out there. It's like if I let it hang out there it's an indication about how important someone else's time and money is tome. Whether fair or not, it feels that way.

So, owing a friend a couple of bucks needed to be taken care of. I set it aside in my wallet and gave him a ring. I would be driving by there and it was convenient. He was home, but would be leaving soon and since I was almost there it would be cool to swing by. This is merely back story though and really not very interesting to write about, let alone to read.

The real story is something else.

He was warming up his car, but as I turned the corner he wasn't where he would usually park so I had to look about. The weather was crap, typical dark and gray, a rainy November evening. There was a car parked across the street from his house that appeared to be running, its lights on while idling. As I pulled up it appeared his car was a darker color and could have been a neighbor of his, but there he was.

I pulled too far away to reach him through the window so I backed up and pulled closer. With the weather as stormy as it was I just wanted to be able to hand him the cash.

The cash was handed across through unrolled windows.

Apparently, the seedy nature of the transaction - when taken out of context mind you - stuck out to both of us. It stuck out enough that we both commented at the same time.

Two cars, idling, in the rain on a dark and barely lit side street, both with drivers windows down within an arms reach of each other exchanging cash by hand, chatting for a few moments and then each driving off ... nah ... nothing potentially seedy about that.