Me-n-Sweets, 1st meet..

Sweetest Pea in the Pod

Will B. Smilardo
Aug 23, 2017 · 3 min read

A little over 15 years ago, in my Baltimore backyard, I was finishing up that week’s “Homeless Happy Hour”- my sometimes weekly Safe Drinking Event, where I’d invite 5–10 of my friends on the street into my walled off backyard to drink and celebrate life without fear of being molested, interrorgated, or harrassed by Baltimore’s Finest. Sometimes these people just needed a break. A few hours in a safe space where they didn’t have to hide their drink in a paper bag, look over their shoulder as they imbibed, and could actually piss in a toilet… as the last friend left, I was straightening up and locking the gate when the couple from across the alley (2nd floor) started asking me questions… “What were my friends like?”, “Why did i do this?”, etc… as I was replying, i noticed they were Looking Up and holding another conversation at the same time. So I LOOKED UP, and there She was.. the 3rd floor occupant. I’m not saying, or promoting, Love at First Sight- and the proof of this is that in long ensuing conversations we realized that I HAD actually seen her before. She lived above my local liquor store and I had bumped into her one day about a year ago while she was waiting for a cab.. i remember it well too, cuz i ran home screaming to my roommate that i just saw a Goddess on Broadway! but, regardless- within a few minutes the couple from the 2nd floor realized they were no longer involved in this conversation and moved inside, at which point I asked her to hold on, went inside myself, and reappeared on my roof a couple minutes later to have this conversation at eye level. That conversation is in its 15th year.

She stopped over a couple days later in response to a note I had slid under her door. As she crossed the threshold, one of my cockatiels lit off and circled the room a couple times. As she was tiring, her third trip around, I raised my arm up and opened my hand which she safely landed in… THAT was when I got “Her”. She doesn’t remember that, as much as I do…but it’s true. So we sat and had cocktails… amongst the cockatiels, and 3 cats that were my family at that time. We found out that neither one of us really believed in “God”, marriage, or having kids..we were both gonna watch “Politically Incorrect” that night, so why not do it together? It was a long , wonderful night. The next day, I walked her up to her apartment and lemme tell ya..those stairs where a bitch! I asked her how she made it up them drunk, and she said, “You don’t. You bring the liquor with you, and don’t leave!”… I had truly found the Princess in a Tower. Beautiful, secluded, and Alone. She read books. Had dreams. Didn’t understand people and the way she was treated. It was all too coincidental. For my part…I was White, had a full head of hair, owned a house, and read books. Her words, not mine.

Upon looking around and assessing, the first thing I said was…”You need a CAT !” 2 days later she had one dropped off. And THAT was when we met SWEETPEA..the sweetest pea in “our” pod.

It might not have been that night, cuz I’m pretty sure I “babysat” SweetPea a couple times while A went to work.. but very soon afterward, she brought SweetPea over to my house , and she ended up sleeping between us. I remember waking up the next morning with a literal Cat-Hat..Sweetpea wrapped around my skull. I fell in love with Both of them at the same time.

to be continued. after a few drinks and more tears.

)

Will B. Smilardo
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