Hank Kalet
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

He Tells Stories

1/

Ever hear of this Lox, Stock & Bagel place? I hear it’s good. I was going to go, but I don’t know my way. I looked it up on my tablet — says its 20 minutes — but I don’t want to get lost and end up in Delaware or something. // Moved here a month ago. This is like the country to me. I live with my sister. Stay with her. She’s 69 and works four jobs. She has two kids — they sit around all day. The son, he’s got OCD, tears up the place when he has an episode. My niece has a padlock on her door to keep him out. I have a room, but I try not to be there too much. // People are nice here. I haven’t had anyone tell me to get lost when I start a conversation. In Whitestone, where I’m from — that’s Queens, New York City, I lived there 32 years. I was born in California. In Whitestone, they don’t talk to you. They ignore you if you’re lucky. I liked it there, except for that. They’re nicer here. I had to leave. Couldn’t afford it anymore. After 32 years. They kicked me out. They wanted eighteen hundred in maintenance. That’s just maintenance. Some places are like three grand a month in rent. I know it’s not cheap here, but it’s not three grand.

2/

My sister’s always working. I throw her as much money as I can. Her kids, they don’t work. It’s not healthy. They’re in their twenties. The son sits home all the time. I don’t know here the daughter goes. It’s not healthy. I have a room, but I can’t sit there all the time. I’m geographically challenged, I get lost walking out the door. This is the only place I can find. But he’s got good coffee so that works for me. // Yeah, she pays like twelve hundred. She gets some help, child support, but not a lot. It’s expensive here. You pay a lot, but what do you get? It’s cold here. You pay all that and it’s so damn cold. I can’t stand it. We’ve been lucky this winter, just one big storm. Not like last year. But still it’s too cold. I don’t know. Is Florida better? California? I was born in California. You know, I’d move to Las Vegas, though. I like Vegas. But I gamble. I don’t know if it’s a good place to live if you gamble.

3/

I used to go to the track. I worked at OTB, but they closed. They brought this consultant in to look for savings and we, the union, we gave stuff back — took a pay cut, agreed to a lot. But then Albany, the crooks in Albany, they nixed it and closed us down. // We were getting killed by the slots anyway. When they opened the slots at Aqueduct, they didn’t need us. You can’t win there. But I go to Aqueduct a lot, or I did. I know you can’t win, but I like it. I don’t know if I can get there much, now. The tolls — I paid like sixty in tolls when I went back last week. Paid for a hotel too — I asked some friends if I could stay, said I’d pay them, but I stayed in a hotel. I could take the park and ride, but you have to catch the Long Island Railroad after riding the bus. That’s a lot of travel. // I’d go to Vegas though. I have some friends there. They say the food’s terrible. The water, too. Can’t get a good bagel. There’s a place in Whitestone, on Sunday mornings the line snakes around the block. I’d bring you some back if I go in again. #instagramessays @newspoet41

Hank Kalet

Written by

Poet, professor & longtime newsman, who covers economic & other issues for NJ Spotlight and other publications. Check out my blog @ http://hankkalet.tumblr.com/

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade