Tales of Charleston South Carolina: Homeless People Used to Scare Me

I felt my life was at total despondence a few years ago when I got stranded in downtown Charleston at 3:30 in the morn. Oh, it was total hell! Ever have a day where you didn't sleep, didn't eat, two beers got you not drunk but really sleepy, and the next thing you know you are at some bar trying to start your vehicle? That was pretty much me.

It started off as a pretty OK night because it was a birthday thingy and we were having a good time singing, dancing, whatever else you do at a party in a bar. Two beers did me in since I had been up almost 24 hours that day. But when all the bars closed and I turned the key to my ignition, the lights flashed for a second and

then died away reeeeeeeeeeeeeal slow-like, slower than that knockdown scene in all the "Rocky" movies. "Oh, no!" I said. "What the hell, man?" I thought it was all over. Some random guy is gonna come up and stab me while I try to drunkenly repair my dead car.

It didn't happen, of course. I'm still writing. But I thought it was gonna happen.

I hadn't eaten much by that point, so I decided to get food before I called the base to find me a ride. That's the kind of hunger I had, where all you have going on in your mind is some scattered, smothered, covered and chunked hash browns with a grilled cheese sandwich and a large sweet tea. Screw going home! Screw

gettin' stabbed! As long as the mugger lets me eat first, I'll be OK.

Up King street. Down King Street. Momma's Blues Palace. is someone there? Damn, they're gone. Up King Street again. It's breezy. Down King Street, onto George, onto Meeting. Hello...any food out there? Mickey's! I forgot about Mickey's! Yes, there is FOOD at Mickey's! Sweet Tea at Mickey's! Weird vampire people waiting to see if I

stretch my neck out at Mickey's!

Where the hell is Mickey's? Down King Street again. There's that breeze again. Maybe it's around this corner...

Nope. Instead was a guy in dreadlocks.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Here it comes. The stabbing I was dreaming about.

"Yeah, man?"

"Do you have any money? Don't worry man, I'm not gonna mug you. I just need 2 dollars and 83 cents for a meal."

"How do I get to Mickey's?"