Not In A Moat!

Thursday's special feature,

On my way to pay bills, cash checks and buy money orders
(as well as a NOS energy drink)

I guess will be "affairs of the heart," for no other reason than, I was already going to delve a little into them today, and "flashback Friday" is kind of a no-brain er.
As of now, I am through with Sue.
Wouldn't you be through with Sue if she did to you what she did do?
I don't want to see her on a boat or on a goat or in a moat.
After we were both given citations on Canal Street, Tuesday night, by a cop, who, when handing them to us said: "I'm just going to give you a warning," before telling us that we couldn't play in front of The Marriot, we both had the same idea of going to the courthouse, first thing in the morning, to ask about the citations, which we were asked to sign.
I ran into Sue in the morning, as she was sitting and feeding Kooky, and preparing to take the bus to the courthouse.
She had slept by the casino, after disappearing from me the night before, after the incident of being run off by the cop.
One second, she had been right behind me as I was checking the Popeye's dumpster for food for Kooky, and then she just vanished. She probably thought the same cop was going to come by and arrest us for stealing discarded chicken. She didn't say anything, just walked off.
She was siting by the library, trying to read the ticket, on which the ink was so light that it almost looked blank.
Mine was the same, but it was clear that we were both being summoned to court. We couldn't figure out why the cop had said that he was just warning us, yet, we still have to go in front of a judge on the 1st, the 4th or the 9th, (depending upon what that illegible mark in the date box is...)
Sue must have repeated 10 times, "Why did he say it was just a warning, but we have to go to court; I don't understand it," and 10 times I had to reply, "I don't know, Sue." It became annoying.
I gave her a dollar for the bus ride to the courthouse, and then started riding my bike towards it.
The lady at the clerk's office could shed no light upon the situation, saying that the tickets wouldn't be in the computer until the end of the month. She thought it looked like a "1," but the courthouse is closed on that day...
My worry is that the cop told us that it was just a "warning," hoping that we would disregard the summons, whereupon, we could be arrested and taken to the jail, where our bond would be set just above the amount of money in our pockets upon being booked. "Welcome to New Orleans."
Sue was blaming herself for drawing the heat, saying that she had gone into the Marriot to get some water, and that was what provoked them to call the Law.
We were still getting along then.
We have to go back on the 1st of November to get the correct court date. "The judge will either dismiss it, or fine you," said one court officer, off record, of course. We are hoping that the officer checked the "warning" box on some form.
I rode her on the handlebars back into town, to save a dollar, then dropped her off.
She stayed close to me all day, even walking with me all the way to Decatur Street, (which slowed me down, because I could have ridden there in one quarter of the time) where I got an early start on playing.
They had removed the dumpster, which offered me a sound reflector and increased my volume, which was disappointing.
Sue took Kooky out of his portable prison and set her on a blanket and they both sat by me. There was very little traffic. The night was getting off to a slow start.
Then, Sue's attitude began to erode around the edges, as if being eaten by a squirrel.
First, I ran to the store for a beer while she watched our stuff.
Upon my return, she asked my why I hadn't gotten her anything to drink.
There were a few reasons.
First, she hadn't asked me to (I'm not a mind reader.)
Second; almost everything that I have ever gotten her she has rejected for one reason or another, even food for her cat ("why is it cold?") and I am not good at guessing what might meet her approval.
And Third; I don't think we have the kind of relationship where I should be expected to lavish gifts upon her. She has survived on the streets of New Orleans for 6 years. I think she knows how to provide for herself. I've seen people give her twenty dollar bills, telling her "Take care of your cat," for example.
Then, I performed my parody of Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," which I change to "You Are Better Than Nothing," and sing lines like: "You're not exactly Angelina Jollie; but when the lights are out, you could be...You are better than nothing, ...to me."
The humour was lost upon Sue, who said, "Thanks a lot for making me feel like shit!"
Shortly thereafter, she packed up and walked off, saying "I can't request a song" and "I'm not going to sit here until 8"
Then, it was I who felt inadequate.
She had wanted me to play songs that I would have had to sound out, in order to find the chords, and then my performances of them would sound like a guy playing them for the first time (not exactly "A"-list material), and, this was not the time nor place for practicing new stuff. The tourists in the French Quarter tend to expect more, and so do their wallets.
She made me feel as if sitting and listening to me had been boring enough for her to seek other diversions. It wasn't until later that I recalled the timing of her change in her demeanor and attributed it to the "Joe Cocker" song.
After she walked off, and dusk began to fall, the traffic picked up and I made enough money to pay for the new strings which I had put on; a basic need.
Then I went (alone) to Canal Street and continued to get some bites on the songs that I cast out...
I was surprised to find Sue sleeping at the billboard spot, when I walked up around midnight.
I lied down next to her. She didn't stir. Kooky was eying me warily, as if unsure whether to approach or retreat into the bushes.
I took out some chicken that I had gotten from Popeye's dumpster. She approached and ate it.
Sue woke up briefly, mumbled something about being tired, then went back to sleep.
In the morning, I put my arm around her, playfully and said "Buenos mañana, Suzanna." She didn't think it cute. She threw my arm off of her, saying "Get your hands off me!"
I mumbled "I'll never touch you again," thinking It's not worth it...
I don't need to made to feel that way, and I refuse to, so, I have ignored her all day, having seen her twice on Canal Street already.
Not in a boat; not on a goat!.
She was ignoring me also, but, I was not paying attention to her first, for the record....
Then, at CVS, I met a young black lady named Dees, who was waiting with her 11 year old daughter for the girl's schoolbus.
She was going over "prepositional phrases" with the girl.
I put in my two cents on the subject, and we struck up a conversation. I told her that I might be teaching English today, had it not been for being arrested for dealing marijuana back in college.
She said that she had some really good "Kush" at the house; gave me her number; and we are supposed to meet somewhere later. She is in her 20's and very good looking.
It's funny how my major complaint with Sue was our language barrier, and along comes a young lady who knows the subtleties of prepositional phrases...
I feel like there is an all-knowing, loving God controlling things lately...
And that is all on the romance front. Tommorow, hopefully I can post a story or anecdote from the past, making for "Flashback Friday" along with any breaking news, of course.
The guy I met, who is from Wisconsin has a recording studio, by the way...