Saddening

I took a long, wandering walk home from work today. Not far from Coors Field I passed a pay phone kiosk rooted to the sidewalk. The phone was ringing, so I picked it up.

I heard a voice, but couldn’t make out the words. My knit cap was still over my ears, muffling the sound from the receiver. The voice was female, old, weary, a bit throaty. She spoke slowly, distracted or maybe a touch senile. Perhaps an old woman who had tried to call her grandchild but pressed a wrong number.

I adjusted my hat, held the receiver to my ear, asked her to repeat. Hearing her voice again I adjusted my estimate. She was distracted, but not senile. Certainly old, but not in years.

She said “You want to get some head tonight?”

I hung up the phone and walked away.