where is he now? because i really liked him then.

"aye slim. SLIM...redbone.
....oh you just don't hear nobody?"

"i hear you. that's just not my name"

"i know its not...but i had to get your attention somehow.
....can i holla at you for a second?"
"you've been hollerin"

"true. true. i see you a lot. you go to kennedy?"

"hmmmm...this is my first time seeing you"

"aint nobody stalkin you! you're tall as hell... so i see you.
...damn i aint think you'd be mean"

"i am not mean...cautious. yeA. i go to kennedy"

"you a senior?"

"nope. junior"

"ok. ok. about to be done in a year. so you know
phil, nelson, sean, and them?"

"yup. philip is my brother"

"that's how i know you. you be with them all the time"

"mmmhm"

"forreal, thats my man. youngin and i go back to 4th and delafield.
but you a montgomery county girl. you dunno about that"

"dude...you act like i've never been to dc"

"you prolly go to the white house area. i know u don't be around my
way"

"....whateva"

"i'm just sayin cuz its true. don't get mad. i don't wanna
make you mad. OK OK...so you know about 4th and delafield"

"i'm not mad at all. i just know thats where philip
grew up...he reps faithfully."

"its real out there. thug livin though. you better of here in
good ol silver spring. its where you're supposed to be"

::silence::

"well...you aint talkin. and i know that i'm just a nigga from
4th and delafied, but i like you. i'm glad i caught you alone.
your girls too loud and they run they mouths too much. i just
wanna get to know you. can i hit you up sometime?"

"it doesn't matter where you're from. we just like
who we like"

"....yeaaaa we'll see"

"yea we will. if you're cool you're cool.and if you're wak...
well...you know. but yea. we'll see. you gotta pen?"

"nope. i'll rememeber it"

"ohhhhhkay....301.460.6965. young, please do not call my house late"

"i wouldn't do that"

::silence::

"wow....so you booked me. and i dunno your name"

"you know my name"

::pause::

"ughhhhh....nah, i really don't"

"well you're PAM, and i guess that you'll just learn my name when i call"

"when did i say my name? i don't like that. what's your name?"

"you're rushing me. you will hear and say my name a lot soon enough"

"oh will i? so we just about to be best friends?"

"hopefully."

.............

riding into work yesterday, i watched 3 little boys try to holla at
this young girl. the boys looked to range from 12 to 15, and the
girl looked 13. IT WAS THE BEST CONVERSATION I HAD HEARD IN A LONG
TIME. the kids were crackin jokes...making her laugh...askin her for her AIM...
gettin on her back about drinking a red bull so early in the morning. and
all four of them were so comfortable with one another. she was really
holding her own to have three guys in her face. in those 4 stops...
they all found out who went to what schools. what grades they were in.
that she was a dancer. that one of the boys was headed to downtown
brooklyn to go to court. mutual friends. and when it came time
to part ways...sis decided that she didn't want to exchange AIM
info. so they left each other...and it was all love.

i didn't see any judgement take place.
and it was nice to watch.

it made me realize that some of the most honest and sincere
approaches by men came before i turned 17.