Doppelgangers & Coincidentals

On Monday, after work, on the uptown 3rd Avenue bus, I looked up and saw an ex-girlfriend’s doppelganger heading toward me. She was much older now, shoulder-length hair peppered with white strands, and she was wearing simple clothes. Her aura, pleasant and natural, must transfer easily between doppelgangers. I was trying to remember if Borges ever wrote about a situation like this one.

I stared at her as she sat directly in front of me. Her hands had aged and she was wearing a simple silver wedding band.

Yesterday afternoon, I attended a conference at the Hilton on 6th avenue. The exhibit halls reminded me of a perverse zoo. The ones who paid are the animals, free to roam, while the exhibitors are the ones in designated cages observing, evaluating, and preying on us.

I split with my boss and headed home to grab my bag and get on a flight to Orlando. As I was walking east, I happened on a halal chicken and rice cart that I used to frequent when I worked in the area a few years ago. I used to visit this particular one three, possibly four times a week.

Just as I recognized the street corner and the lunch cart, I paused from the awareness. It was at that moment, the owner saw me and called out, “Hey friend, it’s been a long time.”

My first thought was “Had I really bought that many lunches here?” I guess so. I decided to get lunch here. I gave him a warm “Assalamaleikum” and asked him how his daughter was doing.

Funny coincidence. Running into that corner and getting lunch there. He still knew my order and he gave me my drink for free. He’s a nice, hard-working guy and family man whose name I do not know.

I told him that there aren’t any good chicken and rice carts near my new job. He agreed but I was lying. There’s a really good one around 19th and 6th ave but I haven’t seen him there in the past few weeks.

Not much to say about Orlando. It does seem to be the type of place one would think families from the South go to vacation. I mean this in a very matter-of-fact way. I probably would have loved coming here as a child.

Talked to mom and dad today about how far of a drive St. Petersburg, where I was born, is from Orlando. Not too far it seems. I may go on a little road trip on Friday after the conference.