"Oh this old thing?" he says as he drags the last bit of his cigarette. "That's part of my curtain."
His grandma laughs, "Oh yeah, I bet it is. Great tassle!"
The song in the background was something of his own creation...not smooth, or well practiced, or even planned, but raw. The rawness of it gave it character, and it was nice to listen to.
The eve of Thanksgiving, and all I can think about is the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing that I'm going to miss...get 2nds and 3rds and 4ths for me. Don't waste any of it.
I'm not wasting any of it here either, but when I say here I mean Northern Africa...Marakesh, Morocco. A funny thought to consider - i'll be spending my 22nd Thanksgiving in Morocco. Snake charmers and finger foods...I hope the taxis are camels with attitudes.
Two nights prior, I met a group of friends at a small little cerveceria to drink and play card games. Well, I was the one bringing the cards so they didn't know that card games were on the agenda...but they were.
It was in between the first and second hand of Escoba, and the 3rd and 4th shot of whiskey, when I saw her. I won't say her name, out of respect - or maybe it's because I want to keep her to myself. She was a mature woman, an older woman, with patience and style, and a look in her eye that made me melt.
She carried herself tall and walked with a purpose. She pulled up a chair, and told us to shuffle the cards. I obliged. It's time for her game.
She had a freckle on the cleavage of her left breast...i'm not sure if all men notice it, but I did. A beauty mark, how was i supposed to miss it?
I'll keep it short, because it didn't take long for me to fall...but then again I guess I fall most every day. She spent the night laughing, and lightly brushing my shoulder with her gentle hand. She probably has kids, but I wasn't thinking about that.
She took us to a Moroccan bar, where we talked and laughed.
I know this story isn't going anywhere fast, but I'm not worried...it's almost Thanksgiving and i'm thankful to have met her.
Tomorrow i'll be in Morocco. I miss you all. I'm thankful for you all. I'll see you all soon....except for those of you who are not missed. In those cases, I might see you at the supermarket or the drugstore or the post office - it's up in the air, really.
Happy Turkey Day,
CM STASSEL
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