Spitting

Here's an image from Sunday night:

Coxe Avenue... leaving Jack of the Wood

Firetruck in the middle of the street across from my car

Spitting sparks from a downed electrical line

Firefighters: "Miss, you'll have to wait here until we check this out."
Firefighters spitting tobacco
Street dappled with spit

Car on fire? No.
Small talk with firefighters about other firefighters I know, "You know Patrick?"
"Yeah, he's on our shift. Just had a youngin, too."
"Yes. He looks cute."
"Oh, is it a boy?"
"Yep..."

"You know Rae?"
"Yeah, but she moved."
"Yeah to England."
"Is that where she is..."

"You know Weesie?"
"Yeah. She's good people."
"Yeah."

"How long did the energy people say they'd be?"
"10 minutes. Should be here any minute."

As we were speaking, an older drunk man was lying next to the post office. His friend (who was wearing a hat that read, "Git 'er done") came over to talk with one of the firefighters. The drunk man threw a bottle over his head and then limped over. White hair, fly down, vomit on the sleeve of his jacket.

Firefighter, "So your friend said you need help."
Man, "Yes." He spits and the wire becomes a long sparkler over my car again.
"Where do you want to go?"
"The hospital."
"You wanna ambulance?"
"Yes."
Firefighter radios for an ambulance. Man says thanks and he and friend continue to watch the car drama. They spit, too.

Two women try to walk on the sidewalk near my car. Firefighters yell, "No, no, no!"
Women jump to a halt.
Firefighters point to the wire and then decide to position themselves on the sidewalk near sparks.

The smiley, young firefighter says to me, "You can stand by our truck if you want."

I wonder why, and then realize that the drunk vomit guys and I are the only ones standing on that side of the street. I chuckle. They all spit.

I walk into the middle of the street as the Progress Energy guy has one of the firefighters move my car and picks up the sparking wire. I look at my car. Speckles of silver are all over the back window. Scratches on the roof.

Young firefighter and I see if the speckles flake off (most do) and if the scratches come out (most do). I get into my car.

Young firefighter leans in and says, "If there's damage to your car, call Progress Energy... they should fix it."

Smiles, but instead of spitting says, "And you have a great night."