Leespeaks | Scribbles | American Studies

American Study #21

Berkeley, Cal. — March

"Berkeley Corner"

When I came out of the post office in Elmwood, I saw a tall distinguished Indian man — steely gray hair, olive skin, a fabulous nose — sitting on the bench at the bus stop across the street. It looked as if it gave him great pleasure to sit there on that bench with his legs crossed.

Spotting the 51 bus further up College Avenue, I crossed the street and took up a waiting posture behind the bench. When the bus was a half block off, the man stood up, and turned to face me.

“Did you hear me talking to myself?” he asked with the same enormous pleasure he had demonstrated in sitting.

I said that I hadn't.

“You might have noticed that I was quoting Hamlet.”

I found myself moving to keep the bench between us as the bus pulled to the curb and hissed open its doors.

“It’s that kind of madness, you see.”

With that he turned and strode serenely down the sidewalk. The next voice was the bus driver's.

“You coming with us?”