For Jim M Ethan Rob Matt Will Ian and Jim B who have all been there and done that
One I'm hustling along Dundas Street in downtown Toronto imagining everything framed as a long tracking shot It’s trickier than it sounds Try moving and keeping your focus fixed like a camera’s instead of letting your eyes roam all over If you can do it it makes you kind of dizzy It also makes you stumble into down-low stuff you usually would see on a busy street like small dogs and uneven pavement and panhandlers panhandlers sitting on milk crates This spices up the soundtrack but I don’t recommend it I angle right and into the Starbucks at Elizabeth Street It’s spring but today is cool enough that when I push open the door the warm air fogs up my glasses I lose the shot entirely I also inhale the nauseating smell of good coffee 1
and bump into someone with a double low-fat chai soy latte I can’t see it but these days I’ve got a nose that knows My glasses clear and there’s Scratch sitting facing the door back to the wall He was sitting that way the last time we met He could just be protecting his clothes Scratch is a dapper guy and spills happen I shrug my messenger bag higher on the shoulder of my curling sweater and head over Spencer O’Toole Scratch stands and we do props then shake hands like business guys He’s now rocking a pair of black-framed hipster specs like mine with a white silk scarf and a spring overcoat black naturally worn cape style over one of those slim-fit suits like some French movie director from whenever I guess you could say directing things is Scratch’s line of work too How are you my man How’s Bunny It has been a day It’s been since Christmas in fact when Scratch helped me with something involving my younger brother Bunny I’ll explain later Bun’s good I say I’m good You want a coffee 2 TED STAUNTON
No thanks I work in one of these places I’m kind of off coffee Milk too Scratch looks alarmed Why There something something wrong with Oh no no The coffee’s great the milk’s fresh You just get coffee’d out is all Sometimes after a long shift you’re wired from just smelling it Scratch nods Occupational hazards We all have em Scratch’s are probably worse than mine He sits back down Tell me you’re not movied out too You’re doing film school Oh yeah I’ll never be movied out I’m busy right now though finals and everything First year I nod Remember it well I guess I look surprised because he says Business admin and marketing Good program Learned to read a balance sheet Scratch smiles Had to quit after second year too much real business to run you understand I nod There are interesting movies about Scratch’s business Boyz n the Hood for instance Or maybe Goodfellas Scratch sips his coffee keeping it well away from his scarf 3 POV
