Scene and heard

While making Chicken Soup for my kids, I realised I only had one small onion, so had to run out and buy more. 86th Street can be quite busy and therefore not too easy to cross. I stepped between parked vehicles to await my opportunity, key chain still in hand. There were two cars double parked, but with their drivers still in. As I was about to cross, one of the drivers honked me and signalled that he wanted to ask me something. He drew alongside me and his wife spoke: “Are you pulling out?” “No, I’m trying to cross!” And I was reminded of moving day 2 weeks ago.

Ovington Avenue is almost as bad for parking, if nowhere near as busy a road. At first, Sean was parked illegally, but we got lucky. The car in front of his moved. Each time I came out carrying something to load into the car, I was asked by different people if I was leaving soon and politely gave each the same answer.

One man, on hearing that I was going to be leaving in 10-15 minutes asked: “Well, as you know you’re leaving soon, can I have your space and you move back here (where Sean had previously been and could not leave the car unattended without risking a ticket)?” “I’m staying here until I leave!” I tried hard, and with at least some success, to keep all traces of incredulity from my voice. For anyone out there who doesn’t know the word chutzpah, this is a good definition. In England we call it cheek, and in the USA, nerve. But these sometimes fall some way short of doing justice to the words or actions to which you are referring. Chutzpah, however, always suffices!