for emmitt, forever ago

Travel days are always a bit of a nightmare in anticipation, mostly because the possibility of something going wrong skyrockets exponentially. When you get to a new place, the first thing you typically do is throw down your 50lb backpack and kick it a couple of times, then release the zipper and watch as everything you managed to squeeze in explodes onto the floor. Which is a wonderful feeling when you’re just arriving because you sympathize completely.

But leaving means you have to squeeze everything in again, and lift that backpack again, and drag it from station to station again. You could forget something, or miss your train, or get off at the wrong station, or not validate your ticket, or fall onto the tracks. Or you could meet someone like Emmitt.

Now I don’t actually have a picture of Emmitt because I didn’t want one because he was barking mad drunk, but here’s a picture of a drawing I made of what I remember him looking like:

I met Emmitt at the Antwerp central station. He wanted to share his half-eaten hotdog with me, but I kindly declined. Emmitt, at 31 years of age, is THE BEST electrician in all of Rotterdam – I know because he told me so. And because some guy in a red shirt confirmed it. He’s been in Rotterdam way too long and has been trying to get out, but it’s hard being the best at something. I can’t even imagine the pressure of being the best at something – it must be agonizing. But Emmitt has been the best for twenty-some odd years, which the guy in the red shirt also confirmed. I learned a lot of things from Emmitt – like to stay away from crack and prostitutes. I also learned that the Irish can only be described using profanity. Didn’t know that.

Emmitt started getting a little loud, so I shook his ketchup stained hand and left – but not before he snapped a picture of us with his camera phone (I’m now in Emmitt’s five). Minutes later he boarded the train and came charging down the second class car singing and pointing at stowed luggage.

I smiled – but he didn’t remember me. I guess that’s the price you pay.