Ukies--19. Watching Olena

Watching Olena

More and more I was getting bored of the neighborhood, the people, the kids, the do-nothingness and wandered off on my own. It was a hot sunny day, when I headed uptown along Park Avenue South -- the name intrigued me, it was where the rich lived, I thought, but I didn’t see any rich people here. Oh sure, somewhat better dressed, like it was a Sunday, with men in suits and ties and women in their secretarial dresses, but for them it was just another work day like any other day.

I started walking up at S. Klein’s department store on 14^th street, past the Union Square Park with its Commie speechmakers, and walked further up, just a kid out of place and going nowhere.

On 34^th street I came upon the old castle-like Armory that stood as a fort guarding a hill, but here in NYC there weren’t any hills to be guarded, maybe at one time there were, so I just shrugged, walked and crossed the avenue.

Right away I sensed a difference about where I was; taller buildings and most with doormen standing in the front as if a sentry you had to pass through to get in, and cleaner too.

Then I saw Olena coming out of a Horn & Hardart’s restaurant on 42^nd street. I was surprised but still was a block away and just slowed my pace as I trailed after her. The crowd of people was a lot heavier here but her short sleeved yellow blouse and white skirt swaying behind her was easy to follow in the drab colorless clothes that teemed around her.

I smirked; watching her was like watching a movie and waiting for the good part, I thought, one never knew what would happen next.

She walked west on 42^nd, pausing to look in a storefront windows but nothing caught her attention to get drawn into a store; just taking a nice stroll along a crowded busy street --as I was doing behind her, though some distance away.

I smirked again when she crossed 5^th Avenue; I suspected I knew where she was going, to a Times Square movie house, where else? But she climbed the steps into a park mid-block along the way and I thought I had lost her when I saw her sitting on a bench and looking right at me as if she knew I’d be there. Her white skirt had risen above her knees and under one leg I could see the dark stocking around her thigh with just a hint of the garter belt peeking out from where it held her.

“Oh, hi Olena,” I said, feigning surprise, “Funny meeting you here.” She was wearing lipstick with makeup, and that made her look a lot older. But she didn’t say anything just glared at me with disgust, then stood up, glancing at a guy sitting on the same bench, and walked out of the park. I watched the top of her head as she disappeared down 42^nd Street...strange but the guy followed after her.

I sat awhile, cursing to myself, then headed back downtown….

The temperature was in the 90s…Too bad girls have to wear nylons on hot days like this, I thought, as I watched some pretty secretaries pass by and imagined them wearing nylons too. Yeah, too bad, but I really didn’t give a shit….I went up to my buildings roof…it was nice there, for a change.

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