Creepy.

So I went to see Dr. Bondi again today: the rash is clearing up and my throat feels much better. I just wish my ears would pop. (I still wonder if they have ear candles in Chinatown.) But the doctor was very sweet; he told me if I ever needed any advice – medical or otherwise – to give him a call. And since it was a nice day, I went to the park to read.

So I’m reading my book at Parque Las Heras. And I’m leaning against a palm tree and it’s sunny and warm and I’m wearing a skirt so I decide to tan my legs and tug it up a bit (and keep my knees together. Of course.) and read my book in the sun. I just can’t bring myself to wear a swim suit in a public park without a body of water, although nobody else seems to have qualms about it here. So I’m reading and little rivulets of sweat collect down my legs and I shift them around and swat away the stray ant. And I see this man. Lying on his side propped up on his elbow. Staring at me. Into me. Really creepily.

I stare into my book.

Try to look through it, see if he has gone away. He hasn’t. I try to focus on McMurphy and the fishing boat. Candy and Billy Bibbitt. But he’s still there. “¿Qué hacessss?” he breathes at me. I pray that he’s on the phone with someone. He’s not. I stare into my book. Shift my skirt to cover as much leg as possible. And then he murmurs, “Lindaaaa…” I’ll admit I like hearing “¡Que linda la rubia!” on the streets. Or even that today a guy who yelled” ¡Hola princesa hermosa” made me smile a bit. But this guy is creepy. I don’t even look at his face. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I know. I try to ignore him. I see a policeman walk by with his bike. And another one. They approach the man. He stands up, shows his ID. They take him to the other side of the tree to talk. For quite a while. Two or three pages I’d say. And the creepster is gone. Then the police walk over to me. They tell me the man was staring at me, and apologize that “This guy cause bad day for you.” I tell them thank you for your help, and they walk off. Weird. Creepy. Uncomfortable. But you can’t say the police weren’t doing their job today.