Crack Lady Lamp

I never thought I’d say this but I’ve really missed the Crack Lady. I’ll get to the reasons why in a future post. Anyway…

Way back last summer, I mentioned to Crack Lady that I had a book lamp for her so she didn’t have to strain her eyes reading under the streetlight. The truth of the matter is that I did have a book lamp, but I had absolutely no clue where it went during my move. I mentioned the lamp because I wanted to keep the goodwill going since she responded so well to the books Lady Friend and I had given her. Plus, I still needed to keep Crack Lady on my side so she’d continue to regulate on the prostitutes and their noise out front. Honestly, I didn’t think she’d remember the mention of the book lamp, but every time I’d see Crack Lady, she’d ask about it and I’d make up some lame excuse.

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CL: “Yall be havin’ that lamp fo’ me?”

AH: “No. I keep forgetting to bring it home from the office.”

CL: “Okay, baby. You jus let me know when yall git it.”

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AH: “Hey, C-. Where’ve you been?”

CL: “My mama took sick and I be stayin’ up on Sergeant Street wiff her. Yall be havin’ that lamp yet?”

AH: “Oh, no. I’m sorry. It’s just sitting in my drawer at work. I’ll have it next time you see me.”

CL: “Okay, baby. I be comin’ roun’ again soon.”

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AH: “How’ve you been, C-? How’s your mother doing.”

CL: “Well if yall be seein’ me out herrre on tha street, then she be havin’ a good day. Yall be havin’ that light fo me yet?”

AH: “…(loss for words)…”

CL: “It be my birfday at the verrry end of the monff, so maybe all yall be gittin’ it then. You’s Aquarrrrius like me too, ain’t choo baby?”

AH: “Mmm-hmmm.”

CL: “I know das right!”
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You would think after five months of Crack Lady asking about the book lamp, I would have gotten around to buying her one. After the last encounter and the not-so-subtle hint about her birthday, I picked up this bright little lamp for CL. What I could not have predicted was that having the lamp in my house would act as a Crack Lady amulet. Immediately after I bought it, she stopped visiting my block. Sometimes on my drive home from work I’d see her, in her tired winter coat, standing at different bus stops along Washington Blvd with the ever-present pack of Newports in one hand and a book in the other. Other times I’d see her in her busted slippers shuffling out of the American Market with a bag of BBQ potato chips in one hand and a book in the other. I never stopped because the lamp was at my house. I just figured she’d eventually come around since her birthday was getting closer. No such luck.

Crack Lady has not lived in my house for many years now. I’ve only been here about a year and a half. I still get all kinds of mail for Crack Lady and also for the other people who’ve lived here off and on in a previous life. Crack Lady’s never gotten anything but past-due notices from various city courts and the occasional notice that she’ll be receiving $15.23 each month in back child support. I used to hang on to her mail and give it to her whenever I saw her, but one day she told me to “jus throw dat fuckin’ shit out if it come” and that’s what I’ve been doing.

Right around Crack Lady’s birthday, at the very end of January, I got another piece of mail for her. This time it was different. This time was the first time, in the time I’ve lived here, that CL has ever gotten personal mail. It was handwritten and it definitely felt like a letter. I got the feeling maybe someone remembered her birthday, so I couldn’t just throw it out. I clipped the book lamp to the envelope and hoped to see her close to her birthday. No such luck.

I had the letter on hand for a few days before I looked closely at the envelope. I flipped it over and on the back was stamped “Outgoing Inmate Mail. January 30 2007. Western Correctional Institute. Cumberland, MD.” That’s when the W.C.I. on the front made sense and the number after it, I assumed, was the person’s inmate number. I blacked out the sender’s name, Crack Lady’s name, and my address, but here’s what I was hanging on to until recently:

About a week or so ago, when I had just gotten home from work, I heard Crack Lady’s very loud voice out on the street. I snatched up the book lamp and envelope and hurried out the front door. She was shuffling down the sidewalk with her friend who never says hello to me. I don’t even bother trying to be friendly with her anymore, so I ignored her.

“Hey C-! I’ve got your lamp. And you also got some mail.”

Crack Lady left her friend and came over to my stoop. She took the letter and the lamp without even looking at them.

“Mmm-hmm.”

I didn’t expect much of a reaction. Crack Lady responds to all things good and bad with a sweaty scowl, even in the frigid weather. She started shuffling on her way while looking down at the letter. She turned around and said, “Thank you, baby.”

Another first.