Yesterday we took the kids to see “The Littlest Angel” at ImaginOn here in Charlotte. The kids had a blast – it was truly age appropriate and they both giggled and smiled through the whole thing.
The only negative part of our day came before the play began. CootieBoy and I were over in one section of the library playing on a computer (CB’s latest passion – he’s REALLY good on the computer), when I saw a slightly unkempt man approach a woman nearby and begin talking to her. She spoke with him for a few moments, then moved away with her child. CB and I continued to play on the computer, while the unkempt man watched us for a minute. Then he approached me. And what followed was one of the most unpleasant odors I have smelled in a long time. The smell of a man who hasn’t had a shower in weeks or months.
“Excuse me,” he said, “But have you seen a pink backpack around here?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” I replied.
“My girl left it here and I can’t find it. I’ve been standing here for 20 minutes looking for it.”
“Did you check with Lost and Found?” I asked, pointing toward the front of the library.
“Umm…..yes, I did.” He continued to stare at me.
“Did you check with the front desk?” I asked.
“Umm…they don’t have it. I think my girl left it around here though. I don’t think anyone would have taken it – it’s not like it had any cash in it or anything.” More staring.
I looked around where I was sitting with CB. “Well, I don’t see it, but if I had found something like that, I would have put it at Lost and Found.” With that I stood up, told the man good luck, took CB’s hand, and went to meet Denis, who was walking towards me with CootieGirl in tow.
Looking back in hindsight, I’m confident the man did not have a “girl”, and certainly wasn’t really looking for a pink backpack. I think the man was homeless, or at least very poor, and just wanted a warm place to spend a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon. Now, there are certainly other places that I would recommend for him to waste away the hours – NOT a children’s library and theater, and I’m curious to know what happened to the man the longer he stayed there. If he kept approaching moms with kids about some fictional backpack, I’m sure at some point someone brought him to the attention of security. At least, I hope so. Because the creepy staring thing was not comfortable at all.
Most times when I go to a public place like a museum or theater, I begrudge the admission fee to get in. However, I think I’ll cheerfully pay the price if it can assure me that I won’t be approached by strange smelling men with a penchant for uncomfortable staring.
Maybe he was a ghost who died in the library one day while fetching his little girls pink back pack and his spirit is forever stuck there until he finds it. Oooooooooooooo