02-22-2007, 07:17 PM
I gaze at the train station while passengers are loaded and unloaded into its seats. The train still looks the same; gray, scratched graffiti on the windows, yellow and orange seats. I begin to head up Main Street and find myself trying to not act suspicious. Even though I have nothing to hide, the cops in the 123 Precinct might think I'm a troublemaker. I walk briskly and find myself at a place where my weekends and summer vacations were spent all the time; #1 Chinese Restaurant. This was our gathering place and our hang out spot. Next door to the restaurant was a bank. We would sit on its stoop when we didn't want our clothes to smell like Chinese food or until the cops from the 123 would chase us for loitering.
I continue up Main Street and can't help but see what is happening at the pizzeria, Ciao Bella. There is always something going on there. People are blasting music from their Mercedes and Cadillac’s, yelling at each other in their heavy accents, and I can't help but chuckle at this. The locals are inside Yesterdays having a beer and a good time. The post office has long since closed. A city bus comes roaring by me. Its smoke fills my lungs with its chemicals of burnt rubber and gasoline. Deep down, I find this smell comforting. I reach the top of Main Street where it meets Amboy Road. A set of traffic lights turn green and is immediately followed by car horns, yelling, and cursing. This is an environment where only the strong survive and the weak are driven off the road. Some people might hate the smell, the noise, and maybe even the people on Main Street, but this is my home, and I can't see myself being raised anywhere else.
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