Sir, I think I found your house keys
» Durham, NC
Just another day in Northgate Park
When I got home this afternoon Julio, one of Davidson Street's street alcoholics said he wanted to talk to me. By his own account Julio chose to become a homeless drunk when his wife died several years ago. He works many odd jobs and never bums anything more than an occasional cigarette. Julio's the rare street person who has a bit moxie and ability, he can keep himself fed and in malt liquor. Aside from sometimes being so lonely he wants to talk too much about nothing he has too much self-respect to make a pest of himself.
Julio told me he'd found a set of keys in my yard. Turning the knob on my front door it opened. Naturally I fled inside to see what was missing. Nothing. TV, DVD player - most importantly - this computer were all in place. Maybe I'd forgotten to lock the door. Or Julio couldn't resist taking a look inside. Amid the horrifying clutter of the house it'd be hard for someone to leave any trace of a secret visit.
If there is ever a reality show based on carelessness Charles should be the star. Once he misplaced his keys but was sure a guy who left a flyer on the porch had stolen them. Having the house and two cars re-keyed in the evening was expensive. A couple of months later I found his keys under a table.
The keys look weathered. They may have been in the yard for a couple of years. Or a couple of weeks ago when I sent him off to Raleigh.
I'd be tempted to install a keypunch lock but Charles would be forever forgetting the code.
