And Little Champ: Lucky you, that Auntie’s given you your cell phone! So you liked the outside world? Good! But never try and go out on your own, it can be a dangerous place for a small fella like you.

I don’t know if you wandered down Marshall St. at all while you were up here. There’s a whole group of folks, mostly older, who sit out on the sidewalk on decrepit old furniture, smoking cigarettes and barbecueing out of a barrel. I have no idea where they come from–there aren’t very many residences on my street–but they show up every day. They used to park in front of these abandoned buildings at the end of the block, but the buildings got demolished to make way for the new (huge) Charter school. So now they just go across the street. They stare at me a little when I ride my bike past them, and seem surprised whenever I wave, nod or say hello. But someone usually returns my greeting.

It’s a strange place to live. I often wonder to myself whether I feel safe here… and usually the answer is yes, although somehow I feel like that is the wrong answer.