Two days later I was walking home after having coffee with a prominent Oregon writer who had read The Old Crow Book Club. She had reached out via email to set up a meeting. She lived about a half mile from me and had discovered the book because a week ago Jacob gave her a copy in front of the grocery store and insisted she had to read it.
The meeting went spectacularly well. She told me how much she admired the book, asked questions about it, and we brainstormed various strategies to help the homeless in our neighborhood. On that point, we both agreed: there need s to be a lot more neighborhood grass roots action to alleviate the crisis and a lot less downtown bureaucracy.
I was crossing the street when I saw Jacob down the block. I waved him over and we struck up a conversation. He was still on the streets, still wanted off the streets, still wanted to work, but couldn't see a way out at the moment. He said he'd just seen Mark a little tipsy in front of the grocery store and bought him some ice cream to sober him up.
Mark appeared. He sat down on the sidewalk. He said he needed more copies of the book to distribute. So did Jacob. I said I'd hit them up next time we met.
Mark said he hadn't had a chance to give my card to the prospective match. He was actually on his way to a spot a few blocks away where he always ran into her. He extricated the card and twirled it like a sharper. There was good mischief in his eyes.
“C'mon Mark,” I said. “She's not going to do anything.”
“We'll see,” he said.
It was time to go. I said so, said goodbye, turned, and began walking away...
and then...
The song “Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof exploded into my consciousness and I found myself knowing all the lyrics! This was beyond otherworldly because I had never seen the movie and saw the play exactly one time, a high school production, 30 years ago. It wasn't possible!
Then again, it was. I knew the song, and indeed every tune from the musical because my sister must have played the record of the movie soundtrack 200,000 times in my youth. And I loathe musicals!
I whipped around to Mark and began singing “Matchmaker” with full-on Broadway panache.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
Catch me a catch
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Look through your book,
And make me a perfect match
Then Mark joined in! He knew the song, too!
We crooned a couple of verses and then I turned around, kicked up my heels, and walked away singing “If I Were a Rich Man.” Behind me, I could hear Mark and Jacob laughing.
At 8:00 that evening, I received a text from a number I didn't recognize. It read:
Hi Matt,
This is **** and I'm a friend of Mark. I'm smiling. Oh those guys!
I responded.
We agreed to meet later that weekend.
Very fun to read Matt☺️
Keep us posted on this one! 🥰