Mark's Heart Attacks
Two weeks had passes since I handed Mark a copy of The Old Crow Book Club. I was worried. He was clearly in decline.
The sun finally came out for one day and I was driving past Mark's sidewalk, and there he was! I pulled over to check on him and see what he thought of the book.
I called out, “Mark, where have you been?”
“Matt!” said Mark. He was smoking a Lucky Strike but not drinking. Near him, a young homeless man I didn't recognize was sorting cans and bottles, talking to himself, and drinking a bottle of champagne. Yes, champagne.
“I had two heart attacks,” said Mark.
“What?”
In short order I learned: a week ago he ended up in Emmanuel Hospital and was treated for a heart attack and then another one. He had no idea how he got there the first time or who had called for help. He was hospitalized a total of eight days, given some medication, and a free cab ride right back to Sellwood! Not a single employee from any of Multnomah County's legion of agencies and nonprofits dedicated to addressing the crisis of homelessness had visited him. Apparently there wasn't a social worker on the hospital staff to do anything for him, either. Who knows? It's the same old bureaucratic morass, only this one isn't delaying your DMV tags, it's killing people.
Mark had nothing but high praise for the medical team that cared for him. He somehow hadn't lost his backpack and sleeping bag during the ordeal but his ID and food card were missing.
“You could be dead,” I said.
“I was six feet under but wasn't ready yet, I guess,” said Mark. I'm like a bad penny that keeps showing up.”
I asked Mark if he'd read any of the book before the heart attacks.
He had not. He'd been reading another book but would get to mine next.
For some reason, I sort of liked that Mark hadn't read it. He was in the middle of another book and wanted to finish that one first. That's a hard core reader for you.
It occurred to me that Mark might never read the book. If you ever write a book, never expect the person you most want to read the book will ever read the book, even if that book is about that person. I know this from personal experience.
I slipped Mark a fiver and wished him well. I reminded him about the book launch pizza party that was scheduled for the park as soon as it warmed up.
Mark said he was looking forward to it. I told him I'd see him soon.
Would I?