Hamilton: Hammering Out The Danger

  Prostitutes are women of pain, or sorrow, of grief, of bitter and continu … al repentance, without a hope of obtaining a pardon.

-Anonymous

St. Valentine’s Day: 2012.

Craig is walking down Barton St. on his way home from doing an errand when a big, expensive truck pulls up and a young girl jumps out.

“Got any loose change: sir”?

Craig digs into his pocket, pulls out a loonie and hands it to the girl.

“Want a blow job: sir?”

“Only cost you 50 cents, sir”.

Craig is taken aback but since he has only lived in this neighbourhood since November, he acts as though everything about this conversation including the unbelievable price of the offer is entirely normal.

“No thanks. I’m good” : he replies sincerely and walks toward  home.

Craig relates this story to everyone he knows.  “I thought if I kept on telling this story, it wouldn’t shock or sicken me but it is 3 years later and it still does, and I got more stories that’ll break your heart”: he says to me through his crackly, cell phone.

Craig extends the invitation to visit Barton St. and walk around the neighbourhood with him during both the day and the night.

“I am not a journalist” : I answer. “I write funny, cute stories about middle-aged women, I think you got the wrong girl”: I wriggle.

Well, “The Hamilton Spectator” don’t write about most of the things that happen down here and you know we had the first homicide in the city for the New Year about a week ago”.

“I lived on Victoria Avenue and Barton St. from 1964 to 1967 and attended West Avenue Public School”: I say loudly into my phone to drown out the sound of fire sirens coming through from his side.

He laughs: “That school is apartments now, and everybody says it’s haunted.”

“Good to know”: I think to myself struggling with the idea of stepping outside my comfort zone.

“Your choice, I talk to your brother and he says, you’re a good writer so I called you. I just want people to know the truth about what is really happening down here.”

“Okay, I’m in. Give me your number and depending on what the weather is like, I shall see you in the next couple of days”: I say nervously.

“Great, lookin’ forward to it” he replies.

I hang up.

( TO BE CONTINUED)