The 20 Dollar Bill

The 20 Dollar Bill

Friday: Soup kitchen line at 5:45 P.M:

I was the fourth woman on the Ladies First line. A grey-haired pony tailed lady was in front of me. We had been chatting about finding warm places to hide in during the day. Sometimes, when you are somewhere, they come up to you and ask: What are you doing Madam? I’ve seen that, I answered, shaking my head. They don’t want you there.

A well-dressed man wearing a dark overcoat approached the pony-tailed lady. What is this place? He looked at the long line of men, then at us women. It’s a church. A soup kitchen. The man was holding something in his hand. Here, he said. The woman touched the bill. Thank you. The man nodded and walked away.

The girl in front of the woman turned around: What did he give you? A flyer? No, the lady said. He gave me money. How much? Curiosity tempted me. How much? I asked. The woman showed me the bill. $20, I told her. Congratulations. The woman looked up at the sky. It’s been a while since I got anything. I needed this. God sent it to me.  

 

 

Friday: Soup kitchen line at 5:45 P.M:

I was the fourth woman on the Ladies First line. A grey-haired pony tailed lady was in front of me. We had been chatting about finding warm places to hide in during the day. Sometimes, when you are somewhere, they come up to you and ask: What are you doing Madam? I’ve seen that, I answered, shaking my head. They don’t want you there.

A well-dressed man wearing a dark overcoat approached the pony-tailed lady. What is this place? He looked at the long line of men, then at us women. It’s a church. A soup kitchen. The man was holding something in his hand. Here, he said. The woman touched the bill. Thank you. The man nodded and walked away.

The girl in front of the woman turned around: What did he give you? A flyer? No, the lady said. He gave me money. How much? Curiosity tempted me. How much? I asked. The woman showed me the bill. $20, I told her. Congratulations. The woman looked up at the sky. It’s been a while since I got anything. I needed this. God sent it to me.  

 

 

Signing

Tuesday, January 26, 2010: Signing on the dotted line and trusting the so called professionals of the real estate industry in GA in 2002 was an unwitting mistake. It dawned on me that there was something very rotten in the deal after the ink had dried. Now I am more than suffering the consequences. I have no place to go. Going to GA took away whatever chance I could have had of having a home. If I had known that all this was going to happen, I would have run. But, I didn’t know. If I was responsible and paid the mortgage up until the last moment, why are they not responsible and admit that, because the market was bad then and there was too much inventory, they did what they did to get their commission? I am also wondering if my horrible loan was sold and if somebody profited–in a big way–from it. I certainly didn’t. Now I am still homeless, almost 8 years later.

Moving Galore!

I have been here before and I hate it. I have been here where scrambling for a place to be—any place—is it. I am now moving piecemeal, a little bit at a time. There is not much time left till late February. It hurts so much that I could not sleep last night. I looked at Lauchita and I wondered where we’ll be next month. My heart is breaking but I don’t want to show it. Yes, I have been here before and it’s always been Hell.

Ethics in Realtors

Saturday, January 23, 2010: If the realtor in GA was so ethical (something I very much doubt), then why did she work with and recommend a loan officer who offered potential borrowers with excellent credit such rotten deals/bad loans? Was money, as a in good commission, involved?

Advice To A Person Facing Foreclosure

Hello, I was in your situation back in 2005 in Atlanta, GA and knowing I was losing my home was very stressful. I could not sleep and/or eat. I am sure you know what I am talking about. My home finally went in November of 2005. I was not in the US and that made it even harder. Please talk to a good lawyer. Get a good lawyer through recommendations and think this over very carefully. A lawyer with knowledge of foreclosures can be expensive. Unfortunately, I could not afford one.  Ask questions, even if you think you should know the answers. Talk to people who have been there. Eugenia Renskoff

One of Those Dogs

Saturday, January 16, 2010: Rubio is one of those dogs that will live forever–forever in my heart. No matter what happens or where I go, he is there, beside me, just like he was way back in Argentina. The vividness of anything and everything having to do with him will never die.

German Manners

German Manners

The subway was crowded, but lots of people got off at Grand Central. I was carrying lots of bags and wanted nothing more than to sit. There was a seat right by the subway doors. Excuse me, I said, to a couple of young German tourists in their early 20s. They, so unfailingly polite, got in front of me and took that seat and the one next to it. I glared at them. Don’t you have a mother? I asked them. They gave me a blank stare, playing the usual dumb game. No, I guess you don’t, I told them, taking a seat all the way on the other side.

The Same, But in English

Years ago, when I lived with my Tia in Argentina, she would say that the wages stayed the same, but the prices kept going up. Now, in the United States, people are starting to feel the way it was back then—over 2o years ago. es stayed the same, but the prices kept going up. Now, in the United States, people are starting to feel the way it was back then—over 2o years ago.

Manhattan Subway Scene

Manhattan Subway Scene:

Around 3 P.M. at the 33rd Street subway stop. As I got off the train, I noticed a young woman crouching by the swipe machine. She lay down her head on the end part long and grey machine, near the turnstile. There were two cops standing near her—a man and a woman. The woman cop approached the woman and asked her what was wrong. The tone of her voice was not nice or kind. It was on the sharp side. The woman told her she couldn’t see very well. You have to go; the woman cop said and opened the big emergency door for her. There are seats for you to sit on. The woman cop looked at the male cop and made a face. Now on the other side, the young woman, still crouching, took out a water bottle from her bag. Someone pushing a baby carriage asked her ifManhattan Subway Scene: Around 3 P.M. at the 33rd Street subway stop. As I got off the train, I noticed a young woman crouching by the swipe machine. She lay down her head on the end part long and grey machine, near the turnstile. There were two cops standing near her—a man and a woman. The woman cop approached the woman and asked her what was wrong. The tone of her voice was not nice or kind. It was on the sharp side. The woman told her she couldn’t see very well. You have to go; the woman cop said and opened the big emergency door for her. There are seats for you to sit on. The woman cop looked at the male cop and made a face. Now on the other side, the young woman, still crouching, took out a water bottle from her bag. Someone pushing a baby carriage asked her if she needed help. The young woman smiled and talked with her. The other person helped her up. I watched until I felt she was ok and that she wasn’t alone. When I walked up the stairs to go to the street, they were still talking. I feel I should have told the woman cop to be kinder. It wouldn’t have hurt her any. she needed help. The young woman smiled and talked with her. The other person helped her up. I watched until I felt she was ok and that she wasn’t alone. When I walked up the stairs to go to the street, they were still talking. I feel I should have told the woman cop to be kinder. It wouldn’t have hurt her any.

Argentina’s New Crisis

Argentina’s political crisis has not been getting too much attention in the American papers. Other countries have problems that are arguably more media oriented. Presidenta Kirchner fired the President of the Central Bank because he would not release funs (billions of dollars) that she wanted him to release. The President of the Central Bank has been reinstated and the political crisis in the country has gotten worse. The Presidenta is not as well liked as she once was.