Eugene

Sometimes going back a couple of decades to review your old writing is a fun exercise...this is from 1994:


     One day, I drove by work and saw Eugene walking along the sidewalk.  I waved to him, and he waved back.
     Eugene is a bizarre employee of a Mexican restaurant in which I also work.  He immigrated from the former Soviet Union.  The exact parts are unknown because communication with Eugene is very limited.
     He speaks rather fluently the English language that cannot be aired on prime time television, but that's about it.  None of us at Chi Chi's could speak fluent Russian either, so conversations with Eugene got muddy.  Example:

     "Good job, Eugene," says the manager.
     "#@?!!* da @@#*!!" laughs Eugene.
  I am not trying to make fun of his language or failure to learn ours; I am merely attempting to prepare you for my story.
     I stopped at a stop sign, which is where the adventure began.
     Eugene came up to my window and uttered something like, "Me, uh da uh."
     After noticing my bewildered face, he again uttered the same thing with a few more grunts.
     Knowing I had to say something so I could be on my way, I said, "Sure, sounds good, Eugene."
     Eugene smiled, walked around to my passenger door and got in.  He was very polite, shaking my hand and grunting some kind of thankfulness to me.
     Realizing that I had inadvertently offered Eugene a ride, I started to drive.  I asked him for directions, and though my voice probably rendered all grunts to him, he picked up on my inquisitive tone and started pointing.  After cruising through a few hotel and gas station parking lots, we found Eugene's street.  We smiled and laughed, happy that we made it.  Eugene pointed to his house and I stopped to let him out.  We exchanged grunts and waved good-bye.  Then I drove along on my way to do whatever it was that I was supposed to get done.

ok...not a perfect piece of writing, but I'd forgotten all about this guy and the story I jotted down years ago helps me now to remember a goofy, but good memory.  If you are a writer, write no matter the outcome...getting your mind recorded on paper or flash drive us the outcome of matter--it matters!