I don’t turn around, but I’m in a good mood. I opt to have a little fun. I raise both my arms in a bent position to show the universal “who knows?” signal. I keep walking. He keeps yelling.
“Come on! Are you Hoffa? Everybody thought you were dead!”
I’m getting farther away. But this time I turn my head slightly so we can make eye contact. I put my index finger to my lips. I try to let him know: The less we talk about this, the better. I’m still trying to have some fun with this guy because — well — I think he’s trying to have some fun, too.
I’m still moving away from him, but now he has his hands cupped around his mouth so I — and just about everybody else around — can hear him.
“You should talk to God! You should talk to God! He’s standing right here!”
I stop.
I turn completely to face him. I’m motionless for several seconds. Then I point at him: You are God? I ask this without saying a word.
Now, look. The chances of him being God are about as likely as me being Hoffa, but after The Donald just won the presidency, I’m not ruling anything out.
I mean, I’m thinking…
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make his way home?
I’m well aware of the 1995 Joan Osborne song. So I’m cautious of whom I upset. Well, OK, I’m relatively sure God isn’t a politician or a right-wing blogger, so I can pretty much get into it with them.
Everybody else, not so much.
I’m now waiting for him — the man who looks like he’s carrying all his otherwordly belongings on his back — to answer me.
While I wait, I’m thinking, “If this guy really is God, wouldn’t he already know if I’m Hoffa? Would he really have to ask me that question?”
But then I realize he could simply be testing me. He was asking to see if I would take the path of honesty.
Regardless, my question to him was still waiting for an answer.
His head was slightly down now. I couldn’t see his face. I couldn’t look into his eyes. I couldn’t know for sure who I was dealing with.
He stayed that way for what seemed like several minutes. But later I realized it was only a few seconds.
Slowly his head began to rise. I thought he would stop when his eyes made contact, but he was looking over me now. Above me.
His pale red lips, flat throughout the rising of his head, slowly broke into an ever-so-tiny grin.
Was it an answer? Or just an inconsequential facial expression?
• • •
I’m late for my meeting. I keep walking.
