Pacing

So this guy I worked with for a few days, the one that was hungover that day, who moves the slowest I've ever seen. The two of us together moved like a snail. Now I'm getting it. You can move so slow that you're staying in one place as long as you act busy.
Last year one of the first guys I got partnered with on a regular basis was this Isreali dude, about my age, had done his time in the Isreali military and seemed to be pretty darn fit.
He was very nice, put me at ease. He had a system: one person does the inside of the sidewalk, the other does the outside which includes the street gutter, we take turns pulling the can. Very simple. If there wasn't much trash, we'd take turns - one person picks up while the other walks along pulling the can. When we did this he was a comedian and he'd kick the butts in front of my face, like Julio.
"What, you don' like the brown ones? Heh-heh." Maybe this is one reason I'm the weird one who notices every single butt out there. I'm the butt police.
He bought me coffee on many occasions. Because he wanted coffee and he thought in our vests it would be easier for me to get service. I don't know why we were so insecure about it. The first time he gave me a $5o to buy two small, er, tall coffees at Starbuck's. In case you ain't in the know, Starbuck's doesn't take $50's.
The guy let me have it on the house. After that, I made sure to bring small bills to 'work' so I wouldn't push it at the 'Bux.
Several times, Mr. Isreal wanted to sit down with his coffee, have a smoke. But we're always looking over our shoulder and I didn't really want to sit with him. Nothing personal.
He always walked fast. There really weren't 'slow' days w/Isreal. In fact, the days were grueling and my legs always hurt. I actually lost weight. It got to be ridiculous sometimes - he'd be an entire block or two ahead of me, pulling the can with him.
It just occured to me that maybe there's a reason I got stuck with that jabberwalky a couple weeks ago, maybe its karma, that fickle bitch. Back then, with Isreal, I was the chatty one. Some days I just babbled on to pass the time. Maybe that's why he ran ahead, to get away from me. Hmm.
On his last day though, when we got to Hayworth and the 7-Eleven, he bought me an ice cream and we sat on the curb and ate them. When Julio came by, Isreal spoke to him and that was that.
And then, you never see these people again.
Well, except Lance. I see him all over the place.