Piano Man

On my bike ride with Aram yesterday, we were stopped by an elderly woman in South Brooklyn. She was standing helplessly next to a car full of luggage, boxes and groceries. Being the good citizens that we are, we stopped, got off our bikes and carried load after load into her strange-smelling and poorly-decorated home.

Finally, all the items from the car were in the house. The woman thanked us and held out some folded bills for Aram. He politely refused the money. She offered us beer. Again, we refused. She thanked us again and as we were leaving called out:

“Oh young man?”
“Yes?”
“You’re very kind.”
“Thanks.”
She thought for a moment.
“You know who you look like?”
“Who?”
“That singer… what’s his name… Billy Joel.”

“I help her carry all her groceries, refuse to take her money and that’s the thanks I get? She tells me I look like an unattractive, washed up rockstar? Next time I’ll keep on biking.”