So, I just got mugged on my way here...second time in a week. Maybe it's the same people. The first time it happened I was riding my bike to the store. I rounded a corner and got blind sided by two men in dark sweatshirts. They pushed my bike over and my face hit and slid down the side of the brick building. I looked up just as the one guy kicked me in the head forcing me to lay on the sidewalk half out of it, while the other guy kicked me in the stomach 4 or 5 times until I vomited on myself and his shoe. They took my bike and the only cash I had on me, which was $25 and about 17 cents. The worst part was that it was 2:00 pm on a sunny day, in an area of heavy traffic, and not one person tried to help. I saw on TV once that it is called the bystander effect when everyone thinks that somebody else is doing something to help, so they don't intervene.

This time I was walking to the library, and I noticed footsteps behind me getting louder. I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but I have been extremely paranoid since the first mugging. I crossed the street and made two left turns trying to round the block and shake them from my tail, but I think they caught on. I heard the one mumble something that sounded like, "We should get him now," so I quickly turned around and threw my arm to punch the man who then grabbed my fist and kneed me in the stomach forcing me to fall limp like a wet blanket. I noticed there were two men (again) in dark sweatshirts (again). The one man grabbed my hair and yanked my head backwards so I could look at him. Unfortunately the streetlight was behind him, so I couldn't see his face. The other man held something sharp to my cheek and told me to empty my pockets. This time they got a paper clip, $7 and a few pennies, and my library card. (Luckily I've become somewhat of a regular here, so I can still write.) I think my lack of belongings and cash made them mad because they let go of my hair, punched me in the face, and spit on me. 

Anyway, I had ended my last post talking about Kenny's kids: McKenna and Elise. McKenna is their oldest at 4 years old. When Kate first found out the sex, they presumed it to be a boy, thus decided to name him after his father. I guess McKenna was giving a thumbs up during the ultrasound and the doctor misread it as a penis. The proud soon-to-be parents of a baby boy, quickly turned into the lackluster parents of a bright eyed 7 pound baby girl, whom they still semi named after Kenny. They packed all of McKenna's boy clothing away in hopes that they'd one day have a baby boy and still be able to make use of it. Almost two years later, the couple almost had their dreams fulfilled when they realized Kate was pregnant again, but with another baby girl. 

Now 4 and 2, McKenna and Elise just sit in front of the television stare mindlessly at Dora or whatever other shows they watch. Both of them know how to tell someone that they need something, but neither of them know how to say what it is that they want. It's always a guessing game. They shy away from personal contact, and ignore a person speaking to them. McKenna is potty trained but still frequently has accidents, and Elise still wears diapers, which McKenna has taught herself how to change. The absence of their parents made me think of how I took care of myself for quite some time after my mother's death, and it angered me. I felt as though  I wasn't in a position to say anything because I was a guest in their home, and it'd be rude to make comments on their nonexistent relationship with their daughters, the children's lack of personal hygiene, their poor diet- which consisted of chips and dry cereal, or their intolerance for anything social. I mean, these children are basically on their way to a life of depression and obesity, and Kate and Kenny are driving them there. 

Kenny is usually at work. He works two jobs to make up for Kate's "medical inability" to work. Kate no longer has leukemia, but refuses to rejoin the world. Any time she feels fatigued, or notices a bruise, she assumes that the cancer has come back. So while Kenny is at work, Kate usually is in her room, or sneaking out to meet a man. I'm assuming it's not just for lunch like she says, but I think Kenny is too exhausted to care anymore. I wasn't certain, so I held my tongue while trying not to pass judgement. 

One night I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go downstairs for a drink of water, and maybe take a walk around the neighborhood. I saw Kate standing by the sink in her nightie and a matching house coat. It was a pale pink silk with lace trim. I said hello and she jumped and spun around to see it was only me. She placed her hand on her chest and played with the gold cross necklace she always wore as she exhaled and apologized as I walked to the cabinet to get a glass, which she was standing in front of. "Excuse me,", I said. "Why don't you make me move?", she said as she leaned in towards me and playfully giggled. "..I just need a glass of water...", I replied awkwardly, yet slightly turned on as I backed up. She pressed against me and grabbed my crotch telling me that she'd been waiting for this for a long time. She kissed me. My body stood motionless, as my mind raced in a million different directions. She pulled away, and slowly shrugged her silk robe off, not breaking the constant stare into my eyes. I felt hypnotized by her bright green eyes that the moon was reflecting off of perfectly. Without thinking, I lifted her onto the island, where we had just eaten breakfast that morning. She tore my shirt off as I took off my pants, and it was then and there that I slept with Kate, my best friend's wife, in his own house.