South Montrose
Ifyou'veneverbeentoHouston,it's hardtodescribeit,butIbetit's probablynotwhatyouthink.
Ifyou'relookingtobesurroundedby thicksouthernaccentsandgiantbelt buckles,Iwouldlookelsewhere.You'll findaccents,buttheyʼrejustaslikelyto befromabroadasthedeepsouth,as justabouteveryone,fromeverywhere, hascometoHoustonatsomepoint.
Thatsaid,inasprawling-four-levelhighways-with-Tex-Mex-restaurantsoff-every-exitsortofway,partsofthe citymayresemblesomevisionyoucan conjureinyourhead.
Butwithinthegiganticcar-dominated solarsystemthatisGreaterHouston, manyneighborhoodsserveasgalaxies.
AndjustasHouston'sarts,culture, sportsandfashionscenessomehow spinontheirownaxis,comfortably independentfromAmericaatlarge,so doitsneighborhoods,oneofwhichis Montrose.
WelivedinSouthMontroseforthree years,literalstepsfromanexpressway. ThisiswhereImetJimmy.
Whenwefirstmet,hetoldmeIʼd bettergetusedtopeoplesitting onthefrontstepsofmyhouse.
Theplacewasanartgallery previously,andwithoutanyone aroundatnight“thatʼswhatʼs alwayshappened.”
Hetoldmethisasacourtesy, which,newtothecityand neighborhood,Ireally appreciated.
Jimmylivedunderatarpinthe alleybehindthebeerstoreacross thestreet.
“Therearelevelsofpoverty,” heoncetoldme,notinghewas “actuallydoingquitefine” wherehewas.
Togeneratesomeincome,he washedcarsintheparkinglot.
Hedidagoodjob.
Itwas$30,cheaperthanthe$32 atthecarwashdownthestreet.
“Andtheydonʼtdoitbyhand,”he toldcustomers.
Ifthecarswaitinginlinemost weekendswereanyindication, peoplesawthevalue.
BorninCaliforniabeforegrowing upaself-describedmilitarybratin Germany,hesometimesthought aboutreturningtoEurope.
Webothlikedsports,sowewent toaUniversityofHouston basketballgametogether.
Healsogavemehishonest thoughtsonmyfirstattemptsat smokingsausagelinks,aswellas oxtail,thelatterwhichhereally appreciated.
Duringourtimetogether,he taughtmealot.
Morethananything,heoftenhad greatideastosolveproblemsand reallylikedtowork.
Sowestruckadealtopayhim $20/hourwhenweneeded somethingdonethathewas interestedindoing.
Heneverovercharged.
Ifanything,heundercharged,soI startedtrackingthetimetomake surehewaspaidfairly.
Forafewmonths,thingswere goingwell.
Hepaintedtheporch,power washeditafewweekslater, clearedtheyardandbackalleyof weedsanddevelopedaningenious methodtoattachamailboxtothe frontrailing.
Hewasevenstartingtodobasic maintenanceandyardworkfor nearbyapartmentbuildings.
Thenhestartedtextingeveryfew days,askingifIneededmycar washed.
Ialwaysobligedbutitwasstarting togetannoying.
Itoldhimifheneededmoney,I couldprepayforafewwashesor lendhimsome.
Thenoneday,hestolea neighborhoodrichladyʼsdog, presumablytosell.
Sheunderstandablywentcrazy.
Ilaterlearnedthedogregularly wentmissing,andsheeventuallygot itback.
ButnotbeforepostingJimmyʼs lengthycriminalrapsheetonthe localsocialmedianetworkNext Door.
Thisledmyneighbors,neverones todirectlyconfrontaproblem,to pressuretheliquor-storeownerto kickJimmyoutofthebackalleyway, whichhe,understandably,soondid.
Afewmonthslater,Isawa guyonabikewavingatme frombesidethetacotruck acrossthestreet.
Ithoughtitmightbehimbut wasnʼtsure.
IhavenʼttextedasIwanted himtocontactme,ifthatʼs whathewantedtodo.
AndIstillhavehisbirthdayin myGooglecalendar.
