I ain’t gonna play your white man game no more!
I ain’t gonna be treated as second class and fight my brothers for the little tidbits of life the white man throws our way every now and again.
MAN & TROLLEY BY ALAN EMMINS 34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 001
EXCERPT FROM 31 DAYS—A NEW YORK STREET DIARY
I see the trolley with the flags, and once again it is loaded with big black bin bags. The market is on in Union Square, people sit at tables selling paintings photography and crafts. I ask some of them if they know who the trolley belongs to.
“That guy is a total asshole,” comes the first reply. “Stay away from him!” “You don’t want to meet that guy,” comes the second reply. “Trust me!” Before I ask anybody else, I see him for myself.
He is a black man in his mid to late 50s with a grey curly beard and glasses. His wears jeans and a Day-Glo orange workman’s bib that are dark with grime and dirt. He looks livid and moves angrily. But then who wouldn’t? Whenever he finds a can or bottle he drops in into a big black bag. When I say the bag is big, if he is 5ft7, the bag is 5ft. He fills the bag to the very top, leaving just enough space to tie a knot. He appears oblivious to all those around him. He is like a machine, unrelenting. His expression is irate, tight. He looks ready to trample anybody that gets in his way.
Is this a man to speak to about canning? I have already canned with JR and Lisa. Is there any more to know?
The thing with this man here, is that he just doesn’t seem approachable. Which is exactly why I must approach him. Also he is canning in a different way. He is not canning until he has enough for some beers, he is canning until he can’t carry any more.
But should I just present myself now or wait until he has finished collecting cans? I don’t have the answer, but the man looks so angry about life that I am almost afraid to approach him. Still I wait.
He takes his beaten baseball cap off and finishes his drink. He takes a little look around the park and then walks over to the trolley, which contains three more gigantic bags, all bulging to capacity. He removes the bags from the trolley one by one.
He attaches one bag to another by tying rope to each of the bags knots. He does the same to the other two bags. Once they are secure he takes two bags, placing the rope over his right shoulder and he walks them to the entrance of the Union Square subway. He comes back to the trolley and picks up the other two bags. He walks them to the entrance of the subway. But this time he doesn’t stop, he takes them down the steps and walks them over to the service gate that is twenty yards in. He climbs back up and, collects the other two bags. He signals for the attendant in the booth to open the gate.
Click.
He slides all four bags inside the gate so that it can be closed. Then he throws two bags on his shoulder and walks them 50 yards, through rush-hour commuter traffic, to the top of the stairs that lead down to the 5 Train.
He goes back. Comes back. Down.
Up.
He walks the bags, two at a time to the far end of the platform and stands waiting for the train.
And this seems like as good a time as any to introduce myself.
After the usual explanations, homeless, England, book etc...
“Alan.”
“Preston.”
Preston speaks to me.
He says, “I been doing this 15 years, you know why?”
“No.”
“America is the land of the poor. Home of the idiot. This is what I have to do to put food in my belly cos the white man has had his foot on the neck of the black man forever. But not me, you try to tread me down and I’ll put you on your back! If you try to talk down to me I’m gonna put you on your back! If you’re gonna come to me you better come as you. White people treat the black man like shit.”
He says, “I do this ‘cause I ain’t gonna play your white man game no more!”
And, “I ain’t gonna be treated as second-class and fight my brothers for the little tidbits of life the white man throws our way every now and again.”
And, “I ain’t gonna fight my brothers and sisters the way the white man wants me to.”
And, “I got my own way of surviving.”
And, “I don’t need you!”