Crazy of the Week - Crazy Rod

Buskers attract crazy people, so I've decided to do a 'crazy person of the week'. Before getting to this week's crazy person, I should probably give out some honourable mentions.

Violent Jammer - A guy playing a guitar and a girl playing a bin asked me to have a jam with them. Before long, the guitarist saw a guy he knew walk past. He stopped playing and walked after him. The girl tried to pull him back, "No, don't stab him". I sidled away...

Smelly Skatman - A smelly homeless man came up to me and said "you and I are the same. We were both born with musical gifts. I was a musician for 47 years. Listen." He came up nice and close. "babidabopdeeeewupbamdiddlybobiwaaaaaaaawaaaaaaaabambambibap". Awesome.

Crazy Rod

A middle aged man wearing faded jeans and a bright red shirt with the top 3 buttons undone. His greasy, shoulder length hair stuck to his olive skin. He reminded me of Fabio, but uglier. And from Kingston.

He was sitting on a step one day while I was busking outside Metro. He waved me over.

"You know I've been a musician for 30 years" he said
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I play keyboard, guitar and I even write my own songs."
"Cool."
"Yeah, I also write children's books"
"Wow"
"My name is Rod by the way"
"I'm Maya. Nice to meet you"
"If I start going on just do this" he said reeling an imaginary fishing rod in." That's what all my friend's do"
"Oh, I get it! Rod. Like a fishing Rod"
He gave me an enlightened look.
"I never thought of it that way"
He talked at me for the next 20 minutes or so.
"Hey can I have your phone number? Maybe we can have a jam or something."

OK, so I probably shouldn't have given him my number. In my defense, I did make sure he didn't follow me home.

The next day I got a call from a number I didn't know. I thought it might have been a job or something.

"Hi" said a greasy voice on the other end of the line. I shuddered. "You totally inspired me yesterday" he said. "In fact, I wrote a song about you."
"Oh yeah? Ummm wow, that's great. I'm glad I could help you out."
"Well I'd love for you to hear it"
"Definitely! Next time I'm busking outside Metro, you should come out and play it." I said
"Ah. I was kind of thinking more than that"

I was kind of thinking less than that.

"Umm, I'm kind of busy right now. I'll talk to you later." But I didn't. He called 5 times that night, but I wouldn't take the bait. No matter, I'm sure there are plenty more fish in the sea for a Crazy Rod.