The story features only three visibly or clinically mad people and
others normal people who can be called mad according to the mentality they were
trapped in. But I saw at least 5 people who were mad. I mean these five I
encountered frequently obviously there were more. One could see a dozen lying
at underground 168th street.
Ronnie - The protagonist who lived in my building at 231st
Broadway and always drank beer
Iris Drunkard - A burly handsome guy close to 60 who sat near 231st
Metro station on Broadway below the staircase leading to Kingsbridge Avenue. He
was perpetually drunk had bloods shot eyes, wore neat but dirty clothes never
said anything but silently accosted people to throwing money in the Mc Donald
soda glass he held.
Captain Haddock in Leather - This was a very thin emaciated guy,
tall and lanky with sunken cheeks and wild eyes. He was a curious mix of
Captain Haddock and Mark Twain. He wore leather jacket and leather trousers strung
everywhere with steel chains. His entire body swung from all joints and he
threw his legs and hands while walking and looked at everyone as if he missed
something they had said. But I never saw him talking to anyone.
The Swinger in the Train - This boy be-speckled with pouted lips
and wild grin hurriedly entered train threw his jacket and specs on ground took
a position near door and wildly swung forward and backward in a position one
takes before starting a 100 meter dash.
The Bearded Hobo - He was the most known and much loved old man.
He was shabby dirty with tangled beard wild eyes and frantic gestures! He would
board the train take a position holding a pole and grab attention of women and
start jumping on both feet that clanked coins in the plastic glass he held with
one outstretched arm. He would start singing Ray Charle's "She gives me money
when I am in need" and then tell very dirty jokes to which men laughed
riotously while women grinned and looked askance here and there.