Mister Sibarbara

MR. SIBARBARA Mr. Sibarbara was 30s fat really fat! A big, fat, good natured Italian senior He got fat stayed fat on 3-day-old pastry most people bought at a way-downtown market under the viaduct He stayed fat on cheap hamburger sauce over noodles or navy beans and 3-day-old bread Mrs. Sibarbara always had a huge pot of navy beans brewing on the stove Oh, yes! flatulence flat was their apartment one of those, afterthought, cubicles on the main floor around the corner from the alley in this HUGE apartment house – “The Tuxedo” He had this old pea-green Ford he parked in our dirt back yard under an apple tree - the tree actually had an apple or two on it some years Mr. Sibarbara liked me I was a little-big-fat kid That’s probably why he liked me because I was little-big-fat On Wednesdays we’d get into the old pea-green Ford and journey way-downtown under the viaduct next to the railroad tracks ‘Rainbow’ trucks were there unloading old bread and old pastry Oh, how old Sibarbara would smile and laugh, hold his gut “Let’s load up!” He’d puff Then home On the way we both filled up I imagine his dinner was 3-day-old bread and beans with 3-day-old pastry for desert I’ll never forget his happy-to-be-alive, lip-smacking smile and laugh We moved when I was 12 years old I wonder what ever happened to Mr. Sibarbara? For sure he didn’t starve But, oh, what veins he must have had!