Curse Reversed

This isn’t another story about how the Boston Red Sox finally won the world - series after 86 years. Although that might be one of the greatest feats in modern history, what happened to me that night will live in my memories for as long as the most seasoned Red Sox fan.  Now it is true that I am Boston area born and raised, so I was pretty excited to learn that the boys were headed for something special. I had been paying pretty close attention to the play-off games, actually watching most of them either at home, or at work.  But, there was something else I had my eyes on at that particular time. Many of you might have read, “My night in the dumpster.” Well, what I had my eyes on was that same dumpster. I had scoped it out about 2 nights before, and it was getting close to being about half full. 

The night the Red Sox began what was to be game 4 against the Cardinals, I was working at my part-time job. Around seven o’clock or so, my boss informed me and the other guy I was working with that he might send one of us home, because the place was dead, most people were home watching the game. Actually, we too were watching it as we worked. I volunteered to be the one to head out early, which was fine by them because I lived the furthest away. On the way home in the car, I listened as the innings ticked by, and the Red Sox inched closer and closer to history. 

Now, it was my original intent to race home and watch the rest of the game on TV, for, after-all, I may NEVER see this again in MY lifetime! Well, for some reason, thoughts ran though my head about my dumpster. I knew that by now there would be enough trash bags piled up in there to make it “prime.”  Before I could realize what I was thinking, I took the exit off the highway that would take me to the place that the dumpster was behind. I remember thinking to myself that if I did this, I would miss the game. But, somehow, a nice full dumpster seemed more special to me than the game. I knew they were going to win it and besides, it would be all over the news tonight anyway. So, I continued on to the health club. 

I pulled into the parking lot during about the 6th inning or so. I got out of my car, and grabbed my flashlight. I very carefully and quietly walked down the narrow driveway that leads to the back of the building. When I got there, I saw a guy smoking a cigarette behind the building. I sprinted in the other direction towards my car. I almost got in my car and headed home. But, I stopped myself and waited a few minutes. 

After about 5 minutes, I turned back and headed down the driveway again. The coast was clear. Now, normally, the custodian of the health club dumps his trash around ten or ten thirty. It was now inching close to eleven, so I figured he was done for the night, which would be good because there’d be even more bags of trash! I walked up to the dumpster and shinned my light in there. Sure enough, the pile was PERFECT! 

As I had done so many times before, I looked around a few times, and finally climbed up to take my position.  Satisfied that there was nobody around, I climbed into the dumpster, and started moving bags of trash around. As I had done in previous visits, I created a pocket of bags that I could settle into. This time I made it pretty deep. There was only about 1 or 2 bags remaining before I reached the bottom. So, I sat down in the middle of the bags. I moved my feet out, and shoved them under the piled bags that were laid out in front of me. My feet were now gone, and there was bags all the way up to my waist. I then lay back into the pile that was behind me. 

Now, I had my head rested on trash-bags and the pile around me had pretty tall walls! After a quick couple of movements, I collapsed the walls right on top of me. Again, I was in bliss, totally buried in trash inside of a dumpster. I turned off my light, squirmed around a little, and finally got nice and comfortable in the darkness. The weight of all the trash on top of me felt wonderful, and I just laid there and took in the sounds and smells. I did this for close to a half hour. I was contemplating getting out soon. I squirmed around a little bit to reposition myself, and some bags moved around. I decided to stay. 

Not even 2 minutes after I had cancelled my escape, I heard a door to the back of the building. I froze.  I was sure this was going to be it, that I was going to be caught. I was certain that I was not covered up enough and I was doomed. With that idea in my head, I wiggled down into the garbage as much as I could to further hide myself. In reality, the guy coming could have jumped in there with me and not known I was there, I was buried in about 6 feet of garbage! 

Anyway, I heard the custodian walking towards the dumpster. But, he was not just walking. He was dragging something. Of course, I figured out that he was dragging trash bags! It sounded like 2 or 3 or them, maybe more. Suddenly, the dragging sounds stopped. Then I heard what sounded like plastic trash bags being hurled into the air. Sure enough, that’s exactly what it was! The custodian was hurling his trash into the dumpster, with ME in it! Wow, this was great. The first bag landed on the pile with a euphoric THUD. As it landed, I instantly felt the weight of the pile pushing on me. It was an amazing feeling. 

Some of the bags moved around and made “garbage sounds.” Then, a few seconds later, a second bag was hurled in. This one must have been heavier, because it caused the entire pile on top of me to shift, and further confine me to my garbage prison. Just as I was thinking to myself, “wow, this is cool, I hope there’s more,” the last bag was thrown in. This one just made a thud and then all was quiet again. Because of the weight of all the trash, I could not hear whether the custodian was walking back to the door until I heard the door slam shut. My heart was racing, I was so excited after what had just happened. I listened and remained still to see if maybe there would be more coming, but there was not. The custodian was done for the night. 

I spent a few more minutes there buried in the trash. Then, from outside I heard firecrackers. Then, the sounds of people yelling and screaming. “They did it!” I heard from the nearby houses. I realized what had just happened. The Red Sox had won the whole damn thing! I could not help but feel happy and excited about this. But, at the same time, I was even MORE excited that I had been buried in garbage this whole time, and finally, got to feel what it was like to be garbage, and experience first hand what its like to have trash thrown on me! 

Well, I soon decided later it was time to get out. I started to push away the bags that had become my tomb one by one. Shortly, I was able to stand up in the pile. I then got my first glance at the bags that had been thrown on me. They were good size. And there was heat coming off them, for they had just come from inside, and the rest of the trash was at the current air temperature.  Well, I finally climbed out of the dumpster and headed back to the car. On the radio, sure enough, the reporters were saying that the game was over, the Sox had swept, and we were champs. History had been made, the curse reversed. I chuckled to myself, “Yes, history HAS been made.”

Congrats Sox!!!
 
 
 

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05.11.05