His name was Genet

His name was Genet

fiction
edward w pritchard

His name was Genet aand I met him at the abandoned trailer park in Tuscon, Arizona. He told me he was searching for the City of God. Before I was a wounded veteran I went to two years of college so I took it upon myself to explain to him the difference between the City Of God and the City of Man of St Augustine and in jest added that I was sure he wouldn't find the City of God anywhere in America.

Genet was grateful that I gave him half a pack of cigarettes so he took it upon himself to explain a few things to me. He said that the City of God was a metaphorical place, geographic but not visible in Time. Just as likely to be somewhere in Arizona as in say ancient Rome or Israel or somewhere like that. For his last piece of advice Genet told me I should go to the VA hospital as it was free and it was hard on a man to live like we do as vagrants.

Sometimes when I am alone, sleeping in the cold I wonder if Genet ever found what he was searching for.