Dar Westlake posted:

    Last Saturday night, April Fools Day, I reached my transfer point 
downtown on the corner of Robson and Hornby, and stood waiting for the 
10:55 Cambie to come along and cart me to my "real job". It's the center 
of Vancouver and like any Friday or Saturday night was packed with people 
and kids in neon riders, rap and hip-hop blasting, cruising endless up 
and down Robsonstrasse. 
    I turned to my right and there she was, "The Magic Duck Lady". 
She was in a sky blue pants suit matching her eyes, with a white 
jacket matching her hair; the duck moblie in matching blue with 
white trim; the magic white duck, a goose, was waddling around with 
a matching blue frilly collar.
    They wernt working at the time, for a dollar the goose will pick 
your fortune out of a box, she was rolling out lengths of Scott 
Towel to remake the bedding for the the goose mobile. Knowing from 
previous conversations that she was a bodhisattva or saint, I felt 
uncomfortable about interrupting her. But I dug in my pocket for 
some change and deposited in the "goose care" can and asked how she 
was, wondering if she would remember me.
    "Hi, how are you. We're having such a wonderful day today. It's 
Bob's birhtday and you'd be surprised how many people we've talked 
to today, who's birthday's today."
        "Well i guess i'm another one then, mine's tomorrow." 
    "Oh i bet you get a lot of joking with it being so close?"
        "No, not really,,", looking over my shoulder for my bus, 
        "How old is he?"
    She looked a little funny and said "She's two today." Of course 
i knew Bob was a girl, i thought. She must remember me better than i 
do. I felt uncomfortable talking to her, wondering if i had some 
unfair expectation lurking just because i knew what she was.    
    "Well Bob's going to lay his last egg tomorrow. He's laid an egg 
every day for 587 days (I'm not sure of the right figure but it 
was one less than the max for a goose), and tomorrow its the 588th 
the last one. I give them away to people who need something to eat. 
I hard boil them so children can play with them. That way they dont 
make a mess if they get dropped."
    I told her about Alex, my parrot and we chatted a bit with me 
anxiously looking for the now late 10:55. I felt a heavyness, knowing 
there was an unformulated question hanging there inside me.
    "Alex homes back to me. I've found out later that's unusual."
    "Oh, he's does! Yes, you must be very kind to him for him to do 
     that." 
     A 5 year old oriental boy was trying to find the courage to 
come up to Bob and pat him and was failing. He'd put his arms out, 
not a polite thing to say in goose, so Bob would stretch out his 
wings in responce.
   "Oh I better get Bob."
    "You have a good night then."
    She went a few steps thought, then turned and said, " (something)".
    I couldn't remember what she said a second after she said it, 
but i was left there with what we buds would call loving-kindness, 
warmth and glistening eyes now watching the street scene waiting for 
the #15 Cambie. What a nice birthday present she gave me i thought, 
and why cant i remember what it was. 
    She was now talking to a native lady with a yellowing black eye, 
as Bob and the little boy continued his test of courage, now 
approaching with with a book in his outstretched hands to see if Bob 
would bite it. The wonderful feeling was just there as i watched the 
crowds going by not seeing the bodhisattva in their midsts. How many 
times had i passed not having time to talk. Imagine no time to talk 
to "Mother Goose".
    The 10:55 never did show up. I got on the 11:25 next to the lady 
who had just spent the last 1/2 hour with Mother Goose and said, "She's 
wonderful isn't she."
    "She's a female Jesus Christ".
     I didnt have anything to reply to that and sat down trying to 
remember what she had said to me. That feeling didnt go away and 
lasted all night while i worked, thinking many things.
    
    I wanted to put this here, sort of a "Mother Goose Update" 
and something a little more real from a smartass. Over the week i've 
spent a lot of time thinking about it and trying to remember what it 
was she said, and a lot of time not remembering very well other 
Mother Goose encounters such as the passing of Harvey, the previous 
"Magic Goose" in the Magic Goose Lineage. Yesterday it almost came 
to me, close enough to know yes it was private so i wouldnt say anyway.
    
    There is magic in this world, the trick is to know it when you 
see it because it's hard to see when we see so much of it.
    
    As well i beg 1 hundred thousand pardons for the use of the "L" 
word and i in no way meant to offend a.bs.f.g., though i must 
also confess it's the only l****** i recognize.