Suspicious Male
Asking Riverdale Residents
Unusual Questions
-headline from local newspaper
The two-column story at the top of the page
says last week, in Riverdale,
on a night when it rained,
residents complained a man came to their door
asking strange questions and making odd claims.
Two deputies came to the scene right away.
Evenin’, they said, they asked him his name
and they looked at each other
when he told them “Tre Price”;
the ID he showed them said “Charles Vincent White.”
Well, said the deputies,
Tre, or Charles, whichever is right,
how come you’re out here on such a bad night?
Knocking on doors, making strange claims.
People called us, complaining,
nice people, Tre/Charles,
and it’s late and it’s raining.
The two-column story goes on to explain
“Tre Price” is an alias;
“Charles White” is his name
and that night he was knocking
on Riverdale doors by the dozen
to be near a TV,
to watch “Wheel of Fortune” and see Vanna, his cousin.
Charles White was convinced he was part of her clan
and the world would soon know
because they had a plan;
it would be on TV,
the message revealed as only she can,
by letters that turned in her manicured hand.
They thought he was drunk.
They thought he was high.
They thought that Tre/Charles might be out of his mind.
Now the Riverdale lockup is where he resides.
Crazy, isn't it; “Wheel of Fortune”, Vanna.
Cousins and all that.
But let’s say, just for kicks,
for fun,
just for laughs—
man comes to your door,
says, sometimes I can’t take the pain.
Sometimes I need somewhere to go when it rains.
Sometimes I need someone to just say my name.
One column, maybe, bottom of the page,
and it’s crazy, alright—who talks that way?
But what do you do when the houses look warm.
When it’s dark and there’s laughter and the TVs are on.
Maybe it's crazy.
But what do you say
when there’s nowhere to go—
and you’re a man in the rain.