Downtown

Downtown
“F*** you!” It was a female voice. I did not look back. I entered  into City centre through the double glass doors.. The doors propped open itself when I was closer to it. It was warm inside. In between two double doors; exterior and interior, there were two elderly male with stuffed backpacks and black garbage bags. A girl, probably late teen, was with them and she looked disoriented. I guessed,  she was under influence of some kind of drugs. Pungent odor of alcohol hit my nose instantly. As I was pulling the interior door out, I saw a female getting in from the same door. I paced faster without looking my back.
I wanted to spend an hour  in City centre mall. I entered in one of the shops to the right side of the east entrance. Two girls seen at the counter working with computers. I checked some sell items. Almost everything has yellow sticker on them. Yellow sticker price was for sell. Some shirts and jeans had 50% off. I picked up a green shirt, and checked the price. It was fifteen dollar. It was good. Checked the made in, it was Bangaladesh. I purchased one and moved to another shop. On the hall way a read skinned adult eyed on me and asked for a smoke. I told him I never smoke. He thanked being so generous to response him. Then I stopped by Dolorama. That guy followed me. I did not give a heck. I checked the cheap stuffs in every aisles. This place was busier than other fancy stores. As I was at the front paying for the stuffs, I saw two cops getting into the store. They sneaked into the employees area first and soon came out to the front door. In a minute or, two they stopped a guy with a backpack. This was the same guy who asked me smoke. He tried to run away from the cop and ended up in handcuffs.
They took him to the gallery outside. I went to food court in the first floor. Two Security Guards were eyeing to my shopping bag. I felt uncomfortable. I wanted to eat something but did not no what. Subway, MacDonald, Tim Horton, KFC and Chinese and Japanese stores selling foods. I did not know the names. I stood in front of KFC in line. The queue was long though. After five people, it was my turn. An Asian girl  with a fair complexion and short nose , asked what I wanted. I said, “ chicken.”  “Which chicken?” She asked. I did not know which. She showed the menu over my head. I pointed the one in the picture priced $8.00. She asked something else that did not understand. I looked at her face like a child looked at the teacher when he does not know the answers. “ how would you pay?” I said “card.” She looked confused and quickly looked at my hand holding the visa card. I paid the bill. I was embarrassed.
I waited other corner for the order. When a lady brought the order, I asked her If I could buy a cold drinks. Her face had some wrinkles and shadow marks. She asked “pop”. I did not know what pop meant. I said,”no”. Then grabbed my food, sat on a table at the far corner and savored without looking at the people sitting opposite of me. “Was I shy? Was I overtly sensitive about the strangers?”

Questions buzzed in my head. Nobody was really talking to each other though they were sharing the same table. They had wires running through the ears connected to the digital device. Everyone was looking down like a mourners of the funeral procession. I did not notice happiness in their faces. They were all looked like a robot in the 'Ex Machine'.
Weather outside was cruel with the sharp jaws on the sidewalks. If you step out of the door without balancing your body like the penguin, you would probably bang on your head opening the skull and no blood running because it is already frozen. The only people walking on the day would be from the rural areas come to the town as a nomadic. They lived in the river side in the bush making a shelter to protect themselves from the snow but not the ice. There were hundreds of those shelters in the river side in the summer. Some of them stay throughout the year. City police knows where are those shelters. They sometimes go to the places to rescue from domestic violence with the fire department and EMS.
Rogers Place, City Tower, CN Tower, Tell us Tower, Epcore building looked iconic in  Downtown. At the foot of these buildings people were begging a loonie or, a cigarette. At the corners of these gigantic towers hundreds of youths smelling cracks, smoking pods and injecting opioids or meth. They are the victims of the fast growing modern civilization that crumbled the family values, spirituality and religion down. The Cannabis stores, liquor stores, strip clubs and dance bars with full of those who have no family to share happiness and sorrows. I walked off the busy road and took a short cut from the Canada Palace. There was a underground tunnel that lead to the Shaw Convention Centre.
When I entered into the Shaw Convention Centre, I saw hundreds of teenagers on a queue. They were almost stripped off. I could see a girl of eighteen wearing a nipple tube and piece of cheekine  panties that barely covered their pubic hair. They were all waiting for their first beer and smoke as a big festivals. Each of the girls were attached with  skinny  boys who have tattoos all over the body. Some of them had muscles patched on the arms and chest. I talked to a staff who was pushing them in a single file queue what was going on in the building. He treated me like a shit calling a security to kick me out of the building. Soon, there came two Guards and pushed me out of the crowd. One explained that I had caused an issue with staff and not allowed in the building. Another wrote a note in the paper and explained that the note was a trespass ticket and I was banned for thirty days for convicting forced entry and disturbing their guests. He asked to sign on the paper. The one who handed me the ticket was a black like a coal with freckles on his face. He looked like a survivor of the famine in Somalia and got chance to enter into this country as a refugee. Now he is treating me like a vagrant. I turned back and walked off the building.
Then I strolled down towards east, where people of all ages and colour picking smoke butts and beer cans off the streets. Some of them were resting their heads on the chair closing their eyes. At the end of the walkway I saw a building with a cross sign on the wall just above the main entrance. There were a few cars parked on the yard, the the wooden door was closed. I guessed it was a church. There was a small bird on the roof hooping up and down. To the south side of the church, below the hill Saskatoon river was flowing magnificently. Joggers and bikers could be seen like a portrait of an artist on the beautiful landscape.
I had no time to savor the beauty of the nature.  I kept walking along the road towards the West. A
magnificent glass building was tilting towards the south with the glory of 21st century architect. There was no room for those who were picking smoke butts from the ashtrays out side the hotel or who has no money to pay their high bill. We only could tilt our head backwards and through the sight on the height adjacent to the blue sky.
I crossed the hotel and continued my stroll down to the West.  As I reached on the ground of the CN Tower, I felt it like a tomb of ancient culture and monuments. I was a sky scrapper building looking to the sky. There were also homeless, druggists, street gang members around the building. The police cars were patrolling the city. Surveillance cameras monitoring the areas to stop anyone entering into those towers. On the other side of the CN Tower I saw shining lights on a huge circle. It was Rogers place. I saw the name on the wall shining than any other lights in Down town. It was a huge round building in a shape of a bird's nest. As I entered the building I saw hundreds of people in multiple line on the large open patio. They were all waiting to get into the arena to watch the Hockey game, as i was told by a tall, white lady about my age. They were all wearing colorful dresses, most of them had Oilers logo on it. I asked the lady if I get in free to watch the game. “No, you have to purchase a ticket. She showed the window where tickets were sold. I had no money. I asked her how could I got out of the building. She directed me towards the North of the hall explaining the way down the elevator and follow the hallway to the end. I walked off down the elevator. On the right hand side I read the sign “Downtown Casino”. I had never been to the casino before. I decided to enter into the casino to kill my curiosity.
As soon as I entered into the glass door, a Security Guard stopped me and asked for ID. I told him I was over thirty. He insisted on so, I pulled the wallet from my pants back pocket, picked up a PR card and handed to him. He looked at the photo first and screened the face with his cold eyes and returned to me. There were computers with different screen. They had names on them like VLTs, Diamond Millions, Fortunes and many more. They were producing enormous noise with voices and bells. Adults and old people were sitting at the machine with their eyes fixed on the screen and fingers pressing the buttons. Some of them were playing the table games, card games, bingo games. I sat on the chair in one penny machine. A girl in a green apron with money purse on the top of the hip was dealing with the customer next to my machine. I called her and asked  how could I bet the machine. I had five dollar bill on my hand. She asked me to insert the bill in the hole. I put the bill and started betting as she instructed me. However, it was just fun with my limit of five bucks! After hitting couple of time, my credit was over. Then I walked around looking at the machines. Soon, one Security Guard came to me and asked to to leave the Casino. I said, “why?”
“You are loitering in the Casino disturbing our valued customers. You have to leave the Casino without objection. At the mean a lady came in in a Security uniform. She stood putting both hands over her vagina. I told him that I was just looking at the machines, how come I disturbed his customers. He grabbed my right arm and soon the lady security grabbed the left arm. They pushed me out of the door. “ if you get into the Casino, we will put you under arrest”, he walked in.
Both the arms of my watch were already in ten. I decided to go home. I followed the direction given by earlier lady that lead me to the LRT station. I road on train. The train was almost empty. After a few minutes two Caucasian sketchy boys got in the train. One sat close to be at the same seat and another on the opposite seat. The guy who was facing to me kept intruding me with his dull, cranky eyes and suspicious look. I felt utterly uncomfortable. I moved to another compartment which was empty. The guy who was looking at me suspiciously also followed me and sat next to my seat facing the window.
" Did you call me earlier? Are you Abdiali?", he turned towards and asked.
I said, " No". 
" What is your phone number?", he asked.
" Why do need my number? I did not call you.
He looked out of the window. The train stopped at Kingsway Station. As I was going to the exit door he grabbed my phone and ran away.  A woman who was getting into the train asked me to call the police. She gave me her phone. I instantly dialed #911.
" Can you please tell me your name? Fire, flood, or medical emergency?" a lady voice came from other end.
" Hello, somebody stole my mobile," I said.
" Are you safe?"
" Yes, "
" Call non emergency line and report the theft," she dropped the call. I returned the phone to the lady.
Train rolled on to the destination.  I had no phone to call and report the police.
I was the only one left on the station. I walked with my head down towards my apartment.