Cinth and Ziichi (aka Caleb and Zaidi, whatever floats their boats)

I have had the immense pleasure, heartbreak, and headache, of interviewing many prostitutes and homeless people. (It costs more to speak to most prostitutes than to sleep with them, by the way.) On numerous occasions I've invited a homeless person to stay the evening if I felt they were reasonable. With all this, I find myself often drawn to writing stories with homeless people. Cinth and Ziichi both lived on the streets for awhile, and all this ridiculous obsessive talk about spending money hand over fist always infuriates me.

This is my response to that, and the rude cab driver who suggested that mental illness is fake and that all homeless people are just lazy. (The conversation made me extremely angry, and I don't want to debate with anyone who shares his opinion. Usually I love debate, but it's just too sensitive for me to respond rationally.)

One of Cinth's johns left a set of broken glasses behind, and he gave them to Ziichi as a Christmas gift, as she has very bad eyesight. That is certainly enough of a gift for her; she doesn't need the newest surround sound the fanciest jewelry. Ziichi is quite content with something - and now she can learn to read.

(They are teenagers here; this is long before Ziichi and Geza were together.)


You could say this is my better Christmas card to everyone.


(Photoshop CS4, Wacom Intuos, OSX... and the lighting makes their skin lighter than I meant. Oops. )