Katherine/Gilda/Vessa/Vesta

So today, I met Gilda.
While being one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, it was also pretty much the funniest experience of my life. ever.
So, one sunny afternoon when the weather was warm (although the wind made it rather chilly) I sat on the park bench with Leeann, Becca, Kelly and Katie.
As we sat on the bench, we see an interesting lady walking towards us.
This lady had frizzy black hair and an odd expression on her face, it was almost a smile.
As she walked closer, she said to us, "Oh sorry! I thought you were Sue's friends!"
We all thought it was an innocent mistake, but we got confused when she walked closer.

NOW. Before we go any further, i would like you to know that Leeann had an odd red spot on her tongue that she had been touching, so therefore her hand was dripping wet. (Almost as wet as my hands). Anyway..

So this lady goes up to Leeann, and touches her hair. "Cute cute such pretty pink hair," says the odd lady. She spoke very quickly, with a soft, far-off voice. She grabs leeann's wet hand, and starts mumbling quickly.
"Such pretty girls you are, such pretty pretty pretty girls."
We thank her, kind of confused.
"You are nines! You're a 9! All of you nine!"
At first we thought she was referring to our grade, but then she puts one hand on her hip, one on the back of her head (in a rather 'fabulous' way) and says, "Do you think I'M a 9?"
So.. apparently she was rating us on the pretty scale.
We're all giggling now. I was feeling kind of uncomfortable, but my back was to her so she couldn't see the expression on my face.
Then she starts mumbling something, sounding like, "They are going to kill you, kill kill kill you, we're going to die die die die."
"Who's going to kill us?" We ask her.
"Diseases.. jesus. jesus. jesus will save you. Ask jesus. Love jesus."
Kelly and I inform this strange lady that we don't believe in Jesus.
"You don't?" She says in her hurried way. "You don't believe in jesus? so you're jewish.."
"No.." we tell her, holding in our laughter.
"Oh, go to church some time, you should. Jesus jesus jesus jesus."
"Maybe not......." We say, more or less.
At this point, we're all on the verge of laughter, and she begins to sing.
"Precioussss precioussssss"
Now we can't help it. We're laughing loudly and the lady doesn't even seem to mind.
This strange lady starts to walk away, but then comes back.
Much to my horror, she puts her arm around me, "Jesus will forgive you! he will forgive you!"
My reaction, naturally, is to pull away.
"I don't want to have to fight you about this," she informs me.
So now I'm kind of scared.
She starts walking away again, and then suddenly turns back, jumps REALLY high (apparently.. my back was to her) and then slaps me on the back, then leaves. !!!
She hit me! I didn't even know what to think of that.
It wasn't exactly a very hard hit, but it was no friendly pat on the back.
Later we're talking to some girls at the library, and apparently they had a similar encounter.
She asked them if they were popular, and told them that her mother was evil because her grandfather's name is Nick. Apparently this lady told the girls her name is Katherine.
The strange lady even kissed one of them on the head!

"It's Gilda! THAT'S GILDA!" Katie exclaims to Becca.
Last year, Katie and Katherine had been walking home and this same lady asked THEM if they were popular! Apparently it was rather frightening, and they secretly nicknamed her Gilda.

As we walk home along Truscott, ahread of us we see Gilda/Katherine talking to a man with a dog. As Gilda walks away from him, we call out to him. "Excuse me!"
But somehow, with her super-jesus hearing, she turns and looks at us.
"Oh no.. sorryy.. we meant him." We try to explain.
A sad look appears on the lady's face, she says, "Oh it wasn't me at all."
We decide to ask her what her name is.
"Oh it's Vessa, my name is Vessa. But sometimes.. people call me Vesta."
And she rambles on and on. When she's finished we walk away and catch up to the man with the dog.
"Do you know her?!" We ask him.
"No, I thought maybe YOU guys knew her! She's obviously not right in the head, and doesn't speak english well." He says to us.


AND THAT WAS MY ENCOUNTER WITH GILDA. =)
I love you Katherine Vacek!! <3
(And whoever else reads this.. if anyone ever does.)