Big Bear
11-26-2009, 07:14 AM
He was all alone,had been for years.Isolation from society under certain conditions can make for bitterness,especially when you interact daily with people and the isolation comes from within.
He sat on the park bench during the day,waiting for the soup kitchen to open.At night he stayed in various places,never in shelters as he felt claustrophobic.Individual stories accumulated and added,they broke his heart.He preferred the open spaces even though they were quite dangerous at times.
Bitter thoughts played again and again in his mind,'if only he hadn't',if only they hadn't'.'why did she have to...'.Bitter tears streamed the lines of his face.In his old torn clothes and shoes that were to big,most people just walked by,trying as hard as they could not to look.
One day a young child interrupted his tears,'Why are you crying'?
He startled,'eh,what'?
'Why are you crying,don't you know today is Thanksgiving'?She looked to him for a reaction.
'I guess I haven't thought about the Holidays in a long time',he said wiping his tears.
'Don't you have a family to be with',she asked, her now sad face looking up to his hopefully.
'Emily,let's go we will be late',her Mother said,who had just got off her cell phone.
Emily did not move,she awaited an answer.
'Emily let's go!'demanded her Father who had been listening intently to the call.
'I don't....',and he started to cry again.
She looked into his eyes,and then took out her best handkerchief,embroidered by her grandmother.She wiped his tears.
'Emily!' As she was escourted away by her parents,she dropped the handkerchief next to him on the bench.She smiled back at him.
The day went by quickly.He held the handkerchief.
That night he went to the shelter and was served a Thanksgiving dinner.He allowed himself to stay for the night.He listened to the cries and snores and the gentle sounds of mothers caring for their young.
There was a shift in his thoughts, in his heart.
He listened intently to the sounds as the night wore on.Gradually their was silence,other than the deep snores of several in the cavernous hall.
He held tightly to the handkerchief,
feeling the ridges of the embroidery on his palm....
Happy Thanksgiving All!
peace,
jason
He sat on the park bench during the day,waiting for the soup kitchen to open.At night he stayed in various places,never in shelters as he felt claustrophobic.Individual stories accumulated and added,they broke his heart.He preferred the open spaces even though they were quite dangerous at times.
Bitter thoughts played again and again in his mind,'if only he hadn't',if only they hadn't'.'why did she have to...'.Bitter tears streamed the lines of his face.In his old torn clothes and shoes that were to big,most people just walked by,trying as hard as they could not to look.
One day a young child interrupted his tears,'Why are you crying'?
He startled,'eh,what'?
'Why are you crying,don't you know today is Thanksgiving'?She looked to him for a reaction.
'I guess I haven't thought about the Holidays in a long time',he said wiping his tears.
'Don't you have a family to be with',she asked, her now sad face looking up to his hopefully.
'Emily,let's go we will be late',her Mother said,who had just got off her cell phone.
Emily did not move,she awaited an answer.
'Emily let's go!'demanded her Father who had been listening intently to the call.
'I don't....',and he started to cry again.
She looked into his eyes,and then took out her best handkerchief,embroidered by her grandmother.She wiped his tears.
'Emily!' As she was escourted away by her parents,she dropped the handkerchief next to him on the bench.She smiled back at him.
The day went by quickly.He held the handkerchief.
That night he went to the shelter and was served a Thanksgiving dinner.He allowed himself to stay for the night.He listened to the cries and snores and the gentle sounds of mothers caring for their young.
There was a shift in his thoughts, in his heart.
He listened intently to the sounds as the night wore on.Gradually their was silence,other than the deep snores of several in the cavernous hall.
He held tightly to the handkerchief,
feeling the ridges of the embroidery on his palm....
Happy Thanksgiving All!
peace,
jason