Festive Pomegranate Sangria

December 20th

I got off my 9-5 shift. I had a horrible day. My boss can't get off my back about missing a meeting due to my wife who had surgery. I was angrily walking through the crowd to get to the train. Something hit my leg. When I looked down, I found out that I ran into a homeless woman on the bridge. She seemed in her mid 20s. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" I asked. She ignored me and I went on my way. I got on my train back home. The conductor said the train would be delayed for about ten minutes. The train still filled up quickly and people stood around me. I thought about the woman I ran into. It was snowing, and almost Christmas. I looked around me and surprisingly, I saw her in my car on the train. The train began to move, and I plugged in my headphones. The conductor started calling for tickets, which is weird since it was so packed. The people around me showed their tickets. Then the conductor stopped at the homeless woman. "I'm sorry, I don't have enough for it," she said. He looked for the police to kick her off. The next stop we reached she was booted off. I saw her get thrown out by the police. Not placed, thrown. She looked back at the officer and did not say anything. I felt bad for her, but she is homeless. Probably because of drugs or gambling.

I got home and my wife ordered take out. I kissed her on the cheek and asked how her day was. She was a teacher that really cared about her students. "Do you miss any of the students you taught in the past?" I asked. "Some," she replied, "I just feel bad for them sometimes by their home life. So, I try to give them their best school life."

December 23rd

Today was a better day at work. I got my holiday bonus and all my Christmas shopping was done. So, I can just enjoy the holiday with my family. I saw the same homeless woman I saw a few days ago, in the same spot on the bridge. I saw her shivering uncontrollably, but I left her alone. I get to the train and it's not as crowded as usual. I plug in my headphones; train starts to move, and the conductor calls for tickets. Again, the homeless woman is in my car on the train and says she can't pay for it. The police know her face. I couldn't bear to see her get hurt again. "She's with me," I stood up and sat next to her. "I'll pay for her." The officer looked at me and said, "She doesn't deserve a charity case." "It's Christmas, it's the least I can do." The officer walked away, and I looked at her. "You didn't have to do that," she said softly. "I wanted to," I said and held out my hand. "My name is Landon, what's yours?" "Kennedy." "That's a lovely name for a girl," I said. She smiled and looked out the window. "Where are you headed," I asked Kennedy. "My hometown," she said, "I love looking at the lights this time of year." "So, you're just going to see the lights then what?" She turned towards me, "go back to my home on the bridge." I was devastated. "You have no family?" She started to cry. I gave her a hug and the train stopped. I got off the train with Kennedy. "Thank you," she said and walked away. It didn't feel right to leave her out here. "Wait, Kennedy!" I pulled over and asked her to get in my car. She was hesitant. "My family is celebrating Christmas and since you don't have one, celebrate with us." She looked down at her feet, still hesitant. I held out my hand and she reached out to me. Kennedy went in the back seat. I looked in my rear-view mirror and she was crying. I got home and brought her inside. "Honey, I have to tell you something," I walked in. "Sarah, this is Kennedy." She looked at Kennedy and gave her a hug. Kennedy was startled, then realized who she was. "Landon, Kennedy is one of my past students. She was really bright with a creative imagination. Why are you like this?" "It's a long story, Mrs. Evans," she said. Sarah set her on the couch with some hot chocolate. "Please, tell me."

"Well, Mrs. Evans. In high school, my parents went their separate ways after their divorce. I was an only child, so I was left alone. I wanted to get more involved with school, but I couldn't. I needed a job to stay in the house. Unfortunately, right after the graduation ceremony, I was evicted from the house. I sold most of my belongings for extra money. All my friends went to college and I couldn't even afford community college. I don't have a phone nor social media to stay in contact with anyone, so I was alone. But I still kept writing. I give myself a pen and paper every year for my birthday. I still have hope that things will get better. That's why I moved to the city. The homeless people around me have interesting stories, but I'm thankful that I have all my limbs and 2 lungs full of air every day. Are you still teaching, Mrs. Evans?"