The all American Pauper

Chapter two life finds a way

Oma's apartment was on the bad side of town, but from the inside you would've never known, it's like her kind spirit warded off the evils of the New York City ghetto.
She seated herself at a worn oak table and began cutting peppers for the chili, I sat across from her in awe, this women was an Angel, a storybook grandmother, I prayed to myself that her son in LA appreciates her, and I also made a silent prayer that her marvelous light wouldn't go out in a town like this.
A women as kind as her didn't belong here, she belonged living out her golden years surrounded by those who love her.

"So what's got you unemployed boy?"

"Well ma'am, I'm sort of a jack of all trades, unfortunately my trades are profitable in the summertime, and this November weathers got me down on my luck."

"You look like you know how to earn your keep, do you shy away from dirty work?"

"No ma'am."

"Well I might be able to help you then, I'll make some phone calls tonight, I'll let ya know if anything turns up by morning."

"Thank you very much." Was all I could say, not only was she willing to take me in and feed me, but she also was gonna help me become a proper working man.
I decided right then and there, whatever I earn Omas gonna get a share, if one day I find myself rich, well than Oma will be too.

Her chili tasted like the home I never was apart of, her food, unlike the slop from the shelters, was just enough to make a man feel like a man again; and after dinner, determined to make myself useful, I washed up all the dishes, she thanked me, which was laughable because all the thank you's belonged to her.
Then, with a smile on her face, she slapped down some playing cards and dealt me into a game of poker, we weren't betting on nothing, but I felt like a rich man at heart.

"Huh? you've beat me again, who taught you how to play?"

"A lot of its luck, but some of it's the boys I met
fish in', we spent a whole lot of time in back alleys drinking cheap bear and betting on corn chips and jerky, a man learns how to play mighty fine when jerky's on the line."

"You remind me of my son in a way, that boy has a good heart, but he always found himself mixed up in trouble, I swear not a single prayer was wasted before bringing up his name."

"I bet your son is a fine man miss Oma."

"He was finer before the economy plummeted, some men never learn how to do without, especially when you find yourself addicted to technology and entertainment, and you can't seem to find joy once those things become luxury."

"I've never known a world without technology, thing is, I've never been able to afford it!"

I laugh at myself, almost thankful that I've never known a life of luxury, the down spiral of the economy was harder on men who knew what a good life looked like, for a boy like me, a good life was eating a hot meal once a day and being lucky enough to buy a cheap pack of cigarettes.

"I was born in 1981, I watched the boom of technology, most people couldn't live without it, everything from math to spelling, your computer did it for you, of course, once these luxuries became unaffordable, there was civil unrest in the streets, theft became a trend, a lot of good men were murdered over working computers or updated smart phones, now I know you're looking at me like I must be some crazy old women, but dependency is a powerful thing my boy."

This concept was hard for me to grasp, I never did count myself as a smart man, but to think of an entire generation so co-dependent that everyday life was a struggle without a computer... It was certainly hard to fathom, only the rich can afford technology now days, high tech to most folk means a landline phone and a fm radio, it's like the whole world moved forward just to move back.

"We're you one of those people Oma?"

"One of what people?"

"Well, you know, was it hard adjusting to this life?"

"In a way yes, but life always finds a way."

I sat in silence for a moment, contemplating that statement, miss Oma was right, life always seemed to find a way for me, and plenty others like me, poor bastards who never knew money, but we're lucky enough to not be belly up fighting starvation.
I once again said a prayer in my head, this time thanking the Lord that I was still kicking.