Piqpagi

~We Work Together Like Stars And The Sky~

"What happened to these people?" I ask him.

"I do not know and I do not ask for it is not my place to do that!" 

"What do you mean? For all you know you could be helping people that put themselves in bad situations instead of bad situations happening to them!" I explain to him but he smirks softly and says to me very matter-of-factly.

"And what would it matter?"

"Pardon?"

"what would it matter why someone is down on their luck rather it be their own fault or not? For everyone has their own story to tell or never be told and we do not always see the circumstances of one's birth or life so it is not wise for us to judge the predicaments of others, we too make mistakes and are no better or worse than anyone else simply just more fortunate and lucky!"

He takes the very lasr food budle from my bag and hands it to a drunk man by the side of the road then continues on his way while he continues on.

"It doesn't matter rich or poor, corrupt or good, sometimes life is not always equal in her treatment of us, in fact more often than not she is very unkind even to those who deserve the most kindness!"

"I suppose I see your point but there are still people who take advantage of kindness, kindness that would be better served for those that we know are in need of it?"

He paused for a moment but then continued walking again then said to me in a calm voice.

"Barnabas if you are driving down the road and you saw a man holding up a sign asking for money in order to buy food for his children would you give him money or ignore him and drive away?"

"Well I don't know... It could be that he is simply a drunk asking for money to pay a tab or perhaps gamble the money away!" I say.

"Yes that is true but there is also the chance that the man is telling the truth! And let me ask you this you have a car and you are driving to someplace that means you no doubt have money and a place to go, however not everyone is that fortunate so in the end what do you truly lose and gain by not giving the man money?"

"well I…"

"If you were that man would you expect people to give you money? if you had been in that man's situation once and then saw him would that change your perspective on the situation?"

"I suppose that it would"

"It is difficult to feel empathy for someone else unless you have seen the world through his eyes or you have walked a mile in his shoes but still it is something that we must all learn to do for as much as life can be unkind life is filled with kind people it is simply people's choice to be kind and when people are kind they create a kinder world for everyone! It is easy to be selfish but it is harder to be giving and forgiving, it is easy to judge and hate but it is harder to stand up for others so it is the people that can do all of these things that are the ones that have true courage! it does one better in life to have courage then to have cowardice"

"How do you mean?"

"There are many things in this world that can bring one happiness… money, power, sex, glory, fame, but none of those things are permanent and none of those things can forfill what only true happiness can! Those who have true happiness are those who give not those who take!"

"Where I'm from many would call that naive!"

"Hmm perhaps but maybe it is just the difference between the way your people's world works and the way my people's world works!"

"Maybe…" I say as I feel a warmth flutter in my chest and bring a smile to my face.

"Well then perhaps I can learn to be naive along with you...as a friend!" I say as I reach out my hand to him to shake.

At first he looks a little perplexed, even a little unsure but his face quickly lights up and with a big smile he shakes my hand.

"We have a deal Barnabas Brisbois!"

"Indeed we do Nanuq!… ugh?"

"just Nanuq most of my people don't exactly have last names and besides we're friends now aren't we?"

"Yes indeed we are! And I'm sorry for all of my ignorance but I am truly happy to be your friend Nanuq!"

He gives a big childlike smile and says in a rather mischievous tone.

"Well then we're going to have to see about that aren't we!"

I'm about to ask him what he means then suddenly he ducks down then jumps up again and I'm hit in the side of the head softly with a snowball and I can hear his sing-song laughter almost as loud as the barking of his dogs.

I pick up some snow and shape it as fast as I can then using my baseball arm I give him a taste of his own medicine which he evades just in time and responds quickly with a counter-attack snowball after hiding behind a wooden post but he's not quite fast enough and I strike back getting him good in the leg.

I can't remember the last time I ever had so much fun even as a child, it felt like I was 5 years old again on Christmas morning chasing my old childhood friends through the snow only something about this time seemed to make it more magical I'm not sure why, it could be the fact that after all these bleak months I was running through the snow throwing snowballs at another man without a care in the world as to who saw but whatever the case the two of us only stopped when we finally broke down exhausted and laughing into the snow banks holding our bellies that had started to hurt from the laughter.

After a few more moments of catching our breaths he sat up from the snowbank revealing that our rambunctiousness had messed up his hair sending it free from it's ties and cascading down over his shoulders and face like a glossy waterfall of jet black silk that framed his face in a way that seemed to hide his more masculine jawline and forehead making him appear like a woman from an old painting especially when the wind picked up blowing gentle snowflakes through the long glossy strands dancing in the breeze and hitting the pale sunlight.

His eyes seemed to sparkle; big warm and brown like a baby deer and his cheeks and nose flushed red as his plump lips.

"well I don't know about you but after all that fun I'm a little hungry!" He yes but I can't help but be distracted by the fact that I'm now hating myself for not bringing my camera.

he shuffles around in the snow a bit until he finds his two leather ties and well holding the end of one of the strings in his mouth in the other and one of his hands he begins to tie up his hair again into his bones on the side of his head near his ears locking the black silk away from the wind.

He then stands up and gives me his hand and tells me that he knows a place where we can both get lunch together so off we go only he somehow talked me into riding the sled.