Paper Hearts | ✓ | [ e d i t i n g ]

Chapter Five - help someone homeless

It's kind of odd how life works. One day, you're hugging someone on a park bench. The next, you're seeing a blind old man who, excuse my blunt self, couldn't see you back. In three days I hadn't seen Theo once, but it didn't really surprise me. The world wasn't as small as people said.

Scraggly and worn, the blind man held a sign in front of him that read: Blind and hungry. Cold. The hand writing was too neat to be his own. 

I started towards him and, hearing the sound of my footsteps, his face turned towards my general direction, " hello?"

I sat cross legged next to him, " Um hi. How are you?"

He smiled softly, the wrinking in his face giving in to the corners of his lips. A beard was flourishing on his jaw line and his hair was just running past his ears. He didn't smell the best, but I didn't mind, " I've had better days. Yourself?"

" I'm pretty good, thanks." I said, then I asked, " Can I buy you a meal?"

His tone consisted of kindness as he said, " That's alright, you don't have to."

Gingerly, " what's your name?"

" My names Jacob. How about your name?" He asked, kind of looking at me, kind of looking at a pigeon that straying to close to the street.

" Marisole." I replied, rolling my thumbs, " Jacob, I'd really like to buy you a meal. Anywhere you'd like. Please?"

His smile was so happy, so kind, that it made me sad, " How about the little deli shop a few stores down?"

I nodded, " sure. Anything."

Generally, he looked down at himself, " i'm sure you can tell but, i'm not wearing my best clothes right now. Do you think we could eat out here?" 

My smile grew, " yes of course. What would you like me to get  you?"

" Just a turkey sandwhich, please." 

" Mayo, mustard?"

" Butter and mayonaise." He said, " Thank you, dearest."

I went to the deli, ordered him a turkey sandwhich topped with butter and mayo, then got him a cookie and one for me as well. I bought us waters, and when I went back out I saw that he had laid  his sign down and straightened up the best he could. I handed him his sandwhich, " here. I also got  you a water, and a cookie. Is that alright?"

" Oh you shouldn't have." He said, a large smile on his face. 

While he ate the sandwhich and the cookie, I took sips of my water, " So then, how'd you end up here?"

He finished, " Well, dolly, there's not a lot of work for blind men now days. And I couldn't afford a doctor."

" were you born blind or..."

He shook his head, " I'm afraid not. Got in an accident when I was in my early thirties, been out here for thirty years since then."

" Oh, i'm sorry-"

" Now now." He said, cutting me off in the kindest of ways, " It's not what you think. I meet interesting people here and I'm happy. I don't know, I like it sort of. Yeah, it's hard, and cold, and getting food and water is tough, but I'm happy. Marisole, here's the thing about people; no matter where they are, they try to be happy. You go to africa, see those kids, they find happiness. It's what people do." He smiled, " Don't feel bad for me, because i'm happy."

A grin took on my lips the way a lion takes on it's pray; rather violently. But it felt good, it felt solid and the things he said were completion at it's finest, " I'm gonna keep that in mind. Thank you."

" Don't thank me dearest. thank you, for the food and the water." He replied.

I dug around it my pocket, before pulling out two crumpled twenties, " here.... oh, um, i'm holding out my hand."

He laughed and leaned forward, finding my fingers on the first try and finding the money on the second. His face sort of blanked, " oh, you don't have two-"

" No, no i want to." I said, " it's two twenties. I just... I want to help. You're really nice and... and I'm really bad with words, i'm sorry."

" No dolly, you're speaking what's on your mind and that's good. Thank you, for everything." He patted my hand, " You're a gift from god."

I couldn't contain my newest smile. I had smiled a lot thus far. 

Checking the time on my phone, I realized I was going to be late for mom's arrival time. That's the thing about mom; she arrived at and left the house at a certain time everyday, and I was trained to be there at both.

I leaned down, and gave the man a  hug, " Goodbye, and thank you even though you're going to say thank you."

" good bye, angel. Be well." He waved and I waved back despite the irony of it.

Then, I practically ran home because I was already so furociously behind schedule. The living room, while not dirty, wasn't tidy and the kitchen felt lopsided. I bolted both left and right trying to pick everything up.

As I did, I realized something. Here I was living my life. It was cluttered, and wasn't very eventful. It consisted of a lot of tv and a lot of cooking in my spare time, but it was my life and I lived it and enjoyed it. 

I was happy.