One Out Of Many

This post was originally published on Yahoo Voices

ONE OUT OF MANY

Normally Henry resented beggars. He disliked having to walk by loitering beggars near a grocery store entrance. They were begging for money. But he’d always be in a charitable mood and toss a beggars a few quarters. He would not respond to the ‘thank you.’ One time he almost got into a fist fight when a beggar cursed him for not giving enough.

But this one afternoon was different. Henry was returning home from work. He was hot and sweaty. His pants and shoes were streaked with outdoor porch paint. His jacket bore the name of the company he owned. His long grey hair swayed in the cool breeze. He was wearing a baseball cap to hold his hair in place.

He stopped at a corner in the busy area waiting for a chance to cross the busy street. He spotted two people sitting on the ground enjoying the shade provided by the building: A scrawny middle age man and a skinny small boy. The first thought that entered his mind was ‘more beggars.’

The small boy was quietly playing with his toy soldiers. The middle age man was looking straight ahead. As Henry crossed the street, he observed more details. The middle age man’s clothes were thread bare. The shoes of both the man and the boy were thoroughly worn out. On each side of the pair were small cloth bags: the kind you would purchase to hold your laundry. As he walked closer to them, they paid no attention to him. But when he reached them, he caught the innocent longing look from the young boy: An innocent plea for help.

He stopped and looked directly at the boy. “Hi,” he said.

The boy responded meekly with the word “Hi.”

The scrawny man looked up at Henry and asked, “Could you give my boy some money for food? He has not had a bite to eat today.”

The boy’s pleading eyes made Henry look away for a moment. Should he ask questions, walk away or give the boy money? He reached in his pockets searching for his cell phone. ‘Dang it,’ he thought, ‘I left it at work.’ There was a drug store a few doors away. ‘They have a phone.’

He pulled a dollar out of his pocket and held it out for the scrawny man to grab.

“Not me,” the scrawny man said, “Give it to Jimmy.” He moved his head in the direction of the small boy.

After the small boy took the money, the scrawny man said, ”Jimmy.”

Jimmy looked up and said, “Thank you.”

Henry did not respond. He walked to the drug store and found the public phone booth inside. That boy needs a good home where he can be nourished properly. He phoned the police.

When he came out of the drug store, he looked back where the scrawny man and the boy had been sitting. They were gone. Henry ran to the corner and looked in all four directions. How could they disappear so fast?

The scrawny man and the boy had darted through store and exited on another street. They walked quickly down the street and got into a car. The scrawny man turned to the boy who handed over the hundred dollars they had collected that day. Then he drove the boy home and knocked on the boy’s door. The boy’s parents handed the scrawny man his rent. He gave them back $15 and thanked them for the use of their boy. Then he got back in the car and drove 20 miles. He turned into a driveway beside a raised ranch on two acres of land.

After he entered the living room, he made a phone call and arranged for another boy to be with him the next day. He would train the boy, teaching him the longing look while having the boy stand in front of a mirror.

Political comment:

This one beggar spoils it for the many who truly need help.