I was sitting in my car at a red light last night, and watched this elderly woman sitting outside of the Zippy's between King and Young Streets. She looked well-dressed with a nondescript track jacket and track pants. At her side was a leather purse and a duffel bag. I thought that she was probably waiting for a cab.
But as soon as a man exited the restaurant, the woman asked him, "care to help the homeless?" The man took about three steps, paused, and looked in the pocket of his hoodie. He drew out two dollars, which he handed to the woman. She excitedly said thank you, and the man walked away with his head down--a forlorn look of sympathy and some disappointment (towards beggars and society, I surmise) on his face.
The woman stood with the two dollars in her hand and gazed through the restaurant's windows, imagining the night's possibilities made with the cash in her hand. She had a bright smile on her face, with twinkling eyes that captured the restaurant's ambient lighting. When people say that the elderly have a second childhood, it broke my heart to see an elderly woman looking so puerile because she was having a treat (something so basic as hot food) for once.
She is someone's daughter. Possibly a mother and grandmother. But here she was, scraping up some cash just to have something to eat. If I wasn't rushing to the airport, I would've took her in to get a meal. Next time I'm in Oahu, I would like to find her and get her something to eat.
But as soon as a man exited the restaurant, the woman asked him, "care to help the homeless?" The man took about three steps, paused, and looked in the pocket of his hoodie. He drew out two dollars, which he handed to the woman. She excitedly said thank you, and the man walked away with his head down--a forlorn look of sympathy and some disappointment (towards beggars and society, I surmise) on his face.
The woman stood with the two dollars in her hand and gazed through the restaurant's windows, imagining the night's possibilities made with the cash in her hand. She had a bright smile on her face, with twinkling eyes that captured the restaurant's ambient lighting. When people say that the elderly have a second childhood, it broke my heart to see an elderly woman looking so puerile because she was having a treat (something so basic as hot food) for once.
She is someone's daughter. Possibly a mother and grandmother. But here she was, scraping up some cash just to have something to eat. If I wasn't rushing to the airport, I would've took her in to get a meal. Next time I'm in Oahu, I would like to find her and get her something to eat.
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