Christmas Day
The homeless came
Needy
Hungry
Scared
Tired
I see him
Huddled with his family
Together at one table
Crouching low, I smile at him
He refuses to look at me
Grandmother with missing teeth
Hisses, “He’s a freak!”
Rocking back on my heels I falter
A freak?
I tap his small thin shoulder
“That’s OK- I’m a freak too!”
Unity! His head snaps up, a bright smile
Connection!
We are both freaks
His crusty plate of eggs get gulped up within 30 seconds
I retch watching
Tears pool in my eyes
The only meal he’ll get today
I slide a mini-candy bar towards him
Smile grows brighter
Brown eyes twinkle
Candy bar destroyed in less than 1.5 seconds
Behind me I hear the rustle of gifts distributed
His gift is a used bike
The bike was green
Bright green with white racing stripes
A torn white seat; sealed with gray duct tape
At age seven, his first bike all his own
His smile illuminating like the sun
Bear hug
Racing out the door
Zooming his bright green bike
Zigging left, zagging right
We deliver more food to his home
The shack of a home
Bricks cracking
Stairs broken
Roof sloped and tattered
A 10X10 shack housing six or more
Sweet black kitten with ribs jutting out
Meows softly a warm hello winding around my ankle
We unload our small donations
Greeted with tears and elation
There he goes
Jumping on his bike
Zigging left, zagging right
The bike was green
The smile was blinding
Jeni McCreary
*** Reflection of our volunteer time during Christmas at a homeless shelter
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