Once upon a time in my life,
I fled to a new city.
I knew no one; had no money; had no food.
I shivered alone in a desolate room;
Tried not to think; tried not to cry.
A knock on the door.
I opened it to find a stranger.
He stood careworn by age and whatever of life’s trials
Had brought him to this place.
He handed me a coffee can.
It contained a few eggs, some ground coffee, a packet of bacon.
“This is what I keep on hand for the last of the month.”
Stunned I thanked him. He left.
Then:
On my way to the refrigerator I tripped; dropped the can.
The eggs broke. I cried in despair.
I took the can; removed the coffee and bacon;
Picked out the shell fragments.
I cooked the eggs with the bacon;
Made coffee as best I could on the stove.
I knocked on several doors until I found my benefactor.
I explained what happened; asked him to share the food.
He accepted. We sat together;
Exchanged a few words while we ate.
Soon after I left the area but will never forget this.
How did he know?
Leave a Reply