tomshaggy.com

8:00 a.m. He sat alone.  People formed a line next to him acknowledging with the occasional nod.  A broken smile from behind an unshaven face would respond.  He was of average height, wearing sweats that never matched, and dirty.  His sneakers half untied and his winter cap always tilted off to the side like it was about to fall off.  He was there to take it all in, to mingle with a society that had left him behind long ago.  His coffee, half full, he would slowly sip.  Next to his coffee he had yellow two-way radio.  He did not use it though.  He let it sit next to him as if waiting for someone who would never respond.

This continued for weeks.  Every day he sat, sipped his coffee and waited to hear from the mystery person.  He waved to the passing customers who would acknowledge he was there.  There was a faint static on his radio occasionally.  His eyes became wide and he looked down at the yellow two-way.  It was as if the whole room had cleared out and it was only him.  He waited for the soft voice over the radio. Nothing.  Until, one week came and he was nowhere to be found.  The man had dedicated his time to this one place and suddenly was missing.

Time passed and my drive to the coffee shop, where the man sat, was one day troubled.  I almost slammed on my brakes just to make sure I was seeing correctly.  He had returned.  The time was 8:00 a.m.  He is usually still sitting at this time.  Only this time, the man was waddling down the street, two-way in hand.  Had he heard from them?  I continued to drive past him in deep thought and excitement.  The next day came and the man was walking down the street again.  Once again I thought of how unusual this was.  Something had changed this man’s life.

In the coming days I arrived a little earlier to the coffee shop to catch a glimpse of the man.  I entered with a line nearly out the door.  It gave me time to observe him.  Smiles took over his face.  He picked up his two-way and began speaking into it.  Finally, he was getting the answers he needed.  I couldn’t take my eyes off what was happening.  A man’s dream coming true in front of my eyes.  It was something out of a fantasy. The line moved and I was soon standing by his table and started to notice the people around me.  They were a little stir crazy.  I looked around and some of them were gesturing about the man.  I could only think how sad of a life you must have to pick on such a person.  Just as I began to engage one of the people in line I looked toward the man and a tear ran down my face.  I took a small step back.

He was talking with no one.  A hand touched me on the shoulder.

“I want to thank you,” a soft voice said from behind.

“Thank me?”

“Thank you for taking an interest in my cousin, I have noticed your interest in him and it is greatly appreciated, but the less you are involved the better. He is sick.”

I nodded my head at her.

“He has a family, he doesn’t remember them, but that radio is the only link he has to who he was. He keeps it to remind himself.  He would bring it on skiing trips with his family until he had an accident.  He woke up from a coma three weeks later not remembering a thing.  I come and keep an eye on him and have noticed your interest.  I thank you for wanting to stick up for him.  There are so many people out there who look the other way and wouldn’t think twice, but you showed me otherwise.  You showed me the kindness in people.  That people can really care for one another. ”

I smiled and turned back towards the front.  I waved to the man and looked forwards.  Out of the static came the sound a young voice. I could not discern what they were saying.  The man grinned again and stood up.  Fixed his sweatshirt and walked out the front door.

“I’ll still be here to visit,” I said as I grabbed my coffee from the counter and walked towards the exit.