Atlanta Snow

Southeastern USA is getting freezing rain and then snow.  Ah snow!  That beautiful precipitation that transforms the landscape.  The world seems new and bright. 

For those of you who don’t know, if you live in the Atlanta area, whenever a snowflake is forecast, you are required to proceed to the nearest gas station and fill up all of your vehicles.  Don’t forget to bring the gas can too.  Then you must go to the grocery store and buy everything you can to provide food for you and your loved ones for the next few months.  Think I’m kidding?  Google pictures of grocery stores during winter storms in Atlanta. 

Years ago, I worked an extra job at our local grocery in the produce section.  Let me state here I grew up in Illinois.  In spite of the many years I have lived in southern climates, I don’t mind driving in snow at all.  When I first heard about people cleaning out stores for a snowflake, I thought it was all greatly exaggerated.  I went into work that night all prepared to work some produce.  I was blown away to see how empty the place was.  There was no produce for me to stock.  It was already out but it was gone.  A lady came in and freaked out on me that we had no cabbage.  She kept going on and on.  “How can you be out of cabbage?”  Maybe she grew up in desperate times and cabbage was the food that got them through.

What gets me more than anything is the simple fact that even if we get four inches of snow, it will be gone tomorrow or the day after.  Stocking up like it is the end of the world is crazy.  You won’t starve if you get to the store too late.  Too many people in this area can afford to starve a couple days. 

I love to watch it snow.  There is nothing like watching the flakes drift through the rays of street lamps.  To me, there is something magical about watching snow fall.  There is a peacefulness about it.  It makes such a beautiful landscape.  The world seems clean and new. 

A few years ago, we got about four inches of snow.  For here, it was quite a bit.  You may have heard of Atlanta’s snowmaggedon.  People were stuck on the highways for many hours.  Crazy!  My youngest daughter and I walked around the neighborhood that night and I reminisced about my love of snow since childhood.  We walked for about an hour and we both loved it.  Thinking back to that night, I am reminded that there is a noise when it snows.  There is an almost imperceptible, high pitched sound.  I presume it is the sound snow makes when it hits something. 

Meanwhile, it has started raining and freezing rain is due to arrive soon.  If you are flying through Atlanta today, plan on cancellations around 2:00 PM with more to come.  My wish for today is that everyone can get the last box, can, frozen/fresh item from the store.  May you be able to fill up your gas tank.  God bless!

 

The Blind Beggar: Part IX

The next morning Daiwik arose early.  He had much to complete that day but was determined to visit Boulos and bring him some food.  He dreaded giving him the news that he may need to stay on the street longer than he hoped.  Still, Daiwik believed it necessary to be and open so Boulos knew what to expect.

After eating a filling breakfast prepared by his wife, Daiwik began minor repairs on the corner of the building’s second floor.  This work could be done quietly and not disturb the tenants.  He would return later in the day when this work had dried and he would paint his patchwork. 

As usual, he happily greeted people when he saw them but his mind was preoccupied with seeing Boulos.  Once he finished the patchwork, he went to his workshop, stored his tools and filler compound to their places.  After washing his hands, Daiwik went out the door to see Boulos.  He was only a few steps from the door when he remembered the food he was to bring with him.  Pivoting on his left foot, he returned to his apartment and Madhura stood smiling at the door with the food in her hand.  Daiwik smiled, kissed his spouse on the cheek and took the bag from her hand. 

While walking, he debated with himself.  Should he simply say food would be provided or specify how long it would be provided?  He didn’t want to lie but he also didn’t want to dash the poor man’s hopes.  Daiwik turned the corner and started up the street to the spot where Boulos sat the previous day.  Boulos was sitting down as Daiwik approached.  “Boulos, my friend, it is Daiwik.  How are you my friend?”

“Hello, Daiwik.  I am good.  How are you, dear sir?”

“The gods smile on us, my friend.”  Boulos heard the tone of his voice turn serious.  “I have important information.  We met last night to discuss how we can best help you.  Unfortunately, finding a home for you is harder than we expected.”

Daiwik saw the hope drain from Boulos and he continued, “No, no, no, my friend.  All is not lost.  It merely means it will not happen as quickly as we first believed.”  Sadness still filled Boulos’s face.  Daiwik continued, “The gods still smile on you my friend.  They are simply testing you.  I still have good news.”

“What is it?”

“Friends and I will provide food for you two times per day and I have brought you breakfast my loving wife prepared.”

With that, he guided the bag of food into the hands that had begun searching for it.  Boulos asked, “How long will you provide food?”

Daiwik’s enthusiasm deflated momentarily but he chose to have faith.  He replied, “For now, we promise it for one month.  Then we will trust the gods to show us what the next step is.”

A thought came to Daiwik and he asked, “How long since you last bathed my friend?”

There was a pause and Boulos thought for a moment.  Then he replied, “I believe it has been 18 days.”

“If it pleases you, I will bring you to my home where you may bathe in privacy.  Also, my children are all grown but I have some of their clothes in my home.  I believe there will be clothes to fit you.”

“It would be nice to clean up.”

“Very well then.  Let me finish work I must do and I will come back.  You will stay here until then, yes?”

“Yes, yes I will.”

The Blind Beggar: Part VIII

As Amal made the evening meal, she remembered a time when Boulos told a joke.  It was before his accident with the fire.  Her family was playing Hide and Seek when Boulos arrived.  He waited while the seeker sought out the hiders.  When Amal was caught, she trudged toward Boulos kicking rocks and pieces of broken concrete along the way. 

When she neared her friend, Boulos said, “Hey Amal, what time is it when an elephant sits on your fence?”

“I don’t know.”

“Time to get a new fence.”  He put his hand on his stomach and started giggling.  Amal balled up a fist and playfully hit Boulos in the shoulder.  She laughed as she said, “That’s stupid.” 

“Then why are you laughing?”

“I’m laughing at you, not the joke.”

Shortly thereafter, Amal’s brother found the last hider and another game would soon start. 

During the evening meal, Amal shared the joke with her family.  Her husband gave an amused smile.  The oldest two acted indifferent but the eight year old laughed heartily.  He loved animals and had a fondness for elephants.  Amal was certain he would tell the joke to friends at school the next day. 

Daiwik and members of various churches, mosques and charitable organizations met for nearly three hours.  For the bulk of the meeting, the only point agreed upon was something should be done to help Boulos.  The application of such assistance was difficult to define.  The immediate concern was housing.  The people who helped the homeless had no space in their shelters. 

Then the topic came up of what the plan should be once housing was established.  Were they to care for Boulos the rest of his life?  Could he do anything to assist in paying for his own care?  Though no one was sure of his age, the general consensus was that someone may end up caring for Boulos for 30-40 years.  This led to question of his overall health. 

It was one thing to feed and house a blind man.  If he had serious health issues, the bank accounts of everyone who pledged to help could be seriously affected.  What if there were mental health problems?  Many people who lived on the streets had them.  How would this be addressed?  It was one thing for Boulos to have a physical.  Boulos himself may want one.  Can they require him to have a psychiatric exam?  How would he react to such a demand?  Could they force him to submit to physical and psychiatric exams if he didn’t want them?

As the evening progressed, Daiwik was disheartened to feel he may have to renege on his promise Boulos would soon be off the streets.  When it was beginning to appear no clear path could be established to care for Boulos, Daiwik stated his insistence Boulos at least be able to count on regular meals.  He said, “My friends, can we not at least provide the meals for this man every day?  Is it too much for us to remove that stress from his mind?  This can be the first step until we can decide the next step.  Whether we give him homemade meals or buy something from the restaurant, surely we can do this.”

Those in attendance agreed and a plan was made to provide two meals each day for the next 30 days. 

A New Story: I Know I Love You

Julie returned to her desk.  The talk with Marsha altered her impression of the woman.  Rather than the top hen who pecked at and crapped on everyone below her, Marsha seemed human.  The vulnerability she saw in Marsha made Julie want to give her a hug.  Looking back at the moment Julie smiled inwardly.  Is that the maternal instinct her mother always talks about?  She laughed out loud at the thought of motherly feelings for a woman old enough to be her mother. 

“Whatcha laughin’ about?” Marcus asked. 

“Oh, nothing.  Just thinking silly things, I guess.”

With a slight chuckle Marcus asked, “Like what?”

There was no way Julie was going to say she had maternal feelings for Marsha.  Changing the subject, she said, “Oh, nothing.  What brings you over here?”

“Do I need a reason to come see you?”

Julie replied with a demure voice, “A girl likes to hear what makes it special for her boyfriend to visit her.”

“Ok.  I will try but if I don’t say it right, it ain’t cause my heart ain’t in it.  I was thinkin’ of how pretty you are and I had to check if my memory is as good as I thought it was.  How’s that?”

Julie’s heart overflowed into a beautiful smile.  “That’ll do.”

“I was told by my buddy Greg back in high school that what you say is just as important as how you say it when talking to girls.”

The thought of high school boys talking about girls caused Julie to cross her arms.  Slowly she asked, “Oh really?”

“Yeah, he once told me it’s ok to tell your girl, ‘Honey, when I’m with you, time stops.’”  He said the phrase with passion and Julie thought it sounded very nice. 

“Ok, true.”

With the same sweet, passionate voice he said, “But you should never say, ‘Honey, your face could stop a clock.’”  Marcus burst out laughing. 

“Oh shut up!”

“You know you love it.”  He laughed.  He turned serious and said, “And I know I love you.”  Then he blew her a kiss and returned to his cubicle. 

A contented smile appeared on Julie’s face as she turned to face her computer.  She beamed for several minutes as she replayed his face saying those words.  “And I know I love you.”  Julie had to admit, she was in love with Marcus.

Just then she received a text from Marcus. 

“I’m glad we met.”
“Me too”
“Crazy that you stole my heart in such a short time.”
“Not giving it back.”
“Darn lol”

The Blind Beggar: Part VII

Boulos sat on the sidewalk in the same spot as the previous day.  He believed he looked west since the sun hit him in the face yesterday as the day passed.  For now, he was close to food places and, with the number of people around, believed he was safe from those who might cause him harm.  He listened to the surroundings.

He noticed the languages and accents of people on the street.  He also noted the footfalls on the road and sidewalk as well as vehicles passing by.  Busses seemed to produce a lot of exhaust.  Merchants were opening stores and he heard at least three people sweeping.  The sound of birds chirping to his left turned his head.  The birds were in a high place and he then heard the leaves in the Mediterranean breeze. 

Boulos was never happy with his blindness.  He simply accepted it since he was powerless to change his lot in life.  Still, one benefit Boulos liked was how his ears could feel distance to solid objects like walls.  When he stepped closer, he could feel something like atmospheric pressure pushing his ears.  The greater the pressure, the nearer the object.  Boulos knew his impairment increased the love he felt for his surroundings.  Every sound was a melody.  Every noise was harmony. 

He found beauty in noticing the environment around him.  There was much to appreciate and it was only after his vision began fading did he notice beauty in the world.  As the sun dropped closer to the horizon, he envisioned sunsets Amal had once described to him.  When he was certain the sun was about to kiss the sea, he kissed the light goodbye in hopes Amal might also be watching.  Perhaps, in those moments, she would feel his love for her.  He understood it was a silly, childish thing but it was one of the few pleasures of his life. 

The sound of approaching steps returned Boulos to the present.  He was about to hold out his hand when the one who approached gently touched his shoulder and said, “Boulos my friend, how are you today?  It is Daiwik.  Did you sleep well?”

“I had some shelter last night and did sleep.  Thank you.  Bless you again for the food yesterday.  May God richly bless you.”

“The gods smile on me and they are smiling on you too, my friend.  We are exploring options of how to help you and give you clean and safe shelter.  I do not know when this will be but it will happen I promise you.  Even if I must take you into my own house, you will not live on the streets much longer.”

Boulos stared at the unseen face that said such magical words.  No thought would form in his mouth.  Finally a smile came to his face and tears began to spill from his eyes.  Daiwik continued, “Yes, my friend, the gods smile on you.  Have you eaten today?”

“No, nothing.”

“The food I gave you yesterday was good?”

“Yes, it was, thank you.”

“I will get your more.”

Then Boulos heard the man walk away.  The gods smiled on him?  Yes, God smiled on him.  Boulos cared not one’s belief in a deity or deities.  If a God or gods helped him, he would gratefully accept the assistance.  His world had held so much darkness in the whole of his existence.  The only bright spots were Amal and the few years with his uncle.  Brokenness and sadness were his only constant companions.  Sad friends they were but the only ones that stayed with him.  Would these acquaintances finally leave him for good?

Boulos heard Daiwik speak to him again as he returned.  My apologies, my friend.  McDonalds is not yet ready to serve and I must finish a purchase for the building I tend.  When I return from my purchase, I will bring you the food I promised.  Now, before I forget, can you come to this spot every day so I may find you and give you news of the care we hope to provide?”

“Yes, yes I will come here every day.”

“Very good, my friend.  I will see you soon.”

The remainder of the day was a pleasant dream.  Every sound was a joy.  Every odor was sweet.  Even the smell of a passing garbage truck was sweet.  Daiwik was laughing when he returned with a bag of food.  “Boulos, my friend, I bring you a Happy Meal.” 

The Blind Beggar: Part VI

It had been nearly three weeks since Amal saw Ali but she had not seen him since.  Had there not been a buzz about the town regarding a blind beggar suddenly appearing, she would have believed it was a dream. 

Having sent her children to school and cleaned the house, Amal rode the elevator to the ground floor to walk to the market to purchase herbs and vegetable for the evening meal.  She loved this time to hear the hustle and bustle of the market.  She enjoyed chatting with the vendors.  It was a chance for Amal to escape the drudgery of the house.  While she loved her home, there were times it felt like a prison.  Her husband would not allow her to work.  She was expected to keep the home and care for the family. 

As she exited her building, Daiwik extended a warm greeting.  Amal smiled and the two exchanged pleasantries.  Then Amal asked, “Have you seen the blind beggar that has suddenly appeared?”

“Yes, I have.  Just yesterday, I brought him some food from McDonalds.  We do not eat there ourselves but when I saw this pitiful man, my heart was moved to do something.  The gods want us to care for people such as this.  Since he was only a block from McDonalds, I walked in to purchase something.  I saw they have chicken sandwiches and believed that to be a safe thing, not knowing his diet.  He is a kind young man who gave me blessings of health and wealth for my actions.”

Amal felt a thrill quicken her heart.  Her ears rang with Ali’s voice.  She could hear him giving a blessing.  She asked, “Do you know where he came from?”

“He did not give the town or region other than saying he took a bus north.  At the first stop upon entering the city, he exited the bus to stretch his legs.  He carried his small bag of belongings with him and was beaten and robbed by a group of boys.  They took every belonging he had save the clothes on his back.  Even they have holes in them.”

Amal gasped and began to tear, “Oh that poor man.”

“Yes, I have spoken with friends.  We are contacting churches, mosques and other charitable organizations to help this poor man.  It is not right for us to have one in our community with such need and do nothing.  The gods require us to move on his behalf.”

“How kind of you to help this man.  By chance, did you learn his name, that I might pray for him by name?”

“Yes, when attending to a dear soul, I believe it gives them dignity to speak to them by name.  His name is Boulos.”

Upon hearing the name, Amal could only think of retreating to her home.  Her dear Ali was close by and in desperate need of care.  She quickly thanked Daiwik for the information and conversation returned to the elevator.  She vaguely remembered a mention of forgetting something and her need to get it before going to market.  Upon closing the door of her home behind her she sunk to her knees and sobbed.  Ali was near but in desperate straits. 

The thought of her dear Ali being beaten was too much to bear.  Her mind saw him guarding himself as best he could not knowing from where the blows would come.  He could not identify his attackers.  They must have seen an easy target and attacked.  Was there no one to come to his aid?  What has become of our community?

When Amal last saw Ali, she was but a girl with no options to help him, let alone truly express her love and care to him.  While she still had few options and power, she too knew good Muslims and Christians who could help Ali.  She would do what she could to ensure Ali never suffered again.  She would fight for him until the day she died. 

The Blind Beggar: Part V

After the funeral of his uncle, Boulos feared being told to leave but his cousins wanted him to stay.  With relief, he promised to care for the home as if it was his own.  After a week, one cousin and his family moved into the house with him.  Everyone was kind to Boulos except his cousin’s wife.

She pretended to be nice but tormented Boulos when no one was around.  She loved moving pieces of furniture in the house which caused Boulos to trip and fall.  Also, when no one else was around, she made faces at him and mocked him.  Inwardly, she wished evil on him. 

Though he could not see her actions, Boulos could feel her attitude toward him.  Her children also sensed her feelings and soon began making life difficult for Boulos.  He felt it all was bearable until his cousin followed in the steps of his family.  Soon, Boulos felt the need to leave.  He wished for better circumstances but felt trapped.  How could he live alone with no means to live?  In the house, he had security, shelter and food, but felt no love.  For the first time in many years, he longed for the comfort and friendship of Amal.  Her caring spirit and kindness were cornerstones to surviving his years on the streets.  Had she not been there when his blindness overcame him, Boulos was certain he would have given up and died.  He began to see Amal in his mind’s eye.  She would forever be a sweet, carefree girl of 15.

He remembered their last time together.  It was the day before her wedding.  As usual, she brought him a plate of food and the two of them quietly enjoyed the sunset.  Amal described the sunset with only a few high wispy clouds.  There was a cool northwesterly breeze that carried the aroma of fish from the port. 

Amal granted permission to see her.  Only Boulos knew it would be for the last time.  As his fingers felt and saw her face, he consciously made the effort to pour his feelings into each touch.  With his hands Boulos thanked Amal for her kindness over the years.  He told her of his undying love for her.  He said he understood he could never give her the life she deserved.  Though they would never have a life together, he would forever treasure her.  All of his life, she would be his Amal.  Boulos felt the wetness of her tears.  Did she feel his thoughts?  He would never know for they were left unsaid. 

It was the next day he began walking south to find his uncle.  Amal was left to wonder what had happened to the young man who held her heart.  Not seeing him at the wedding was understandable.  He was not invited.  With a broken heart she faced life as a married woman.  The bitterness in her soul lingered and she felt she would never again feel happiness.  Then she bore her first child. 

Holding him for the first time, she remembered the night she realized she would never again feel joy unless she made it.  Through her son, she made joy.  It was a thought she treasured with the birth of each child.  They were her joy and she made them.  She brought joy into the world.