Him & Her
I’ve two stories - A relevant. An irrelevant. I meet him every morning. I meet an emaciated, abandoned, barely alive old man begging in silent dignity to stay alive. I don’t know why he wants to. But he does, each day, he does. He dropped a coin this afternoon as he got up to leave for god knows where. He turned & looked down but couldn’t spot it. I quickly bent, picked & handed him a rupee coin. I didn’t make eye contact. Deliberately that. As I climbed up the stairs, my eyes did what they had done when my wedding at Niagara Falls was called off a decade ago. --- I met her two weeks ago. I met her again. I don’t know her last name & neither does she. I know she has a damaged toe nail. Left or right foot, I forget. She’s sly about her age. She looks 14 – born on Valentine’s day. She is an author. Published & all. --- I choose to tell you the irrelevant story as no one gives a fuck about him . Part of me thinks I do. The tears & all you know. But I