plump woman said softly.
Billy shook his head. “I can’t.”
“They will forgive you,” she added.
“Please, I don’t want to talk about this.”
She sighed and placed her hand reassuringly on his shoulder.
The snow continued to blow as Billy watched the last embers of the fire burn away. He crawled into a space where a wooden board provided overhead protection from the elements. He rubbed his hands together to try and create warmth through friction. The tattered gloves that he wore were beginning to fall apart. He pulled his hat down over his forehead to eye level and attempted to cover his ears. No matter what he did, it seemed that his feet were always cold and at times frostbitten. He prayed that morning would come quickly. The rising sun would signify that he had survived another night adrift in a harsh, cold world.
Emily sat on her parent’s couch and flipped through a photograph album from her youth. She smiled at pictures of her grandparents holding her as a baby. Then she came to the picture of her first pony ride. One photograph caused her to pause and her smile slowly vanished from her face. It was a picture of her dressed as a princess for Halloween and next to her stood a little boy dressed as a soldier.
“Why did he always dress as a soldier,” she muttered to herself.
She was surprised to find a tear stream from her eye and down her cheek. Billy had always been a love/hate issue for her. His outlook and attitude towards life had always frustrated her. She was the aggressive achiever who would not be happy unless she was at the top of her class. Billy was the flighty underachiever who floated through life on a whim.
“Billy,” she said sadly.
Part of her had loved him despite his shortcomings. They had grown up together and shared many memories. He had been the first boy she had kissed when they played in the tree house that her brother had built. They had gone to summer camp together where they rowed a boat to the middle of the lake. It had begun to rain and their clothes had been soaked by the time they reached shore. They had laughed uncontrollably at the look on their instructor’s face. She still remembered the sound of the chirping frogs on a hot summer night and the turtles that would sunbathe by the lake. She recalled the excitement that built inside when Billy had asked her to be his date for the prom. She had felt so proud of him as he looked so handsome in his suit. He had been so nervous as he pinned a corsage to her dress that his hand had shook uncontrollably. She wondered if Billy ever thought of these memories. She sadly closed the photo album as if closing his chapter of her life.
Billy sat against a concrete wall at the corner of the busy, downtown street. People rushed by to finish their holiday shopping. Many looked at him with disgust and annoyance. Others turned their heads in the opposite direction to ignore his presence. An older man in a heavy coat stopped and threw a dollar bill into his hat.
“Merry Christmas,” the man bellowed.
Billy nodded his head in acknowledgement.
The sun began to set and the streets became empty as the shops closed. Billy stood and stretched his cold frame. He began the long walk back to his sleeping area. As he turned the corner, he found his path blocked by two men. He recognized them as fellow beggars from another part of town.
“Make much?” one asked.
“Not really,” Billy replied as he tried to pass them.
“Aren’t you going to share with us? This is the season of giving.”
“Sorry,” Billy muttered as his hands clenched to fists inside his coat.
“Do you hear that Kelvin? The boy is not going to share with us. He wants us to starve on this cold night.”
“That is very unkind of him,” Kelvin replied. “Since he is trespassing on our part of town, I think he owes us a royalty.”
The
Billy shook his head. “I can’t.”
“They will forgive you,” she added.
“Please, I don’t want to talk about this.”
She sighed and placed her hand reassuringly on his shoulder.
The snow continued to blow as Billy watched the last embers of the fire burn away. He crawled into a space where a wooden board provided overhead protection from the elements. He rubbed his hands together to try and create warmth through friction. The tattered gloves that he wore were beginning to fall apart. He pulled his hat down over his forehead to eye level and attempted to cover his ears. No matter what he did, it seemed that his feet were always cold and at times frostbitten. He prayed that morning would come quickly. The rising sun would signify that he had survived another night adrift in a harsh, cold world.
Emily sat on her parent’s couch and flipped through a photograph album from her youth. She smiled at pictures of her grandparents holding her as a baby. Then she came to the picture of her first pony ride. One photograph caused her to pause and her smile slowly vanished from her face. It was a picture of her dressed as a princess for Halloween and next to her stood a little boy dressed as a soldier.
“Why did he always dress as a soldier,” she muttered to herself.
She was surprised to find a tear stream from her eye and down her cheek. Billy had always been a love/hate issue for her. His outlook and attitude towards life had always frustrated her. She was the aggressive achiever who would not be happy unless she was at the top of her class. Billy was the flighty underachiever who floated through life on a whim.
“Billy,” she said sadly.
Part of her had loved him despite his shortcomings. They had grown up together and shared many memories. He had been the first boy she had kissed when they played in the tree house that her brother had built. They had gone to summer camp together where they rowed a boat to the middle of the lake. It had begun to rain and their clothes had been soaked by the time they reached shore. They had laughed uncontrollably at the look on their instructor’s face. She still remembered the sound of the chirping frogs on a hot summer night and the turtles that would sunbathe by the lake. She recalled the excitement that built inside when Billy had asked her to be his date for the prom. She had felt so proud of him as he looked so handsome in his suit. He had been so nervous as he pinned a corsage to her dress that his hand had shook uncontrollably. She wondered if Billy ever thought of these memories. She sadly closed the photo album as if closing his chapter of her life.
Billy sat against a concrete wall at the corner of the busy, downtown street. People rushed by to finish their holiday shopping. Many looked at him with disgust and annoyance. Others turned their heads in the opposite direction to ignore his presence. An older man in a heavy coat stopped and threw a dollar bill into his hat.
“Merry Christmas,” the man bellowed.
Billy nodded his head in acknowledgement.
The sun began to set and the streets became empty as the shops closed. Billy stood and stretched his cold frame. He began the long walk back to his sleeping area. As he turned the corner, he found his path blocked by two men. He recognized them as fellow beggars from another part of town.
“Make much?” one asked.
“Not really,” Billy replied as he tried to pass them.
“Aren’t you going to share with us? This is the season of giving.”
“Sorry,” Billy muttered as his hands clenched to fists inside his coat.
“Do you hear that Kelvin? The boy is not going to share with us. He wants us to starve on this cold night.”
“That is very unkind of him,” Kelvin replied. “Since he is trespassing on our part of town, I think he owes us a royalty.”
The
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