Read Online The Rockin' Chair by Steven Manchester - Free Book Online

length of Evan’s spine. Unfortunately, the temperature was not the cause of the horrible sensation and, at that instant, he felt guilty for wallowing in self-pity.
    As if the handicapped man were invisible, most walked around him and proceeded on to their blessed lives of good health and prosperity. Those who did take notice merely peered down their noses at him, quickly turning away to avoid any eye contact. The all-too-familiar sight made Evan’s heart ache with sorrow.
    It was obviously easier to assume the panhandler was a con artist than to find the truth within his tortured eyes. The snickering and mumbled insults were carried through the frigid air, causing those very eyes to slam shut. Fifteen endless minutes elapsed and although the cup remained empty, Evan witnessed one human being suffer more embarrassment and humiliation than anyone deserved in an entire lifetime.
    Unemployed and homeless, the man continued to work harder than most, though his efforts proved futile. Whatever dignity that did remain was methodically and painfully stripped away by those who had plenty to spare.
    At last, the merciful shadow of a lame, elderly woman caused the pauper to gaze up. Slowly bending, she dropped a dollar bill into his cup. The two shared a genuine smile that only those in need could understand. Their simple exchange sent that same uncomfortable chill down Evan’s spine. As she walked away, her gentle face was replaced by the judgmental stares of a thousand cruel eyes. The homeless man’s smile was erased, his gaze dropped and again, among the masses, he sat alone.
    Evan shook his head in disgust. While so many passed by, scratching their lottery tickets, Evan thought, They’re better off gambling on the homeless man than the lottery. From the look of things, many of them are only one or two paychecks away from where he’s sitting. Yet, most had the gall to question why God gave so much to so few and so little to so many. Grampa John had once said, “God gave enough but somewhere along the line folks forgot how to share His gifts.” Grampa John would be mortified , Evan thought, and dropped a couple bucks into the cup. He then turned to find someone in even worse shape. Squinting to get a closer look, he nearly passed out. “It’s … it’s … Tara.”
    Only two doorways from the homeless man, his sister was sitting on the jagged edge of life. Evan needed to walk a few steps closer to make sure there was no mistake. There was none. My God … it’s really her . She was twenty pounds lighter than the thinnest Evan had ever seen her. Her pretty face had been replaced by white, pasty skin and her once excited eyes were now sunken and devoid of life. The distinct lines of harsh experience completely covered her days of innocence, and her flowing strawberry locks were now matted and dirty. She looks like death warmed over , Evan thought, and nearly cried at the sight of her.
    Vowing to be strong, he fought to emerge from his own fog of pain and approached her. “Tara?” he asked. The world seemed to slow down for the long-awaited reunion. For a few terrible moments, her eyes scanned every inch of his face without reaction. This made Evan feel even sicker than he did when he’d left his and Carley’s apartment. At last, Tara’s glassy eyes threw off a spark of recognition and her crooked mouth did its best to form a smile. My face has finally registered in her memory , he realized.
    Without a word, Tara stood and spread her bony arms. As if she’d waited for years on this very stoop for someone to come and save her, she began weeping. Evan couldn’t tell if they were tears of joy or sorrow. As they soaked his collar, he decided it was a combination of the two. Tara wasn’t just crying. She was mourning and Evan could feel her pain. He always could. Though he never would have guessed it an hour before, she was the one who needed