KINLEY'S HouSe

THERE ARE FEW THINGS IN THIS WORLD TODAY WHICH REMIND YOU OF THE GENUINE GOODNESS THAT WE ALL POSSESS.  MOSTLY BECAUSE THIS BEAUTIFUL QUALITY OF CREATION IS OFTEN HIDDEN BENEATH THE LAYERS OF SCAR TISSUE THAT BUILD UP OVER TIME FROM DEALING WITH THIS WICKED WORLD.  SOMETIMES I SIT AND WONDER JUST HOW THOSE WHO HAVE NO HOPE GO ON DEALING WITH EVERYDAY LIFE.

TODAY THOUGH I EXPERIENCED A GLIMPSE INTO THE HUMAN HEART THAT I WILL NOT SOON FORGET.    I WAS WAITING TO PICK UP STEFAN DOWN AT THE UNIVERSITY AT THE LOCAL TEA AND COFFEE HANG OUT THAT MOST OF THE STUDENTS FREQUENT.  IT IS CALLED KINLEY'S TEA AND COFFEE HOUSE, AS A SIDE POINT THEY POSSESS A WONDERFUL ARRAY OF ASIAN TEAS AND ARE A GREAT PEOPLE WATCHING HIPPIE HANG OUT.  BUT ALL KUDOS FOR KINLEYS PUT ASIDE, I WAS ADMIRING THE PASSERS BY AND SIPPING ON MY THAI COFFEE OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO WHEN AN ELDERLY SOMEWHAT DISHEVELED WOMAN APPROACHED FROM THE SIDE WALK.  SHE APPEARED TO BE WITHOUT HOME BUT SEEMED QUITE WELL KEPT AND ACTUALLY EVEN SMELLED VERY PLEASANT.  I MYSELF WAS NOT A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS, IT WAS 102 OUT.  HER FACE ERUPTED INTO A LARGE TOOTHLESS SMILE AND SHE SAID IN A VERY HUSKY VOICE, "DO YOU MIND IF I SIT HERE ALL THE OTHER SEATS ARE TAKEN".

I FIGURED NO HARM DONE SHE SEEMED TO BE WILLING TO KEEP TO HERSELF AND READING "LEAVES OF GRASS" DOESN'T TAKE AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF CONCENTRATION.  SO I AGREED AND SHE STARTS TO CHEERFULLY CHAT AND SAY HOW NICE IT WAS ETC.  THEN SHE NOTICED I HAD A BOOK AND ASKED WHAT IT WAS TO WHICH I REPLIED WITH THE TITLE.  AND SHE IMMEDIATELY EXPLODES WITH EXCITEMENT,

"OH THAT WHITMAN BOOK!  DIDN'T HE WRITE THAT WHILE AT WALDEN POND OR SOMETHING.  I USED TO SUBSTITUTE TEACH IN AN ENGLISH CLASS....I LIKED HIS IDEAS EVEN IF HE MUST HAVE BEEN A BIT CRAZY TO LIVE THAT FAR AWAY FROM PEOPLE."

I FOUND MYSELF A BIT ASHAMED AS IT HADN'T OCCURED TO ME THAT SHE MUST HAVE HAD A "NORMAL" LIFE AT ONE TIME.  THEN I STARTED TO WONDER IF MAYBE I WAS MISTAKEN AND SHE WASN'T WONDERING THE STREETS AT ALL.  HOWEVER AFTER ANOTHER CUSTOMER LEFT SHE PROCEEDED TO RUMMAGE TO GET THE LEFT OVER CIGARETTES AND BEGAN TO SMOKE ONE.  THEN SHE APOLOGIZED REALIZING I DIDN'T SMOKE AND IMMEDIATELY SNUFFED IT OUT.

WHILE ALL OF THIS IS GOING ON ONE OF THE WORKERS, WHO IS QUIETLY DINING NEAR BY PROCEEDS TO OFFER HER WHAT IS LEFT OF HIS ASIAN CUISINE WHICH SHE GLADLY ACCEPTS AND SKILLFULLY TAKES HOLD OF THE CHOPSTICKS AND BEGINS TO EAT GRACEFULLY.  EVENTUALLY AN OLDER GENTLEMAN STOPS BY AND ASKS ALL THE CUSTOMERS IF WE HAVE SOME SPARE CHANGE.  IN TODAYS WORLD I OFTEN REALIZE HOW HARD IT MUST BE TO COME BY AS MOST OF EVERYONE USES THEIR DEBIT CARDS AND VERY RARELY IF EVER HAS CASH.  ALL OF US SHOOK OUR HEADS NO BUT MY NEW DINNER COMPANION PROCEEDS TO PULL OUT SOME CHANGE AND CHEERFULLY HANDS IT TO THE GENTLEMAN ALSO ASKING IF HE WOULD LIKE SOME OF HER DINNER.  HE EXPLAINS HE DOESN'T CARE FOR ASIAN FOOD MUCH BUT THANKS HER WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

EVENTUALLY THE PATIO BEGAN TO CLEAR OUT AND SHE MOVES OVER TO ONE OF THE EMPTY TABLES ACROSS THE WAY TO ORGANIZE HER BELONGINGS.  HER NAME BY THE WAY IS MONA.  SHORT FOR RAMONA, WHICH ACCORDING TO HER IS JUST TOO BIG OF A MOUTHFUL AND WHO WANTS TO SAY THAT NAME ALL DAY EVERY DAY ANYWAYS....SO STICKING TO MONA HAS LEFT HER SATISFIED.

SOON THEREAFTER STEFAN ARRIVED AND WE DEPARTED BUT NOT BEFORE MY LITTLE HEART LEPT FOR JOY.  I HAD WITNESSED SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.  SOMETHING I WILL ALWAYS TREASURE.  LIVING IN A LARGE CITY THERE ARE MANY IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU PASS EVERY DAY.  AND I MUST ADMIT HERE THEY ARE GENERALLY EXTREMELY POLITE, NOT TO MENTION HAVE SOME OF THE BEST TANS I HAVE EVER SEEN.  BUT TODAY ON THE WAY HOME I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT JUST GLANCED BUT PEERED INTO THE EYES OF A WOMAN WITH AN ENDLESS STORY.  ONE THAT PERHAPS SOMEDAY I WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR AND ALSO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH A BEAUTIFUL HOPE.