stuzzy

The Strange Man


"What's that?"

I looked in the direction he was pointing, the corner of the room. I didn't see anything in the dim lighting and said as much.

"I should've figured you wouldn't be able to see it."

I smiled. "If you can see it I should be able to see it, right?" There was an overturned steel folding chair on the floor, I tipped it upright with my foot, dusted off the top with my handkerchief, and sat. The strange man was eyeing me warily from his crosslegged seat on the floor.

"Not neccesarily, but if I assert as much you would surely think me crazy." His eyes widened in inspiration, "That gives me an idea." His hands started digging through his pockets, searching for something.

Indeed, my characterisation of this odd fellow could well be termed crazy. His appearance was that of a homeless man on the side an insterstate bypass. Black, thick dreadlocks issuing forth from his head like wayward vines in an unkept garden. His beard was much of the same. He wore a tan trenchcoat that was quite worn and very dirty, the sleeves had small burn holes on the forearms. The black sweatshirt he was wearing was worn as well, through various holes I could see flashes of color from the his underlying layers of clothing. Holes in the knees of his grass and dirt stained jeans revealed he was wearing sweatpants or longjohns underneath them, and the duct tape holding his red canvas high tops together covering his feet was bady in need of a new layer. I'd ignored most people on the street like this many times. Sometimes I had given them some change when asked, other times I just walked on. This man was different though. This man had saved my life an hour ago.

"AHA!"

The exclamation startled me from my brief moment of thought. It seemed he had found what he was looking for and now held it out in front of him in a closed fist.

"A lot of people think I'm crazy. I'm used to it. Kinda comes with the territory when you're living on the streets, where I DO live, but by choice. Yeah I saw you eyeing me with your face all lost in deep thought. I'm not stupid ya' know." His arm was outstretched, his fist facing upward. I could see...something...was it light?...emnating throught the cracks of his fingers. "Most people don't know what I know though. When I found out, well, it changed my worldview. Can't say yet if it was for the better or for the worse but it definitley changed. Now I'm going to share what I know with you, IF you're interested."

I should have left then. Years later one of my biggest regrets in my life will be that I stayed. I thought that I had problems before. Money, girlfriend, job, family, insecurities...fucking childs play compared to the bag of shit that opened up on me that day. But no, instead of leaving I grabbed the bottom of my chair and scooted closer to the old man.

He gave me a knowing smile, and opened his hand slowly...