I was making my way through a particularly crowded part of town. As I kept walking, I realized that I didn’t recognize any of my surroundings – I must have made a wrong turn somewhere. As I tried to retrace my steps, I felt a tug on my coat.
“Please, spare an old man some change,” a voice rasped somewhere to my right.
I turned around and saw an old man who was anything but a gentleman. His face was tired, like he hadn’t slept for a thousand years, and he had very dirty, worn out clothing. I was disgusted yet sad at the same time. This beggar reminded me somewhat of my old life.
I inquired his name, which he told me was ‘William’ however, there was no last name. This old man explained to me that I was the first person to ever stop and speak with him. He went on to say that he was a beggar because he had lost all his money and his home so he had no choice.
This strange man kept on talking to me and I felt rather ridiculous listening to him tell me his life story. It must have been at least ten minutes.
When the beggar finally stopped speaking, I reached into my pocket and dropped a coin into the small bowl he was holding. I felt like I could relate to him, in a way.
I turned and went on my way. When I finally retraced my steps back to the main street, I found the proper route to my destination. However, I couldn't stop thinking about the beggar's smile when I gave him the coin.
- Alison
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