A man and his son were standing outside Limon, where we’d gone for Carmel’s going away dinner. She’s leaving, indefinitely, for San Francisco. None of us know when we’ll see her again. Yet Krystal noticed the man and his son standing outside in the cold and went out to talk to them. She discovered they’d been on a bus for two and a half days, implants from Seattle, and their hostel had been filled. The Rescue Mission had been filled. The Good Samaritan House had been filled. And the two of them were looking for a place to spend the night.
None of us had a place for them to stay but immediately, upon hearing their story, we took them inside and sat them at our table. Alex and I talked to Fred about his story, about politics, about how cold it’s been and how much of a shock it must be to come to a new city and have no one to talk to. Fred told us about the people he’d approached all day and how they wouldn’t even look at him, let alone speak to him. And he thanked us for being so nice, for inviting him and his son to our table. We told him about Denver. We told him that though it’s cold now, he is going to love it. We told Elijah that he’d love it too, especially if he was lucky enough to go to East, where Alex grew up and discovered himself.
When it was time for us to leave, Erin, Krystal and Kim hurried to the 7-Eleven across the street with all our credit cards to buy Fred and Elijah some food. They bought sandwiches and snacks, and took enough money from the ATM to put them up in a motel for the night. Alex and I kept talking to the old man and his young son until the girls returned with food and money. Fred kept saying “Elijah, say thank you. Say thank you.” He did, and we said “Don’t worry about it. It’s our pleasure. You’re going to love Denver no matter how cold it gets.”
We sent them on their way, directions in hand, to the Williams House where there was an empty room for them to rent. And as Fred walked out the door repeating “Thank you, thank you,” I began to feel remorse for all the things I’ve been granted in my short, easy life. I wanted to cry. I felt like though our country is having trouble, I did what I could to make a new family feel at home in my city. I made them happy for the move they’d made. I, along with my incredible friends, made them a part of what I love. And I hope that there are a thousand more who I can help along my way.
3 years ago