Inspired by one of Sorryless’s Heroes of the Week, a policeman who, rather than give a young mother a summons for not having car seats for her kids, she said, she couldn’t afford, bought them for her.
This is what needs to happen more, helping those we can.
It’s one of the things that annoy me the most about our Commander-In-Chief. With all his personal wealth, he never seems to do anything for anyone despite being in such a blessed position. Even the Kennedys and Bushes, you didn’t necessarily like, one must admit, stepped up for others.
But I’m digressing.
After coming out of an AA meeting, where they promote service in a big way, I see a woman with 4 kids, all different ages that look right out of Dickens.
It was clearly the best of times and the worst.
Worn out jackets, pants that didn’t quite fit, loose in the butt and legs like they were handed down from whoever didn’t want them anymore.
As I observe the mother, 35 if she were a day, tired eyes so big and brown, handing out bagels from the corner cart, no butter since, alas, it’s 50 cents more, so are two other people also fresh from the meeting.
The woman I’ll call Eve leans over and says, “Can’t imagine what it must be like, feeding them all, day in and day out.”
“Me either,” I say, trying not to stare.
The third person is a guy, I’ll call Mac, who says nothing, but nods in agreement.
“What can we do for her?” says Eve, “how can we help her?”
After a humble huddle, we decide to pool our money to get her a gift card at Gristides, a grocery store across the street.
Mac was sent to keep an eye on her as they sat on a stoop eating, the irony being, he only has one good eye due to a drunken brawl he was in years ago.
Eve gets one for 40 dollars, while I run down Ramone, the delivery boy, in his Ramones T-shirt to deliver it.
When I look at his shirt he says, “Noo ree’lation.”
Figured it was less intrusive sending him, in case we’d embarrass her.
Ramone doesn’t understand right away, not until I give him a dollar, so off he skips across the street, all 5 feet of him, while we watch from the window.
It seems forever till he comes back after having the longest conversation. “What happened?” I say, “did she not want to take it?”
“No, she very happy.”
“Then why did it take so long?”
“Cause I pray with her, to Lede’ de Guadalupe she say sent me.”
Eve, who at this point had said nothing, says to Ramone “Good job,” before slipping him a nice, fresh 5.
After examining the bill like a jeweler, looks up with an enormous grin and says…
“O’right..Abro-hom Leen-ken.” ![]()
I couldn’t have said it better.
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SB
SB