The Homeless Man

It's about a man on the streets.

                                              The Homeless Man

He was intoxicated.  He had been drinking for hours.  A bottle of whiskey held in his hand, while he sat in a darkened street corner.  People would pass him trying to pretend he didn’t exist.  Occasionally, the odd person would peer over with a disgusted look on their face.  He knew what they were thinking, why doesn’t he just get a job?  Instead of living on the streets in such awful weather.

He’d been homeless for years.  A forgotten old man who had lost his wife to cancer a very long time ago.  It was the grief which caused him to lose the house.  Shortly after her death he started to suffer from depression.  This is when he stopped going to work.  He cried for many days after, missing his partner terribly.  Loneliness had now become his life.

The whisky kept him warm through the cold wintry nights.  That was a blessing in itself.  

Through a crowd of people he could see some youngsters coming towards him.   Being the age of such innocence, such contentment.

He smiled at one of the children and the little girl waved back.

The adult who stood beside her, then said, “Ignore him, dear.  He’s a troublemaker.”

With that the young girl turned away.

He took another swig.

In the black sky the moon shone handsomely, also the odd shining star could be seen.

It was nearly Christmas, and the shops were packed.  

Out of all the year this was the loneliest time for him.  Watching other people buying presents for their loved ones.  He had no one to buy a present for.

He coughed, and wiped his nose.  

A man in a Santa’s uniform walked passed.  In his hand was a bag full of money.

If only?

His dirty crumbled coat was not as strong as it used to be.  It was slowly falling apart and letting in the chill.

“I miss you,” he said under his breath.

He knew she couldn’t hear him.  But sometimes when he felt low he would pretend she was there listening.  In a strange sort of way, this made him feel better.

………………………………...........................................................................

Within a couple of hours he had died.  It had been quick and painless.  No one noticed for some time after.

The next morning a shopkeeper found him and alerted the authorities.  When they carried him away in his dirty smelly clothes, there was a feeling that more could have been done to prevent the death of this lost soul, who for countless years only wished for one thing.  To see his beloved wife again, and to tell her that everything was going to be all right.

        The End

Reviews

[Marie]

I am glad to see you writing another story. But I really don't see what could have been done for this man. He fulfilled his one wish in dying. I noticed one mistake:

Out of all the year this was the lonelines(sLONLIEST) time for him

[steve]

Yes, I didn't even realise that error. Thanks for reviewing. It's something I wrote because I was desperate to write anything really.

[Fae]

This is so touching and I'm tearing up. It's so true that people judge others all the time, not knowing their true stories and not giving them a chance to tell them. Amazing, I loved it.

[steve]

Thanks very much.