At Thanksgiving night, I enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner in Jocelyne house, I leave earlier to Momo’s house because we have a project tomorrow need to be prepared this night. Jocelyne asked me to take a meal box to Momo and say happy Thanksgiving. I picked up Momo and She had already eaten and pretty full, she was frustrating about applying for graduates school recently, but she still thanks for meal book from Jocelyne. We were driving to my Fletcher studio to prepare for tomorrow project.
It’s already ten clocks at night, and the street in Providence is pretty empty, all store was closed, even barely can see a car passing by. that’s reasonable, because its Thanksgiving night, and every people were together with family members and friends enjoy the happy Thanksgiving dinner. Outside is cold and windy, leaves were drifting across the empty street. I was approaching the Fletcher Building and I saw a vagrant wandering on the street. He looks like 50 years old, thin and tall, no shaving and put hands in his pocket, and I can tell how cold he was from his walking gesture. I asked Momo can we give Jocelyne's meal box to this man while I was parking on the street because she probably doesn't really need it. She said good, we stopped the engine, and taking the meal box walking towards this man.
He noticed we walking to him and tried to say something in distance, but probably because of its a cold and windy night or because of it's still around 15 feet far between us, we couldn’t really realize what he is talking about. We walk and stopped beside him, and he still tried to say something but he speaks out unclearly and Whispery, I didn’t really understand what he said. It’s cold outside, I want to give him the meal box and enter the warm building, so I said to him directly:” do you hungry? I have some food, if you want it you can take it.”
He didn't take the meal box and asked me unclearly:”do you have cigare~?”
“Cigarette? no, sorry I don’t.” I don’t smoke, I can’t help when people ask me for cigarette or lighter, “But I have some food if you want”
“Na~ I am not really hungry, I need cigarette, ” this man still didn’t take the meal box but stare this box and asked, "what’s inside? “
“probably some turkey, mashed potatoes, cake, and dessert “ Jocelyne want Momo to try all foods she offers so just put small samples from each kind of food in this meal box.
“do you have fork?” he probably notice that I only take the meal box out,” how can I eat without forks? sorry I can’t eat the food, I can't.”
“oh, I am so sorry! I don’t have any forks” I walked a few steps to the right, looking for 7-11 at next block, and confirmed the store was still open, “you can ask for forks in the 7-11, it still open tonight!”
He looks back to the 7-11, the store is at the conner of next block, 60 feet far, white and cold light illuminating every shelves inside of the store. “I am not really hungry, I want cigarette. I can’t eat it without forks, how can I eat without forks~ ” He was more like soliloquizing instead of talking with me. He didn’t look at me, he was just looking around nowhere. He still didn’t take the meal box, and still put the hands in his pocket.
I am a little bit self-blame, because I don’t want to show any disrespectful or scorn to him. When I was about to say sorry, He was kind of releasing by himself, and said, “ok, I will take the food.” He finally took one hand out of the pocket, and took the meal box from my hand, and said,”have a nice day!”
I was also kind of releasing, and said, ”thank you, and happy Thanksgiving!”
He was suddenly shocked by what I say, “what? today is thanksgiving?” he took another hand out of pocket and touched his head.
“yeah, it’s Thanksgiving night tonight, may you happy Thanksgiving”
“Oh my god, today is Thanksgiving! I forget about this! oh that’s why you have turkey inside! oh my god! I don’t know, I forget ~”
Suddenly the tear fulled of my eyes, Momo and I stood at the conner of Fletcher building with this man. The night was cold and empty, almost all store was closed, no cars was running, leaves was drifting cross the street. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what he forget.
I shake his hand, his hand was soft and cold, we say good night and thank you to each other. And I left.
