So I have a story to tell... Picture this:
I am on my way to work... Due to forgetting several items, and remembering them individually as I was exiting (or trying to exit), I was running a tad bit late...
I walked quickly to pick up the time I was short, which seemed to be working... for the most part...
Shuffle shuffle shuffle... "snow in my shoes... damn..." I think to myself "keep going... there will be plenty of time to fight off frostbite once I get to work"
"wait a second?" I pause briefly... "did I hear something"
"hwwwwwlp"
"Couldn't have been... need to get to work"
"hwwwwwlp... psssssssss... hwwwwwlp"
"Where is that comming from?"
I search the snowbanks around where I'm standing, and sure enough behind one of the parking lot piles is an elderly woman who had seemingly slipped on the ice and was unable to right herself...
The weather out tonight was breezy and cold (-27c/-10f... -40C/-40f when you factored in the wind) and as such she was visibly chilled. She was shaking slightly and wasn't able to talk without a slur...
First things first, make sure she doesn't have anything broken... I ask her if she hurt anything when she fell... Nope... I ask her if she thinks she will be able to walk... yup...
I offer to walk her to the store for some complimentary coffee so that she can warm up (it was, afterall the parkinglot for the store that she unrighted herself)... She refused...
So she spouted off an address... Took a few tries to understand it, but eventually we were on our way... She wasn't able to stand under her own power, but she seemed concious enough... So I kept her engaged in conversation as half carried her home...
A block away from the address she gave me, I asked her if anyone was home where we were going... "Yeeeees... buh dey asleeeee" she tells me... This I have a slight problem with...
Fair enough for them sleeping, it is late... But when she told me, she faced towards me while she spoke... Which I guess was the first time since our encounter had began...
Her mouth reeked of rum... It was far far too overpowering, and really unexpected...
And I'm sad to say my view changed.
All of a sudden, I'm not saving a sweet old lady from near death... I'm helping carry a drunk home from the bar...
I suppose it wouldn't have changed anything... She almost certainly needed my help regardless of her state... But a part of me felt used (like it was all in her plan... "I don't want to pay for a cab to go four blocks... I'll just sit in the snow near a busy store and get someone to carry me home")
I suppose it's a little wrong to change my view of the situation... I mean we all have our vices, and she was just as deserving of love and compassion as anyone... But a thank you would have been nice...
Instead of a thank you I got a "don't follow me to the door... you're not getting anything from me" (spoken in a thick drunken english)... As if the only reason I would do something nice to an old lady would be to steal stuff from her or take advantage of her afterwards...
I arrived to work late... and slightly bitter...
Work was good though... and my entertaining story of the night...
A "couple" comes into the store, and buys some cigarettes...
He says "Oh, crap... I should get condoms"...
She says "don;t worry about that... I have lots... But I want the cash up front!!!"
"what was that?" I ask.
"oh... nothing" he says.
They pay, then he goes to the bank machine... and then they leave...
...
20 minutes later...
...
She comes back in, uses the washroom, buys some more condoms, and leaves... In a different vehicle... With a different guy...
Eww??
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2 comments:
You know what man, I hear ya about that lady, but in temperatures like that there is definitely the possibility that you saved that lady's life, literally. You should give yourself a pat on the back man, and as for the "couple"? Yeah eww... seriously you have the most interesting job.
Check this out Matthew 25:31-46
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
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