Yesterday I sat on my bench, and I really worried about getting something to eat before the night ended. Even though the case worker gave me some snacks to eat that day, I still felt a little weak.
But I will never, never forget how my friend Thomas reached in his pocket and gave me $2. “Thank you, Thomas,” I said. I cried a little bit. And my mind said it’s good to have a good man like Thomas around. He warms my heart. And that’s that.
Yesterday, two people went past and both of ‘em gave me $1. That really touched me, too.
I got on the Blue Line this morning. Sometimes I ride the Orange Line; sometimes the Silver Line. That’s about all I do on the weekdays.
Sometimes the Salvation Army truck come, sometimes it don’t. The Salvation Army truck comes to the park near 18th St. NW. Most of the time, I like going there because the staff gives out the good soup. Sometimes, before I go to 19th Street, I talk to my friend Carlton.
Miriam’s Kitchen don’t give lunch but does give out breakfast and dinner. I went there one or two times in my life.
My friend who works in the 1900 building, Mac, helps me sometimes, especially on Saturdays. I think he worked late last night.
I had a hard time sleeping last night. The guy who sleeps on the next bench, sometimes he likes to hoot ‘n holler. And he says, “F*** God.” Sometimes he even gets up and walks around while he’s hootin’ and hollerin’. That’s why I have a hard time sometimes, but I don’t say nothing to him. I don’t try to tell him what to do because I don’t have a right to tell him what to do; those are public benches.
Daniel Ball is a vendor and artist with Street Sense Media.
