WarmintheHeart
佚名/Anonymous
ItwasabitterlycoldDenvermorning.Thiswasadayforstayinghome,forhavingacoldandwaitingforMomtobringacupofsoup.Thatwasthewaythedaywassupposedtobe.
IhadajobspeakingattheDenverConventionCentertoacouplehundredotherpeoplewho,likeme,wereunabletohavethesnifflesandstayhomeforMomtobringussoup.Instead,wegatheredattheconventioncenter,unabletodomoreabouttheweatherthantotalkaboutit.
Ineededabatteryformywirelessmicrophone.Ihadfailedtopackaspare.Therewasnochoice,really.Ineededabattery.SoIheadedintothewind,headbowed,andcollarup,shufflingintoo-thindressshoes.
Aroundthecorner,Ispottedasmallsignannouncingthata7-Elevenconveniencestorewaswithinsight.IfIwalkedquicklyandlengthenedmystride,Icouldreachthefrontdoorandshelterfromthebriskwindwithoutdrawingabreathoflung-burningair.PeoplewholiveinDenverliketoplaywithoutsidersbytellingthemthatwinterinDenvermeansenduringapleasantkindofcold.「It』samuchdrierkindofcold,」reporttheDenverfolks,whentheirrelativesaskhowtheylikelifeinthemile-highcity.Drier,myfoot!It』scoldenoughtogivethefamousbrassmonkeyreasontomove.
Insidethe7-Elevenweretwosouls.TheonebehindthecounterworeanamebadgesayingshewasRoberta.Judgingbyherappearance,Robertaprobablywishedthatshewerehomebringinghotsoupandsoothingwordstoherownlittleones.Instead,shewasspendingherdaymanninganoutpostforcommerceinanearlyabandoned,downtownDenver.Shewouldbeabeacon,arefugeforthefewwhowerefoolishenoughtobeoutandaboutonadaysocold.
Theotherrefugeefromthecoldwasatall,elderlygentlemanwhoseemedcomfortablewithhissurroundings.Hewasinabsolutelynohurrytostepbackthroughthefrontdoorandrisksailingthroughtownatthemercyofthewindandice-coveredsidewalks.Icouldn』thelpbutthinkthatthegentlemanhadlosthismindorhisway.Tobeoutonsuchaday,shufflingthroughthemerchandiseofa7-Eleven,themanmustbecompletelydaft.
Ididn』thavetimetobeconcernedwithanoldmanwhohadtakenleaveofhissenses.Ineededabattery,andtherewereacouplehundredimportantpeoplewhohadthingslefttodowiththeirliveswaitingformebackattheconventioncenter.Wehadapurpose.
Theoldmansomehowfoundhiswaytothecounteraheadofme.Robertasmiled.Hesaidnotasingleword.Robertapickedupeachofhismeagerpurchasesandenteredeachamountintothecashregister.TheoldmanhaddraggedhimselfintotheDenvermorningforalousymuffinandabanana.Whatasorrymistakeitwas!
Foramuffinandabanana,asanemancouldwaituntilspringandthenperhapsenjoytheopportunitytosaunterthestreetswhentheyhadreturnedtoreasonableness.Notthisguy.Hehadsailedhisoldcarcassintothemorningasiftherewerenotomorrow.
Perhapstherewouldbenotomorrow.Afterall,hewasprettyold.
WhenRobertahadfiguredthetotal,atired,oldhandfisheddeepintothetrenchcoatpocket.Hisfishinghandcaughtachangepurseasoldasthemanhimself.Afewcoinsandawrinkleddollarbillfellontothecounter.Robertatreatedthemasthoughshewereabouttoreceiveatreasure.