Today I went to my favorite coffee shop and sat in the sun while the bees danced happily around the fresh brioche I had poorly hidden in a brown bag on the table. As I sipped my coffee I noticed a homeless man wandering by with some drum sticks. There were the few people from other neighborhoods sitting around ignoring him but the people who lived there all meandered by muttering, “Hi Larry.” as they passed. The skin around his mouth folded open to reveal a toothless smile as he greeted each of them by name. After a few of the people left and the place slowed a bit this woman and her son sat down to eat some fresh bread and hang out.
The boy was mesmerized with Larry, following the old man with his eyes, barely blinking. Noticing there were drumsticks in Larry’s bag the boy slowly crept over and whispered to this, clearly, cracked out old black man, “do you play the drums?”
“YES!” Larry announced proudly, “Would you like me to play for you?”
The little boy just nodded his head and smiled.
Larry reached into his pocket, pulled out a lighter and lit the cigarette he had dangling from his lips and said, “OK, OK, 1 SECOND. YOU JUST WAIT RIGHT THERE!”
He reached into his bag, pulled the sticks and stepped over to the newspaper boxes.
“ARE YA WATCHIN?”
The boy nodded.
Larry laid into the boxes like they were his personal kit. Using the plastic and the metal like they were designed to resonate his rhythm. It was beautiful. Another little man came running up, “Larry, Larry watch me, watch me.”
The old man finished his street corner solo, asked the first boy if he liked it and let his eyes roll over to the other boy who was doing back flips on a bike rack before the first could answer. It was chaos for about 5 minutes. In the middle of everything one of the bakers came out of the shop and handed Larry $60. He leaned in as not to embarrass the old man, “It’s from my mom.”
“Oh…tell her I said…” his eyes wandered back to the boy doing flips.
“You got it man, go feed your daughter.”
Larry seemed lost for a moment like a thought had taken him away somewhere none of us were welcome.
“OK BOYS! I’VE GOTTA RUN!” he half yelled half growled.
As he walked by me his smile unfolded again and he reached out his hand to me.
“Names Larry.”
“Hi, I’m Natja. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, my dear. See you on another day.” and off he went.
