𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 ‣ jjk

十八 ; homeless man

day 1
7:02 pm
lee haru

the homeless man

after the sun goes down, i look around
finding that the park is getting
emptier and emptier as everyone goes back
to their respective homes
marking the end of the day

and here i am
contemplating on whether or not
to find some cheap motel to stay at
or just stay up at the 24 hour store
i can find some time to sleep on the
bus or train later on

seeing that the park is getting
too peaceful to leave
i decide to stay here for awhile
and pull down my mask slightly
taking in some fresh air

i take out an empty notebook that i
bought earlier during my walk
and scribble down a new bucketlist

the rustling of leaves alerts me
i look up from my book to see an old man
dressed in old and tattered clothes
his face is dirtied
and his skinny form is hunched over
a homeless

"you look just like my daughter"
he smiles warmly as he approaches me

he has a beard a little longer than fashionable accepted
droopy cheeks, wrinkled eyes
but i know kindness when i see it

i smile sheepishly and avert my eyes away

"she was beautiful, naive, kind
i wish i could see her again
my precious gem"

i swallow awkwardly
deciding to get up and go somewhere else
when he speaks again

"i have an extra blanket
if you want it"

i look back at him with puzzled eyes

"i know how hard it is for a young girl to be
out here alone in the streets at night
i usually stay at the homeless centre
it's a couple miles away
but they ran out of beds tonight"
he says that last part with a tired sigh

and for a moment
i feel an ounce of pity and sadness
i never had to live like this
my parents were spoiling me
with riches and luxury
and while i had nothing to lose
there were people out here
with everything to lose

"tell you what
you can take my other blanket
and we watch each other till morning
how's that?"
the man suggests with a smile

reluctantly
i nod my head and slowly reach for the blanket
that he holds out to me
is it a good idea to sleep outside?
it's risky though
i envelope my body with the blanket

jeongguk's words begin to replay on my mind
"you look like one of the good ones"

if only you knew
i am anything but good

i don't realise i have fallen asleep
until i wake up to the glaring sunrise
i squint my eyes and through the haze
i see a thief, a gun
and the terrified beggar man
with his eyes begging for meecy

i don't see how it's beneficial to rob a beggar
is it because they don't contribute to society?
because they mean nothing at all?

the thief demands for
anything in the man's pockets
he doesn't catch sight of me yet

i don't know how the sudden rush of
adrenaline comes over
i wasn't very good at martial arts, or fighting
of any kind
but i do the first things that come to mind

i grab the gun
from the thief's hand
and launch a kick to his stomach
elbowing him in the shin when he topples over

the gun falls onto the ground
giving him the opportunity to reach for it
but i'm faster
i jerk forwards to retrieve the object
and the next thing i know
i'm holding a real gun, pointing the barrel right at the thief's face
"get lost" i spit out

at first, the thief looks bewildered
and then his face contorts into one of disbelief
"you're just a kid"

"do you want to know what this kid
can do with a gun?" i run my finger over the trigger
"now get lost"

the thief hisses
but rushes away and disappears into the dark
as fast as he came

i don't know if this is a mistake
or if it isn't
the homeless man's eyes are thankful
and that gives me a bit of reassurance

i turn around to catch a tiny red light
blinking repeatedly at me
from the wall of a public toilet
as if saying got you
if i get caught on a camera like this
my whole plan will go to dust

so i do the only thing i can
i grab my things, drop the gun, and run