A Warm Place To Stay
by Russell Paine
(owned, written & copyrighted by
Russell Paine, used by permission)
Neal thought
about the mistakes he had made in his past. He looked down at his tattered
clothes, his old torn coat, and his empty whiskey bottle. He regretted them
all. Neal sat there in the small park and looked up into the sky as the
snow fell down over his unshaved face. He had asked God why life made him
into a bum. Was there no hope for him? Was this his end?
The morning crowd
started to walk by Neal, but he would never look up at them. He felt to
ashamed for the state he was in. Neal also felt if he did look up, he would
see what he was missing, happiness. Usually no one spoke to him, they just
moved about their lives. However, yesterday was different. A clean-cut
businessman approached him.
“Would you like a
free meal and a warm place to stay?” Neal thought about the question the
man had asked.
But he never answered
the man he simply looked back down and waited for him to leave.
He wondered why a
stranger would want to help a poor bum like himself. Could it be that there
was some kindness left in the world? With this question burning in his
mind, he prepared for a very frigid day and finally doze back to sleep.
When he awoke and
stumbled to his feet. He felt dizzy from lack of nourishment. But then
someone clutched his arm, and helped him to balance his legs. He looked
over and saw the same man from the other day. The man was shaven and had
nicely groomed hair. He wore an expensive looking overcoat and a
professional suit underneath.
“Are you Okay?” The
man asked.
Neal could only nod
back.
“Would you like a free meal and a warm place to stay?”
Neal stared into the
man’s eyes. He wondered if he should go or not. It has been many days
since Neal had eaten last. He did not say a word and watched as the
businessman walked away. Neal wanted to say yes, it was on the tip of his
tongue. But no words followed. As the day wore on, the man didn’t come
back and Neal felt he had lost his chance.
Neal stumbled over to
the closest park bench and stretched out across the uncomfortable cold
metal. He pulled his coat as tightly as he could around himself, but his
body started to shake and his lips quivered from the bitter cold.
“Are you sure you are
okay?” A voice said.
Neal looked up and
couldn’t believe his eyes. The businessman came back. Maybe there was
hope. This time Neal wouldn’t hesitate.
“Would you like a
free meal and a warm place to stay?” The man asked again.
Neal gleamed a smile
with his rotten black teeth. “Yes.” He said hoarsely.
“Follow me.”
“Who are you?” Neal
felt that he should ask. “Are you an angel?”
“No,” the man
chuckled. “You can call me James.”
Neal followed James
out from the park and into the busy city. He watched the busses and cars as
they drove by. He saw people rushing by him. Some people walk hand in hand
or pushing a baby stroller, this made him realize what was incomplete in his
life, marriage, and having a family. Earning a living, and buying a home.
He knew that this was what he wanted, and maybe he would be able to have
it.
Neal decided that once he got
cleaned up at James’ home, he was going to find a job and be somebody
important. Someone like James, he felt James had all this. He imaged James
living in a nice big house with a wrap around porch and a white picket
fence. Waiting for him at home was a beautiful and talented wife, and his
two young kids who were wonderful and going to private school. To have a
life like he imagined James to have, this would be his goal.
He followed James
into an unclean building, and up three flights of litter-filled stairs. He
watched James stopped in front of a door and slowly opened it. James
advised Neal to walked into the room first.
The room was very small and all the windows were either cracked or missing.
Most of the wallpaper was ripped and hanging off. In the middle of the
bare wooden floor was a small and dirty cot.
Certainly this was a
mistake! James the businessman did not live here. This was not what Neal
expected at all.
Neal turned around, and
saw James holding an axe. He had no time to move, as he watched James lift
the axe over his head.
After the blade of the axe came
down forcefully and sliced Neal in half,
James left the room and went down the three
flights of stairs, and out of the building to and dial 911 at the closest
payphone.
When the police had
arrived, James showed them the body in the room, and proudly admitted
killing the bum. After the police cuffed him and placed under arrest, he
was brought to the holding block until he could be further questioned.
James looked around the small cell, then over to his only cellmate who was
sitting quietly in the corner.
“What are you in for?” James had
asked.
“I didn’t do a thing.” The man
answered. “What about you, what are you in for?”
James snickered to himself, then
said. “Me, I’m here for a free meal and a warm place to stay.”
The Bearfather
“Yeah, send him in.” The Bearfather said to the pink elephant who was
guarding the door to his hidden cave.
As Mr. Wolf entered the small dimly lit room he noticed that Papa Bear had a
disappointing look upon his face.
“Sit down, Mr. Wolf.”
“Okay, Boss.” Mr. Wolf said in a shy, but nervous voice. He knew he
screwed up on his assignment, but what’s worst was he didn’t know what kind
of punishment he would receive.
“Listen,” The Bearfather started. “I hired you because I liked the way you
handled those two little misfits who were stealing candy off the witches
house. She’ll always be in your debt.
But my job for you was simple. All you had to do was follow Little Miss
Riding Hood and find out where she gets her supplies.”
“But Boss, I looked in the picnic basket, there was nothing there but
sandwiches.” Mr. Wolf tried to explain.
“Did you happen to look under the sandwiches? That’s where she was keeping
all the honey. You messed up big this time, not only did you fail to follow
her, but you went ahead and ate her dear old grandmother.”
“I couldn’t help it. Some days I get a carving for more than just
porridge.”
“The only good thing about this is you did well at hiding the evidence.”
“They don’t call me the big bad wolf for nothing, you know.” He said
proudly.
“Look, don’t get cocky, Humpty thought the same way you did. Now look at
him, the cops grabbed him and broke his crown.”
“Take it easy boss, besides the grandmother was just an old whore who was
pimping sheep with Little Bo Peep.”
“You idiot.” The Bearfather became angrier. “That old whore was our only
connection on the inside. What, do you think honey just grows on trees?
I’m just happy the giant isn’t still alive to see this.”
Mr. Wolf remembered what happened to the giant. It was such a tragic day
for the Family. “I heard that ‘Rat’ Jack got twenty years.”
“That whole thing was a mess. I had all the King’s men out there trying to
clean up that courtyard. The beanstalk alone crushed two houses, almost
three, if the third wasn't made out of brick.”
“So, boss. What’s going to happen with me?” Mr. Wolf wanted to know how
bad is punishment would be. He could only guess the terrifying options.
“You’re not going to throw me in the pie with the rest of those blackbirds
are you?”
“No, no.” The Bearfather reassured him. “Listen, I like you, but sometimes
your stomach gets in the way of the job. I’m going to do you a favor and
forget that this whole event took place.”
“Thank you, Bearfather, thank you.”
“For now, I have a more important job for you.”
“What Bearfather? Anything you need, I’m your Wolf.”
“Good, because last night a girl with golden lox try to make a play for my
son. She was fooling around and telling him how everything felt just
right. Then she slipped out the back and down a rabbit hole. We think she
maybe up to no good, your job is to find her and bring her back. Don’t stop
to talk to anyone, especially that dope-smoking caterpillar, he’s nothing
but trouble.”
“Yes, Bearfather. It will be done.” Mr. Wolf gave him his word, and before
he could exit the cave, the Bearfather said one last thing.
“And Mr. Wolf, if you f*ck up this time, you’ll be sleeping with the Van
Winkles.”
