第4章WarminTheHeart

第4章warmintheheart

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.theonebe-hindthecounterworeanamebadgesayingshewasroberta.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.theoldmanhadedhimselfintothedenvermorningforalousymuffinandabanana.whatasorrymistakeitwas!

foramuffinandabanana,asanemancouldwaituntilspringandthenperhapsenjoytheopportunitytosaunterthestreetswhentheyhadreturnedtoreasonableness.notthisguy.hehadsailedhisoldcarcassintothemorningasiftherewerenotomorrow.perhapstherewouldbenotomorrow.afterall,hewasprettyold.

whenrobertahadfiguredthetotal,atired,oldhandfisheddeepintothetrenchcoatpocket.hefishinghandcaughtachangepurseasoldasthemanhimself'.afewcoinsandawrinkleddollarbillfellontothecounter.robertatreatedthemasthoughshewereabouttoreceiveatreasure.

whenthemeagerpurchaseshadbeenplacedin-toaplasticbag,somethingremarkablehappened.notawordhadbeenspokenbyherelderlyfriend,anold,tiredhandslowlyextendedoverthecounter.thehandtrembled,andthensteadied.robertaspreadtheplastichandlesonthebagandgentlyslippedthemoverhiswrist.thefingersthatdangledintospaceweregnarledandspottedwiththemarksofage.

robertasmiledlarger.

shescoopeduptheothertired,oldhandandinaninstant,shewasholdingthemboth,gatheredinfrontof'herbrownface.shewarmedthem.topandbottom.thensides.shereachedandpulledthescarfthathadflownnearlyoffhisbroadbutstoopedshoulders.shepulleditclosearoundhisneck.stillhesaidnotasingleword.hestoodasiftocementthemomentinhismemory.itwouldhavetolastatleastuntilthemorrow，whenhewouldonceagainshufflethroughthecold。robertabuttonedabuttonthathadeludedthemanipulationoftheoldhands.shelookedhimintheeyesand,withaslenderfinger,mockinglyscoldedhim.“now,mr.johnson.iwantyoutobevery,careful.''shethenpausedeversolightlyforemphasisandaddedsincerely,”ineedtoseeyouinheretomorrow.”

withthoselastwordsringinginhisears,theoldmanhadhisorders.hehesitated,andthenturned,andonetiredfootshufflingbarelyinfrontoftheother,hemovedslowlyintothebitterdenvermorning.irealizedthenthathehadnotcomeinsearchofabananaandamuffin.hehadcomeintogetwarminhisheart.