“Can I help you ma’am?” I asked an old woman, who was picking through the black garbage bags piled up at the Stillwell Brooklyn subway station. She raised her head and looked me in the eyes and said, “I’ll be fine young lady, thank you for asking.” I barely held back my tears… I don’t know why, I was glued to her eyes. I saw something I couldn’t explain – I saw so much… I saw a deep sadness in her grayish-blue eyes. I reached out for my back packet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill to give it to her but she refused to take it. “Please take it. I have so much and I would like to help you out, please take it – you need it,” I pleaded with her holding her hand.
“My name is Helen, what’s your name young lady?” she asked. “Angela…. Angela Pink… and Mrs. Helen, do you have a place to stay?” She smiled and nodded her head. “All right Angela, I’ll take your money with one condition, you must join me for a cup of tea right here at the Dunkin Donuts, I am paying for it, deal?” I agreed and we both went to the coffee shop.
“You know, I have never thought I would end up like this… You know what I mean? I was a teacher for 42 years. I lost everything I had and cherished in this storm. I mean everything! I didn’t have much but it was priceless to me…. Our government does so little and, I remember how ordinary folks were helping each other to overcome any difficulties in the past but now, we wait for the government officials to come to rescue us….” she was speaking softly, telling me her life story and, I was holding on to her every word, feeling her pain and despair. I don’t know how long we were sitting and talking when I heard my cell phone ringing, I answered it; I realized that I was running late for my doctor’s appointment. I politely excused myself leaving my business card on the table for Helen to have.
“You know what makes me really sad?” she asked me without anticipating my response, “what makes me sad is to see you, a young generation doing absolutely nothing to preserve what little of goodness we have left in this country. Political apathy will bring this country down. Nobody wants to fight… nobody wants to speak out… everyone just goes along with the program, don’t you agree?”
I froze. I couldn’t breath. I couldn’t open my mouth and tell her that I did fight! I did speak out! I did my best to preserve ‘what little of goodness we have left in this country’ but I failed so miserably. I failed so badly. I let down the 4th generation of Irish-American woman named Helen. I no longer could control my tears and started to cry hysterically. “Why are you crying? Don’t cry, everything is going to be all right,” she reached out to me and we both embraced each other. This time it was not her who need the comfort – It was me who was desperate for it. People were passing by not knowing what to make of it but we both, Helen and I, felt each other’s pain.
Twenty-one-years ago, American ‘Helens’ helped me to get on my feet. Ordinary Americans like Helen, gave me so much love, support and a lifetime chance to live my dream. Everything I have today -- I owe to America and people like Helen and now, I feel hopeless to return the favor –- American ‘Helens’ digging through the piles of garbage looking for food.
I'm weeping.... weeping for America and Helen too.......
Contributor:
Jeremy Caverley
CEO/Founder
JMC Ministries
http://www.jmclive.com
No comments:
Post a Comment