Treasures

(Originally 30th October 2006, 1:37 am)

The little fella was dirty. Well, he wasn't really little. More like bowed over and cowering. Some fear perhaps, was gripping him, it's dark and ugly fist wrapping around the fraility of a the man he used to be. He scavenged around the corners of each alley he scuttled to, looking for something, but never really sure what he was looking for. He didn't seem hungry nor thirsty and he left garbage alone. He just kept going down every alley and every street, crawling on his hands and feet, scrutinizing every nook and cranny. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack, probably worse, he didn't know if it was even there. He still searched anyway.

Putting up with the looks of disdain and sneers, he beared with the shunning crowd, the snide remarks and the occasional shove and push, even by kids half his size. Still he never gave up. He probably looked too illiterate to even know what was the meaning of giving up to even consider the though of giving up.

Just as he walked into the last alley of this street, he saw a glint. A slight glitter that caught his attention. Could it be what he has been searching for the past few days? He picked up his pace and dashed through a throng of people and literally dived to it. Braving a few kicks and shoves, this raving madman let loose a little cheer. Oblivious to scraping his knee, he picked up his little treasure and gave a dear kiss to it. He stood up, straight and tall, and dusted himself off. He shrugged off the dark, foreboding aura around him, and suddenly, he blended into the crowd like any other.

Calmly, happily and with a light footed step, he walked to the phone booth and lifted the handset up. Slotting in the treasure he just found, he dialed the number he had always kept locked away in the back of his mind. It ranged and connected. And for the next 5 minutes, it stayed connected.

Then he went back out and took a right to the next street and went into the next alley, trying to find another treasure again.