coming up

OK, so this is some randomness: I'm coming out of the Metro and there's a homeless man standing at the top of the escalator - asking for whatever he can get, you know?

And I start to walk past him, but then I have a Spirit-induced nudge turn me back around to address this man - this, I'm sure too-often-slighted fellow human being.

And I'm aware of my moral auto-pilot turning on as I say to him 'I can buy you some food.'

Now, upon addressing him directly I realize a couple of things immediately: that he's much taller and well-kept than he appeared to be from afar, and that he's kind of sort of high.

He says to me, in a mildly annoyed/dismissive sort of way, shaking his head as if I just asked him what two plus two is, 'Nah . . . I don't have anything, I don't have a place to go, anything to eat--'

OK . . . so maybe he didn't quite hear me. His eyes are kind of unfocused . . . I'll try again.

Me: I'll buy you something to eat. Do you want something to eat?

Him: Oh . . . Well, yeah . . . I'll take a cheeseburger and a soda if you gonna do that.

Me: What kind of soda?

Him (again apparently losing patience with me): I don't know, a coke, it don't matter.

Me: Alright.

And I go inside Five Guys (a rare establishment in that they're open at that time of night, and strategically placed so that you see and smell them before the escalator even brings you to street level) and I wait to place my order.

A minute or so passes and I order, after which I turn around to look outside and see where he is. After some glancing around I finally focus on him. Sure enough, he's looking at me. I stay in line and wait to pick up my order.

Another couple of minutes pass and it comes up. I pack the bag with appropriate condiments and some change and then I head outside . . . and homeboy is NOwhere to be found.

A 360 walk around the Metro entrance reveals NOT A TRACE of his whereabouts.

. . .

And there I am, not only less 10 dollars, but holding in my hands a meal that lies entirely outside the realm of my dietary preferences . . . .

Admittedly, I had about a 30 second bout of feeling extremely foolish, but then for whatever reason, I got alright. Like, all the way fine about the whole deal.

Funny, no?