Chapter 13: The Kindness of Strangers
The ride to from the Bronx to the East Village was even longer than the ride from Central Park to the Bronx. Angel was growing increasingly hungry and impatient as each minute passed by. His arms ached from carrying his heavy bags, and his heart ached from the day. It wasn't everyday that someone lost their boyfriend and their mother, and became homeless. "I'm one lucky son of a bitch," he muttered to himself, and sat patiently as he waited for his stop to come. He looked down and noticed the pants he was wearing. They were Lenny's. He could easily yank them off with no effort, but he loved them anyway. Lenny had way too many clothes for his own good, so he gave some of them to Angel. That morning, he had given Angel his favorite J. Crew sweatshirt. Angel knew how much Lenny loved that thing, and he cried when Lenny had given it to him. He wished he was wearing it right now, because he was so cold he could use the extra layer. Every time he thought about Lenny he felt the enormous weight of sadness on his broken heart.
He drifted off into a sea of memories of his relationship with Lenny, but was suddenly shaken back to reality when the train jerked rather violently. Angel looked up to see where the train was stopped, and he realized his stop was next. He gathered his bags once again, and got ready to leave the train and find some cheap restaurant to eat at.
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The subway stop was right in the middle of the village, so it was relatively easy to get anywhere from that point. Angel exited the subway station, and proceeded to wander around the city until he found a decent place to eat. He didn't realize how cold the evenings in April could be. Now he really wished he was wearing Lenny's sweatshirt. Even though Angel liked to dress in tight, slightly feminine clothes, he still liked wearing Lenny's big, baggy jeans and sweatshirts once in a while. After walking aimlessly around the city for a while, he finally found Spring Gardens, his favorite restaurant. Angel loved organic foods, and he was extremely health conscious. Lenny used to tease him for being so calorie-crazed, but Angel was determined to stay thin and fit. Besides, Lenny grew to really love pasta with soy meatballs, which was Angel's favorite meal at Spring Gardens.
The restaurant smelled like fresh-cut grass and vegetables, and the warmth hit Angel with surprise. He was so numb from the cold he had forgotten what heat felt like. A young waitress approached him. "Can I help you?" she asked. The people here were always friendly, although Angel had only come here a few times with Lenny.
"Yes. I'd like pasta with soy meatballs," he told her politely. He was really thirsty, but he knew he probably wouldn't have enough money for a drink.
"Alright, that'll be 6.50, is that all?"
"How much a bottle of water?" he asked, hoping he could afford it.
"$1.00" she replied.
"I'll take one of those too."
"Your total is $7.95," she told him.
Relieved, he gave her the eight dollars he had left. "I was so worried I wouldn't be able to afford anything," he told her.
"Well, you came to the right place. The food's nice and cheap here," she said, and smiled at him, "Enjoy," she said as she handed him a steaming pile of food.
"Thank you," he replied, and took the bowl to a seat.
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The steaming bowl of pasta topped with soy meatballs and a smooth pesto sauce looked so delicious. Angel was so excited to have real food; he hadn't eaten much all day. He devoured the pasta almost as quickly as he had received it. He knew this would be his last decent meal for a while, unless he could find some miraculous alternative to living in the shelter.
"I'm not a shelter kid," he thought to himself, "It wasn't supposed to be this way."
"What wasn't supposed to be this way. Hon, what are you talking about?" the waitress asked him. Blushing, Angel realized he had said that last part out loud.
"Oh, um, nothing. I'm just. it's been a long day, that's all."
"I hope it gets better, whatever's wrong. Have a good night," the waitress told him, smiling.
"Thank you, you too," Angel told her, leaving the restaurant, back into a cold evening in the city.
The ride to from the Bronx to the East Village was even longer than the ride from Central Park to the Bronx. Angel was growing increasingly hungry and impatient as each minute passed by. His arms ached from carrying his heavy bags, and his heart ached from the day. It wasn't everyday that someone lost their boyfriend and their mother, and became homeless. "I'm one lucky son of a bitch," he muttered to himself, and sat patiently as he waited for his stop to come. He looked down and noticed the pants he was wearing. They were Lenny's. He could easily yank them off with no effort, but he loved them anyway. Lenny had way too many clothes for his own good, so he gave some of them to Angel. That morning, he had given Angel his favorite J. Crew sweatshirt. Angel knew how much Lenny loved that thing, and he cried when Lenny had given it to him. He wished he was wearing it right now, because he was so cold he could use the extra layer. Every time he thought about Lenny he felt the enormous weight of sadness on his broken heart.
He drifted off into a sea of memories of his relationship with Lenny, but was suddenly shaken back to reality when the train jerked rather violently. Angel looked up to see where the train was stopped, and he realized his stop was next. He gathered his bags once again, and got ready to leave the train and find some cheap restaurant to eat at.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The subway stop was right in the middle of the village, so it was relatively easy to get anywhere from that point. Angel exited the subway station, and proceeded to wander around the city until he found a decent place to eat. He didn't realize how cold the evenings in April could be. Now he really wished he was wearing Lenny's sweatshirt. Even though Angel liked to dress in tight, slightly feminine clothes, he still liked wearing Lenny's big, baggy jeans and sweatshirts once in a while. After walking aimlessly around the city for a while, he finally found Spring Gardens, his favorite restaurant. Angel loved organic foods, and he was extremely health conscious. Lenny used to tease him for being so calorie-crazed, but Angel was determined to stay thin and fit. Besides, Lenny grew to really love pasta with soy meatballs, which was Angel's favorite meal at Spring Gardens.
The restaurant smelled like fresh-cut grass and vegetables, and the warmth hit Angel with surprise. He was so numb from the cold he had forgotten what heat felt like. A young waitress approached him. "Can I help you?" she asked. The people here were always friendly, although Angel had only come here a few times with Lenny.
"Yes. I'd like pasta with soy meatballs," he told her politely. He was really thirsty, but he knew he probably wouldn't have enough money for a drink.
"Alright, that'll be 6.50, is that all?"
"How much a bottle of water?" he asked, hoping he could afford it.
"$1.00" she replied.
"I'll take one of those too."
"Your total is $7.95," she told him.
Relieved, he gave her the eight dollars he had left. "I was so worried I wouldn't be able to afford anything," he told her.
"Well, you came to the right place. The food's nice and cheap here," she said, and smiled at him, "Enjoy," she said as she handed him a steaming pile of food.
"Thank you," he replied, and took the bowl to a seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The steaming bowl of pasta topped with soy meatballs and a smooth pesto sauce looked so delicious. Angel was so excited to have real food; he hadn't eaten much all day. He devoured the pasta almost as quickly as he had received it. He knew this would be his last decent meal for a while, unless he could find some miraculous alternative to living in the shelter.
"I'm not a shelter kid," he thought to himself, "It wasn't supposed to be this way."
"What wasn't supposed to be this way. Hon, what are you talking about?" the waitress asked him. Blushing, Angel realized he had said that last part out loud.
"Oh, um, nothing. I'm just. it's been a long day, that's all."
"I hope it gets better, whatever's wrong. Have a good night," the waitress told him, smiling.
"Thank you, you too," Angel told her, leaving the restaurant, back into a cold evening in the city.