Time To Eat
Jake simply wanted something to eat. He hadn't had a meal in days, and the pizza place on Colorado Boulevard offered pies the size of a dinner plate for six dollars. A thin crust with a simply salty tomato sauce topped with thinly grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. The pizzas were garnished with fresh basil leaves. Jake didn't really care about that though, the leaves got stuck in what few teeth he had, and Jake had no taste for them.
Jake only had a dollar fifty, people weren't in a charitable mood lately. As a matter of fact, people had been outright rude, in Jake's opinion. Wandering up Lake Avenue empty coffee cup out, Jake gave up after hours of drivers in their fancy cars heckled him.
"Go downtown! You don't belong here," one particularly irate man yelled from his Maserati, and flung a quarter at Jake.
The quarter bounced off of Jake's forehead. He caught the quarter, and rubbed his temple to ease the sting. "Generous," Jake said sadly, "You in your fancy car, so generous." He gingerly placed it into the coffee cup before walking toward Colorado Boulevard.
Cafes lined the boulevard, aromas wafted through the air, and signs dazzled pedestrians on their lunch hour. Heeding the beck and call, people eagerly rushed into the eateries for a quick escape from the daily grind. Jake noted that plenty of people were out and about today. Perhaps he would find some generous souls willing to spare a dollar or two. If he was lucky, he could get a pizza pie for dinner.
As Jake walked down the boulevard, the bell from a nearby church began to toll. Jake measured his steps in time to the bell strikes.
*BONG*
(Pause)
*BONG*
Jake stepped forward with his left foot. The wind picked up, scattering leaves about. They flew into his hair, and stuck to his hat. Two teenaged girls danced past, and giggled at Jake's appearance.
"Say you got leaves stuck in your dreads. Go shower, Leaf-Man," called one girl. The other laughed before taking a long drink from her Urth Cafe coffee cup.
Jake thought about the coffee the teenager was holding. What if he couldn't get that pizza? Should he get coffee instead? Not at Urth. That was too expensive, he thought. The nearest gas station was above the freeway, about three quarters of a mile from here. Coffee there was about $2.50. With a little luck, he'd have enough about an hour from now. But he really wanted pizza. He would try for that salty, crusty cheese pie, forget the coffee.
*BONG*
Jake stepped forward with his right foot. Maybe the guys at Zocalo were giving out coffee today. What day was it? They always gave coffee to the homeless on Mondays.
*BONG*
Jake stopped in front of a kiosk. The date flashed across the screen. He was beginning to feel dizzy.
**November 18, 2016. Enjoy your weekend, Angelenos! **
*BONG*
Jake snapped to attention. "Focus!" He chided himself. Time to find something to eat. He took another step forward.
A tall man in a tan coat walked past.
"Scuse me Sir," Jake called to the man.
The man turned and got a pained expression when he saw Jake's outstretched hand.
"You got five dollars to spare?"
The man grimaced. "Uh, no? Sorry." The man ducked his head, and walked quickly away.
*BONG*
Pangs of hunger felt like knives across his belly. Resisting the urge to just lay down on the sidewalk, Jake began to pick up the pace.
"Not gonna make it to dinner," Jake thought.
*BONG*
Jake stopped in front of a small cafe. He peered inside the window. Inside, young affluent people sat at bistro tables with cappuccinos and pastries. This shop was new, but it looked like every other affluent cafe on Colorado.
"How fortunate for them," Jake thought, "that they can sit without a care for their next meal."
A man with a stroller exited the cafe with a coffee cup in hand. The man was yelling into his cellphone.
"I just spent eight dollars on this latte, and the portion is tiny. Who do they think they are, charging so much for such a tiny drink? I will never go here again. Want to meet at Starbucks in like five? Emma's asleep in her stroller, and my wife doesn't get off work until three."
Jake approached the man. "Scuse me, Sir?" Jake asked softly.
The man turned to look at Jake.
"Can't you see I am in the phone here?" The man snapped, pausing. "Hold on, Sweetie, some homeless guy wants some money." He thrusts a dollar at Jake.
Jake begins to thank the man, but is cut off.
"There you go. Now get away from me, don't you see I am busy?" The man began to make his way down the street. Presumably to Starbucks, Jake surmised.
Jake now had two dollars and seventy five cents. Still not enough for pizza.
*BONG*
Jake ducked into the cafe before the door slammed shut.
Inside, patrons rushed about, and classical music played over the speakers. He spied a table with two women to the left. They sat next to each other, huddled over pastries. One woman sipped a cappuccino.
"Women are usually kinder," Jake thought, and he approached the table.
"Excuse me," he said, interrupting the conversation. The women looked up. One woman blanched at Jake for interrupting.
"Do you think you could spare five dollars?" Jake asked, hand outstretched.
"No," said the woman closest to him, "I only have two dollars. Will that work?"
Jake nodded and extended his hand to receive the money.
An employee rushed up to Jake and shook his head. "Sir, I cannot allow you to solicit money from my customers!"
"I know," Jake said, "I'm taking this, and I'll go."
The woman gave him two dollars, and Jake smiled.
"Thank you, Miss. I really just want a pie from next door. They taste mighty fine."
"The pizza place?" she asked. "They do have good pizza."
"Just five dollars too. I haven't eaten in days," Jake said.
The employee retreated to his work station, and left Jake with the woman.
"It's hard, you know," Jake began, "all of these people with their fancy pastries and lattes, when all I want is a meal."
The woman nodded.
"Still, I know my father is looking down on me, and smiling. Someday, I'll see him again."
The woman's attention began to waiver, and the other woman looked up nervously. Jake's stomach growled. He turned toward the exit, and made his way out to the street. Four dollars and seventy-five cents to his name, Jake felt confident that he'd get that pizza before the clock struck one.
***
AUTHOR NOTE: Based on actual recent events. Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent. Thank you for reading.
Jake only had a dollar fifty, people weren't in a charitable mood lately. As a matter of fact, people had been outright rude, in Jake's opinion. Wandering up Lake Avenue empty coffee cup out, Jake gave up after hours of drivers in their fancy cars heckled him.
"Go downtown! You don't belong here," one particularly irate man yelled from his Maserati, and flung a quarter at Jake.
The quarter bounced off of Jake's forehead. He caught the quarter, and rubbed his temple to ease the sting. "Generous," Jake said sadly, "You in your fancy car, so generous." He gingerly placed it into the coffee cup before walking toward Colorado Boulevard.
Cafes lined the boulevard, aromas wafted through the air, and signs dazzled pedestrians on their lunch hour. Heeding the beck and call, people eagerly rushed into the eateries for a quick escape from the daily grind. Jake noted that plenty of people were out and about today. Perhaps he would find some generous souls willing to spare a dollar or two. If he was lucky, he could get a pizza pie for dinner.
As Jake walked down the boulevard, the bell from a nearby church began to toll. Jake measured his steps in time to the bell strikes.
*BONG*
(Pause)
*BONG*
Jake stepped forward with his left foot. The wind picked up, scattering leaves about. They flew into his hair, and stuck to his hat. Two teenaged girls danced past, and giggled at Jake's appearance.
"Say you got leaves stuck in your dreads. Go shower, Leaf-Man," called one girl. The other laughed before taking a long drink from her Urth Cafe coffee cup.
Jake thought about the coffee the teenager was holding. What if he couldn't get that pizza? Should he get coffee instead? Not at Urth. That was too expensive, he thought. The nearest gas station was above the freeway, about three quarters of a mile from here. Coffee there was about $2.50. With a little luck, he'd have enough about an hour from now. But he really wanted pizza. He would try for that salty, crusty cheese pie, forget the coffee.
*BONG*
Jake stepped forward with his right foot. Maybe the guys at Zocalo were giving out coffee today. What day was it? They always gave coffee to the homeless on Mondays.
*BONG*
Jake stopped in front of a kiosk. The date flashed across the screen. He was beginning to feel dizzy.
**November 18, 2016. Enjoy your weekend, Angelenos! **
*BONG*
Jake snapped to attention. "Focus!" He chided himself. Time to find something to eat. He took another step forward.
A tall man in a tan coat walked past.
"Scuse me Sir," Jake called to the man.
The man turned and got a pained expression when he saw Jake's outstretched hand.
"You got five dollars to spare?"
The man grimaced. "Uh, no? Sorry." The man ducked his head, and walked quickly away.
*BONG*
Pangs of hunger felt like knives across his belly. Resisting the urge to just lay down on the sidewalk, Jake began to pick up the pace.
"Not gonna make it to dinner," Jake thought.
*BONG*
Jake stopped in front of a small cafe. He peered inside the window. Inside, young affluent people sat at bistro tables with cappuccinos and pastries. This shop was new, but it looked like every other affluent cafe on Colorado.
"How fortunate for them," Jake thought, "that they can sit without a care for their next meal."
A man with a stroller exited the cafe with a coffee cup in hand. The man was yelling into his cellphone.
"I just spent eight dollars on this latte, and the portion is tiny. Who do they think they are, charging so much for such a tiny drink? I will never go here again. Want to meet at Starbucks in like five? Emma's asleep in her stroller, and my wife doesn't get off work until three."
Jake approached the man. "Scuse me, Sir?" Jake asked softly.
The man turned to look at Jake.
"Can't you see I am in the phone here?" The man snapped, pausing. "Hold on, Sweetie, some homeless guy wants some money." He thrusts a dollar at Jake.
Jake begins to thank the man, but is cut off.
"There you go. Now get away from me, don't you see I am busy?" The man began to make his way down the street. Presumably to Starbucks, Jake surmised.
Jake now had two dollars and seventy five cents. Still not enough for pizza.
*BONG*
Jake ducked into the cafe before the door slammed shut.
Inside, patrons rushed about, and classical music played over the speakers. He spied a table with two women to the left. They sat next to each other, huddled over pastries. One woman sipped a cappuccino.
"Women are usually kinder," Jake thought, and he approached the table.
"Excuse me," he said, interrupting the conversation. The women looked up. One woman blanched at Jake for interrupting.
"Do you think you could spare five dollars?" Jake asked, hand outstretched.
"No," said the woman closest to him, "I only have two dollars. Will that work?"
Jake nodded and extended his hand to receive the money.
An employee rushed up to Jake and shook his head. "Sir, I cannot allow you to solicit money from my customers!"
"I know," Jake said, "I'm taking this, and I'll go."
The woman gave him two dollars, and Jake smiled.
"Thank you, Miss. I really just want a pie from next door. They taste mighty fine."
"The pizza place?" she asked. "They do have good pizza."
"Just five dollars too. I haven't eaten in days," Jake said.
The employee retreated to his work station, and left Jake with the woman.
"It's hard, you know," Jake began, "all of these people with their fancy pastries and lattes, when all I want is a meal."
The woman nodded.
"Still, I know my father is looking down on me, and smiling. Someday, I'll see him again."
The woman's attention began to waiver, and the other woman looked up nervously. Jake's stomach growled. He turned toward the exit, and made his way out to the street. Four dollars and seventy-five cents to his name, Jake felt confident that he'd get that pizza before the clock struck one.
***
AUTHOR NOTE: Based on actual recent events. Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent. Thank you for reading.