username;; RestInPeace
name;; Dixon
gender;; Male
story of the beads;;
It was raining. His car had been booted because he didn't pay his parking fine, because he was busy begging for his job back, that he had lost because he was late for the last time. He was late because his girlfriend left him the previous night, because he couldn't provide enough for her pocket. He couldn't provide enough for her pocket because he was barely making rent as it was.
Dixon couldn't take much more of this. Life hadn't just dealt him a bad hand, it had shoved it down his throat.
He made it out of the rain and up the stairs to his apartment door, pulled the key from his pocket, and jiggled it into the lock.
Click
Click
Click.
The key refused to turn.
It was then that he noticed the eviction notice tacked to the door.
The check had bounced, and the rent hadn't been paid.
"S**t."
Resting his forehead against the door, he brought his fist down against it and grited his teeth.
He pulled his hood up, put his hands in his pockets, and went back into the rain. Reaching into his pocket, he felt around for his wallet. Upon opening it, he found $10 he kept tucked away for emergency gas. He smirked and began walking in the direction of his favorite coffee shop. $10 should buy him a nice coffee and some overpriced pastry.
Might as well splurge before it's all over.
The rain made a the neon signs emanate a warm glow onto the sidewalks below. Dixon watched as the barista pushed a man in a long coat out the door, and into the rain. The man slumped down into a puddle near the door, and pulled his hat down over his unshaven face. As Dixon reached for the door, he stopped, and took a look at the man. He stepped closer and dropped his $10 into the cup in front of the man. He took a breath and turned away, and began to walk back down the block. He stopped when he heard a gruff voice,
"Hey kid."
He turned to see the man holding his money between his pointer and middle fingers.
"Come have a cup with me."
The man opened the door and nodded for Dixon to go in. Dixon followed and stepped inside.
They walked to the counter, where the barista stood, clearly annoyed.
"I thought I told you to go loiter somewh-"
"Relax." The man interupted as he slipped the money onto the counter.
"Two please, black."
The barista nodded, and went red in the face. "Sorry sir. I'll get that right away."
Dixon and the man sat down with their coffee, silent. He sat back in his chair, slumped slightly, and watched as Dixon eyed at his tattered clothes, and finger less gloves. "It wasn't always this bad you know." The man said, breaking the silence. Dixon clutched the cup of coffee and chewed on his lip.
"I had a family, friends, a home." he continued, insistant on speaking.
"How do you stand it all, just leaving though?" Dixon blurted.
"Oh I just keep going. That's all I can do. I know it'll get better." The man said with a smile. "Well it sure as hell doesn't look that way now does it?" Dixon snapped. "How can you smile? You have nothing. Why live in some delusion?! Why not just accept that you're screwed, and stop it all?"
The man closed his eyes and shook his head. "I smile because I know I have nothing left to lose. It only goes up from here.
You kids are always so quick to see the bad aren't you?"
He gripped his coffee a little tighter. "Without a little rain, you can't have a rainbow."
Dixon continued to brood, and the man sighed.
"It's been nice kid. Thanks for the coffee." he smiled, reached into his pocket, and placed the beads onto the table before leaving quietly.
He never saw that man again, never was able to thank him for saving his life,
and keeps the beads as a reminder that there is always good somewhere.
extra;; Added like, 200 of the 300 words allowed for the extra, to the story. I hope that's ok ;.;
May edit the story slightly, make it sound not so clunky. =w=
