An urban post-modern Christmas Tale.

December 25th, 21st century, in an urban metropolis somewhere.

Jeff got up with a start and found himself seated on the futon wondering what time it was; the day and date, he was sure of! Moving with disheveled grace of a Parkinson afflicted dancer, he swung by the bathroom to splash his face with water and run his fingers through his tussled hair, the former as necessary as the latter was useless, grabbed the last three fourths of a perfectly fine looking turkey sandwich from the kitchen table and delicately nudged the right elbow of the figure slumped and sprawled over the computer desk and keyboard so the screen came back to life ( of which it had more chances than the roommate’s semi-corpse ), lit up and gave time : “Holy crap!” thought Jeff which was quite appropriate for the occasion! He grabbed the pail and ran out.

Mr Green was nearing downtown and exited the highway. He had gotten up in the still sound asleep household 45 minutes earlier and felt sad that his wife had not understood. He was still a doctor after all even if the last years had taken “Fingers” Green out of the operating room and into the acquisitions office. Being called to stand guard as top manager on Christmas Day would have him back near his colleagues, near the action and was a duty, not a chore. As he rummaged, he found himself staring at a very empty tipped back coffee cup; better swing by the shop : what passed for coffee at the hospital did not meet his standards for it.

As the sleek sedan, having turned left on the City Library’s small street, slowed to a crawl, the lanky kid darted to it and began his work. “No thank you, I’m in a hurry, young man!” came the reply from within the car!

-“Too much of a hurry to help poor people on Christmas Day?”, offered Jeff.
-“As a matter of fact, that’s exactly where I am going … and you don’t look that poor!”
-“Oh, no! Not for me!” said the young man as he rose from bending over what was now admittedly the cleanest windshield for miles. “I work and go to school; I’m fine!”
The man, twice surprised, took his gaze off his vehicle and his hand out of his pocket holding his wallet and asked “Well, whom for then?” Jeff gave a head nod to the brick building : “Them!”

There was nothing there for  Green to look at : the library entrance, an ATM machine and the coffee shop itself. His puzzled look prompted Jeff : “Come with me and I’ll go with you and show you how!” Uncertain if he really understood that sentence at all, the older man still holding his wallet followed dumbfounded. As they reached the counter, he finally pulled out a 5 quid bill to hand out to the kid. Jeff had been quicker and his hand was also extended, holding a small booklet. “There, just buy this, man.” Without thinking, Dr Green took the thing and was lucky to remember buying himself a tall cappuccino when the clerk asked : “Will that be all?”. Carrying both as awkwardly as a pelican would a pair of drumsticks, he found himself outside again with Jeff looking at him inquiringly.

“Now what?” was all the poor man could offer. “Match the thing with the person, sir” And vision came back to the good doctor’s heart. A few meters to the right, on a park bench in front of the tall windows of the closed library, a slouch shouldered figure was trying to roll a cigarette with blunt fingers not helped at all by the relative cold. “Go”

Green moved like an automat : slowly deposited his coffee on his car roof, walked to the hobo and handed him one of the cards from the ticket book. The unkept man raised his gaze before he did his hands. For an instant, Green saw himself back to announcing a successful surgery and receiving that loudest of thanks in the eyes of lovers, friends and family : sincere feelings of gratitude for what was to them a miracle! He held that look like you hold a handshake for too long, uneasy here as then about his part in the whole thing. He said Merry Christmas with so much uncertainty that it sounded interrogative. The old frail man got up, took the coupon, went for the shop, turned around and said “Bless you, sir!” before disappearing inside.

Jeff, having cleaned an SUV with difficulty, pushed the change in his pocket, was still by the car. “I put your coffee in your passenger cup holder so it wouldn’t get cold.” he told Green.
-“Huh, thanks! . . . Now what?”
-“You put those 9 remaining tickets in your pocket and you try your best to hand them out.”
-“Giving coffees sounds cheap, almost ridiculous!”
-“You’re not handing out coffees man! That’s not what it’s about! You did not even see him before you had the ticket book. You saw his looks, almost smiling as he thanked you : you’re handing out dignity. With that coupon, there is a right to enter the shop, half an hour of warmth before they push them out, being human again!”

A fog seemed to lift from Green’s mind. He looked at the hippy like young man as if struck by a revelation.
-“Oh!”
-“That’s why I had you buy them! Homeless folks don’t need money that most would squander, which is why I buy tickets or food.”
-” I see! Is that what you’ll get when done?”
-“No, I’ll buy tickets for nights at the shelter. I’ll work until 14h00, get the titles and hand them out before darkness falls.” impressed beyond belief, Mr Green fished for his wallet again which Jeff stopped by adding : “Remember the ticket, man! If you want to, go get shelter passes tomorrow with your kids and hand them out yourself! It’s the outreached hand and acceptance in your eyes that they need.” and he ran to a bright yellow hybrid with slush all over it.

11 blocks and 8 minutes later, as he let the hospital parking lot and went around to the emergency door since the main one he normally used was closed, the head nurse joyously called him out : “Merry Christmas, Doctor Green! Good to see you down here! Had been a longtime!” with a wink. He was a doctor; it had been so long since he thought of himself as such, caring for his sick human brethren. And yet, what was that the young man had said  as he left:

“A doctor? Really? Good for you … but it’s not their bodies that have given up. Being a human is all it takes!”

 

Tay.