Sojourner and the man sat outside the diner enjoying the slight breeze and the hot coffee.
“How long have you been in the area? Where did you grow up?” Sojourner asks the man as the server brings the coffee. The man took a sip and after a brief pause, he responds, “I’ve been here for about 6 months.”
“Where were you before?”
Sojourner’s mind wanders a bit as he recalled stories of his grandfather. Sojourner’s grandfather often talked about Topeka. The railroad that grandfather worked on would often pass through Topeka. Sojourner took the pocket watch from his pocket and gently tapped the nickel plated back of the watch. He remembered grandfather looking at this same watch each time a train passed. He would always say, “right on time” with a proud smile on his face. The Santa Fe’ route was one grandfather often worked and he always made sure to get out and talk to the townspeople of Topeka.
“I came here for a fresh start.” The words spoken by the man cause Sojourner to come back into the present moment. “My life just fell apart.”
“Do you have family?” Sojourner inquires. He knew the importance of affiliation, of close, natural relationships. He wanted to get to know the man better and see how he could help.
“My wife left with our son and daughter a couple of years ago.” His voice cracked as he spoke those words. The lump in his throat from trying to hold back the pain gave him reason to take another sip of his coffee. “My life spiraled out of control after that [LINK TO RESOURCE PAGE]. Everything I thought I was working so hard for came crumbling. When she left, I found it harder to wake up in the mornings. I struggled to make it into work on time. Eventually I lost my job. I was in debt. I lost the house. I lost it all
Sojourner knew the pain all too well. Not only had he heard similar stories, but he had also experienced his own trials and hardships. He took off his newsie hat and held it near his chest. The hat belonged to his father. His father would often wear it to keep the sun out of his eyes as he worked the family farm. It was a tough time for farming as it was just near the end of what is commonly referred to as the Great Depression. The details were different, but Sojourner recalled how lost his father felt when his mother left. Life seemed to crumble and everything fell apart.
Sojourner sighed deeply as he put the newsie hat back on his head. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be praying for your children and their mom.”
“Pray? I haven’t done that in such a long time.” The man said matter-of-factly as he took another sip of his coffee. “I’m not sure how much good it would do. The big guy doesn’t seem to care what I have to say lately.”
Sojourner smiled an understanding smile as he replied, “I’m sure those feelings are real. I’m also sure that you should give it a try. He does care.” Sojourner took the watch from his pocket and looked once more at the time. “I’ve seen you here a few times before. Would it be okay if we had coffee again sometime? I would like to hear more of your story.”
The man smiled, “I’d like that. I don’t get to have many conversations with people. They usually turn the other way to avoid eye contact.”
“Well, I see you… and God sees you and I hope to see you again.”
