On the Road

Jessa Young

The homeless man stumbled into town homeless man in any case. He was happy just to

with the snow. Feet bandaged with scraps of cloth, spread out his blanket on soft carpet in a bedroom

he shivered against doorways, hoarse voice begging away from wind and snow and sleep in peace,

for food – or just a warm place to stand. sending prayers of thanks up to the ceiling.

Winter is a hard season for a man on the They chased him out in the morning, the

road, when winds bite and shelter is hard to find. FREE houses free no more. He let them kick him

Two police officers, heroes of their city, chase him out, leaving his home in silence. He followed the

away from the businesses like a stray dog. They river through town, tears making cold, clean tracks

couldn’t remember winters on the road – “cowboys” down his grizzled face. It started to rain and he

though they were. hunkered down under a bridge, shivering and

huddled.
“Pass on through, boy.” They chide,

younger than he is, hands placed on gun holsters Passing children called out to him, “Troll man!

like an old man with bandaged feet is a threat. Troll man!” hurrying away before he could

demand his toll. He watched them go, thinking

He walked on, feeling whipped, shame
of his own child, his own childhood. It had been
burning in his cheeks but doing nothing to keep
so long since there had been anything other than
him warm.
that long, endless road.
Towards the center of town he saw the sign,
They found him a week later, under the bridge
“FREE houses!!!” it called out. The homeless man
he never left. Sighing over their coffee at the
thought of warmth and shelter and being homeless
inconvenience of paperwork they would soon
no more and headed down the street where the sign
have to fill out, they open their newspapers to
pointed. There were three houses, he only needed
catch up on how three free houses may benefit
one.
the community.
He didn’t walk through the rooms, or

imagine what furniture would go where, it didn’t

matter. A house was a house- a blessing to a