A MOVING EXPERIENCE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR 2009
Christiane Tourtet B.A.
January 02, 2009
On January 1st, 2009, I was enjoying my lunch with my partner at our favorite fast food restaurant. There were not too many people there, at that time. A bunch of kids in their 20´s chatting, laughing, using their cell phone. Typical scene of young people! Some happy looking young couples and an elderly couple, probably in their 60´s.
The employees of the restaurant were also chatting, laughing, everyone seemed to have a real nice time. My attention was all of a sudden directed to what I could see from the back, to be either a teen age boy, or girl, in blue jeans with dark colored jacket with a hood on the head, who, from what I could hear, went to the counter and told the employee behind the counter in a deep voice "I want a taco".
I saw the employee, turn away, shake his head, and apparently deny the request of this teenager. And then, what I had never witnesses before, happened. The teenager, proceeded to go out from the restaurant, sobbing so loud, with so much pain, sorrow, and despair, in his/her voice, that it startled me, moved me so much, that it brought tears to my eyes.
Every customer in the restaurant seemed stunned. Some of the kids from the group, got up and went outside, and came back few seconds later. I heard one of them say "That´s their problem!" One of the man from the young couples, also went out, and came back almost right away, and finally the elderly couple, started a conversation with the employee, in regard to just what had happened.
From what I could hear, the couple asked the employee, if he had been told to do what he did, and from what I gathered, he said that he had been instructed to do so, that the district manager, is very strict when it comes to this type of situation, that downtown ( about 6 miles from the fast food restaurant), there is a shelter that gives food for the homeless, also it seems to me that there was something said about the homeless, such as "you never know", to which the elderly couple nodded to.
By then, I looked if I could find the homeless teenager. I saw outside the fast food restaurant, what seemed to be the homeless teenager, seated on a bench. At that time, I went to the counter and told the employee who refused to give a taco to this poor homeless teenager, and asked him, " Was it a boy or a girl asking you for a taco? He replied it was a girl, and I told him, that I will pay for the taco, for the homeless girl. He said, "okey, bring it to her outside". I also asked for a drink. I paid for the taco, the drink was free (for seniors) , and I went outside to bring the taco and drink to the homeless girl. Instead of a girl it was a boy, and I told him: "You wanted a taco? Here it is with a drink!" He looked at me and said, "I am okey, I am okey, doll". I asked him, " Aren´t you the one who asked for a taco few minutes ago? No, he said I am not the one!"
I went back inside the fast food restaurant, and told the employee who served me. "This is not the homeless girl! Now, I am " stuck" with a taco!"
He said, the homeless girl apparently went away in the opposite direction, but "there is a homeless man across the street, who always ask for food, you can give it to him". Indeed, I could see, the man, curled up, at the edge of the road. From where we were, and the way the roads were, it would have been quite difficult to be able to reach the man.
As we walked to our car, I searched again for the homeless girl, but she was nowhere in sight! I was thinking what to do with the food and drink, when, all of a sudden, a man in his forties, quite skinny, who also seemed to be homeless, approached our car. We stopped. He said "Happy New Year, I am hungry!" I lowered slightly our car´s window and told him, here is some food and a drink for you". He took it and we went away.
I just wish I could have found the homeless girl. I know the arguments of businesses, such as, we cannot give food to the homeless, as they will keep coming back for more, it is not good for our business, we have to think of our safety, we have been instructed to do so,…etc. and yet, I cannot help thinking, with tears in my eyes, that on a new year day, a hungry teen-age girl, had to leave in tears, crying out loud, when all she was asking for, was simply, a taco!
© 2009 Christiane Tourtet. All rights reserved.
The employees of the restaurant were also chatting, laughing, everyone seemed to have a real nice time. My attention was all of a sudden directed to what I could see from the back, to be either a teen age boy, or girl, in blue jeans with dark colored jacket with a hood on the head, who, from what I could hear, went to the counter and told the employee behind the counter in a deep voice "I want a taco".
I saw the employee, turn away, shake his head, and apparently deny the request of this teenager. And then, what I had never witnesses before, happened. The teenager, proceeded to go out from the restaurant, sobbing so loud, with so much pain, sorrow, and despair, in his/her voice, that it startled me, moved me so much, that it brought tears to my eyes.
Every customer in the restaurant seemed stunned. Some of the kids from the group, got up and went outside, and came back few seconds later. I heard one of them say "That´s their problem!" One of the man from the young couples, also went out, and came back almost right away, and finally the elderly couple, started a conversation with the employee, in regard to just what had happened.
From what I could hear, the couple asked the employee, if he had been told to do what he did, and from what I gathered, he said that he had been instructed to do so, that the district manager, is very strict when it comes to this type of situation, that downtown ( about 6 miles from the fast food restaurant), there is a shelter that gives food for the homeless, also it seems to me that there was something said about the homeless, such as "you never know", to which the elderly couple nodded to.
By then, I looked if I could find the homeless teenager. I saw outside the fast food restaurant, what seemed to be the homeless teenager, seated on a bench. At that time, I went to the counter and told the employee who refused to give a taco to this poor homeless teenager, and asked him, " Was it a boy or a girl asking you for a taco? He replied it was a girl, and I told him, that I will pay for the taco, for the homeless girl. He said, "okey, bring it to her outside". I also asked for a drink. I paid for the taco, the drink was free (for seniors) , and I went outside to bring the taco and drink to the homeless girl. Instead of a girl it was a boy, and I told him: "You wanted a taco? Here it is with a drink!" He looked at me and said, "I am okey, I am okey, doll". I asked him, " Aren´t you the one who asked for a taco few minutes ago? No, he said I am not the one!"
I went back inside the fast food restaurant, and told the employee who served me. "This is not the homeless girl! Now, I am " stuck" with a taco!"
He said, the homeless girl apparently went away in the opposite direction, but "there is a homeless man across the street, who always ask for food, you can give it to him". Indeed, I could see, the man, curled up, at the edge of the road. From where we were, and the way the roads were, it would have been quite difficult to be able to reach the man.
As we walked to our car, I searched again for the homeless girl, but she was nowhere in sight! I was thinking what to do with the food and drink, when, all of a sudden, a man in his forties, quite skinny, who also seemed to be homeless, approached our car. We stopped. He said "Happy New Year, I am hungry!" I lowered slightly our car´s window and told him, here is some food and a drink for you". He took it and we went away.
I just wish I could have found the homeless girl. I know the arguments of businesses, such as, we cannot give food to the homeless, as they will keep coming back for more, it is not good for our business, we have to think of our safety, we have been instructed to do so,…etc. and yet, I cannot help thinking, with tears in my eyes, that on a new year day, a hungry teen-age girl, had to leave in tears, crying out loud, when all she was asking for, was simply, a taco!
© 2009 Christiane Tourtet. All rights reserved.
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