Avoidance....

I had no answer for her, and we sat on the wet wooden steps until the wind begin to make our bodies quiver with chills. I walked up the steps and held the door open with my foot. Her hands were warm as they wrapped themselves around my neck. After promising to stay in touch, she disappeared into her modest home, leaving me to prep for my drive into the suburbs.

The walk too my car was slow, as I enjoyed the last moments of the calm night. My keys jingled in my hand while I pulled out my wallet in hopes if finding a spare dollar to stuff into my visor, however all that resided in there were a few receipts and an ATM slip telling me I had three dollars and twenty seven cents left in my account. Stale air rushed out of the sedan as the door swung open. Rolling down the window with one hand, I shoved the keys into the ignition with the other. The engine revved, and shortly electronic music whispered through the speakers.
Once in drive, the wheels splashed through a deep pot hole, and squealed against the wet ground as the volume darted upward.

Speeding up, until I was just over the limit, I welcomed the cool air in my face. The streets were empty, much like my mind. The day has exhausted me, and in a sense I was glad to be left to my own devise. I could see the mile road rise in front of me, as I stood at a light. My hopes were that Milton was sleeping already, so I didn't have to feel bad for spending the rest of my dollars on food at the local eatery. As I began to move however, a clear figure stood at the distance. Milton threw on a big grin and greeted me warmly.

"I have nothing. Today, I'm as poor as you." I laughed apologetically, as he laughed along with me. Without hesitation, he reached into his pocket and extended a slightly worn dollar bill.

"You always take care of me, let me pay you back." His words took my breath away, and I quickly declined the offer. The gesture left me speech less as I saw a man who had no certainty of food, offer money out of his own pocket to a kid from the suburbs, on his way to a warm bed.

"Well if there's anything I can do for you. Just ask. Anything... anything at all." He glanced around quickly, as a bolt of lightning tore through the sky. "How about some rain? I have plenty of that."

My smile stretched from ear to ear as I reach out to shake Milton's hand. Spotting a box of mints resting in my center console, he asked if he could trouble me for one. "My breath is kicking a little bit today." We laughed once again as he popped the mint between his lips, and I pretended not to see the light turn green. There was no one in sight, and I decided to take advantage of the situation.

"So how have you been?" I started slowly, not wanting to commit quite yet to an in depth discussion about the politics of Cuba. Tonight, his face seemed older and worn out. Definitely tired, his graying beard betrayed his otherwise youthful appearance.