Gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:23
Nebraska was the most boring state you could possibly imagine. After you leave the beautiful ever-changing mountains of Colorado, the flat farm land planes of Nebraska are just not enough to keep your mind preoccupied. Keith told himself that he just had to pass through the midwest before he found his adventure, and that every adventure has a part like Nebraska. Harry Potter had to stop and focus on school a bit, Frodo had to rest while carrying the ring, even Blade had a moment where he took a breather. Therefore, Keith had to deal with Nebraska, passing through, in order to move on to bigger and better things.
Off the freeway was a diner, a gas station and a small convince store. Looking at his gage on his car, he was nearing empty again and could use a quick stop. Taking a moment to judge the gage in his belly, he also noticed how hungry he was and could use a hot meal. In one beautiful fluid motion he was off the freeway and parking in front of a gas meter. He slowly and carefully climbed out of the divers seat of his care, careful not to disturb any of the things packed inside his care; trying to move in one trip was proving easier said than done. Not only was their hardly any room to breathe in there, but the extra weight was using more gas than expected. While the pump was working it's magic on the gas whole, Keith let his eyes wander around to see what kind of people would choose to live in a place like Nebraska.
His eyes fell on one man standing outside the convince store. He was clearly homeless, if the ragged clothes and beard didn't give it away at first, to his right stood a rusted shopping cart that held his life inside of it. In his hands were a sign that read "Hungry. Thank you and God Bless." Living in Santa Monica for most of his life, Keith was used to the homeless and their bull shit signs. Most of the time they claimed to wish you a good day or to just be hungry but try to hand them anything but cold hard cash and they'll shout profanity at you for a good long hour. Perhaps here in a state that looks like no one chooses to be there, the man really is just hungry. This place is plain and boring and dull, and maybe a man who claims to be hungry and wishes God to bless those who help him really is all he says he is.
CLICK! The pump shut off when the car was full, totaling $38.96 in gas. Odd that his car usually took 45 dollars to fill up even at the cheapest of gas stations. The prices here were not much higher than back home, and yet he came up short. If that wasn't a sign that he should feed this man than Keith wasn't sure what was. He put the hose back in the holster, finished his transaction and moved in car into a parking spot near enough to the man that he could shout and close enough to the restaurant that he could get there first. The homeless did not pay him a second look at first until Keith spoke up in a voice that was two deep for a thin 25 year old.
"Sir! Excuse me?" He said to him and their eyes locked for a moment. "Can I buy you lunch?" he asked earnestly as the man's eyes grew wide in disbelief. Keith could only imagine the surprise he must be feeling, the joy of experiencing a hot meal again, or for the first time, and how appreciative he must feel.
"Thank you son," said the man, not taking a step towards him, "But a family passing through from Pittsburgh bought me breakfast only about an hour ago. I'm still full." And he went back to holding his hungry sign.
Keith, unable to believe his ears, stared at the man and his sign, his now false sign. Instead of a meal, he got his usual cup of coffee and bag of chips and headed back on the road again for NYC. Perhaps the lesson was good things come to those who wait, or it was that if you live in a small enough town someone is bound to pass through not knowing your story.
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