The Key (part 3)

Josh was in a quandary, he had no one he felt he could confide in about his thoughts of these last events that had thrown him for a loop!  The dog coming alive in his hands, then Mr Thornton jerking to life as he touched him on the gurney.  What was he to think of these occurrences?  Was it just coincidence or was it him, some strange power emanating from or through him?  It was a little frightening, though he was at the same time exhilarated by the thought.

His fright was that he might have become like King Midas, whose touch altered everything around him, but this feeling was quelled when he seemed to have no affect upon other office workers as he randomly shook hands or touched an arm.  What he found, though, was that the effects of having the card were not yet in full fruition.  

He was people watching, sitting on a bench in the park on Saturday morning, when a homeless woman who was pushing a grocery cart that must’ve contained her worldly goods moved slowly past him.  

He smiled at her and nodded, acknowledging her existence.  She stopped, smiled back and said 

“Thank you sir, few people actually ‘see’ me, most are embarrassed by me being here, I guess”.

“Come take a load off, sit here, and tell me your story” Josh astonished himself in saying. 

The woman took a seat on the bench next to Josh and spoke, “we moved here from Seattle, my husband and me, for a new job he took.  I haven’t found work due to severe arthritis”, Josh could see the displacement in her hands and the slowness in her walk, “then he up and dies before his insurance took effect, so I was left with little money, no kids to help and no one else to turn to here.  That was a year ago, I’ve been homeless for the last 6 months”.  “ Was Seattle home?” asked Josh.  “Yes,” she went on, “we had friends there and I had a job I could do that I loved, now this happened!”

Her name was Stella Andrews, her husband had been Carl.  She was 64, would be eligible for Medicare next year and was miserable being stuck here away from anyone she knew and living on the street.  Josh listened to Stella pour out her soul, then asked “would you be able to get your job back if you were home in Seattle?”  Stella thought for a moment, “I would expect to, I was good at my job, I was a sales clerk in our local department store for over 15 years and my manager was sad to see me leave, I was a good employee.”

“Do you remember the manager’s phone number,” asked Josh,”lets call them and see if there is an opening”.  “I have no money to get home to Seattle,” Stella retorted, “I should’ve thought of that when Carl died, but I grieved so at his death that I waited too long and the money was spent.”  Josh pulled out his cell phone and said, “what is the number, if they have a job for you, I will get you to Seattle”.

Stella had not been on the street long enough to have become completely cynical and this young man she was talking to was sincere, plus he had a slight amber glow about him and she felt safe and confident in his presence, she gave him the phone number and watched as he dialed, then handed her the phone.

“Baxley speaking” said the voice on the phone, to which Stella replied “ Mr Baxley, this is Stella Andrews”…..

Josh took Stella to the airport, escorted her to the counter and bought her a ticket to Seattle.  When he opened his wallet to get his credit card, he was amazed to find enough money to pay cash for the ticket and give Stella $1500 which would tide her til her first paycheck from her old job.

At security, Stella cried as she hugged Josh, whispered “thank you, my angel” and went through the scanner.  Josh could tell that she walked straighter and that her hands were no longer displaced or knuckles swollen.

The words rang in his mind, “Josh, might you help someone in need and would you do more if you could?”  

 

(there will be more)