Al stammered,
“What do want me to do?” Close to being speechless, he continued, “I do want to
be faithful to what God wants from me. There is just so much I don’t understand.” Rose responded back, “There is a lot you will
never understand, at least not here. In a few minutes precious folks will begin
coming in. I am going to take care of them. They are going to have the most
fantastic meal in their memory. As they come in, I am going to tell you about
their lives. I want you to write it all down. And, don’t just write what you see
and hear. I want you to write what you sense.”
Al asked, “Can
you explain a little more to me? I’m supposed to try to find out what has been
going on around here. Gracie is expecting me to come back with a story or a
dead end.” Rose said, “I know this is confusing. Your story will come together,
but in a different way. As time goes by, you will understand the purpose of
your writing. And, I am going to help you see things that have been hidden. Kind
of like your camera on the ground.”
Rose got up from
the table and said to Al, “I’ll get you a cup of coffee and be right back. And,
by the way, in two minutes an elderly man by the name of Gene, is gonna be
coming in. When he does, I will be paying attention to him and what he wants. I
will come by and tell you about him. Make sure you’re ready to write down his
story. You do have your nice leather portfolio from Gracie, don’t you?” Al looked
at her nervously as if he didn’t know if he should smile or look worried.
Two minutes
later an elderly man pushed the front door open. He hesitated a moment, looking
around. His feet shuffled on the old linoleum as he made his way towards the
tables. Al noticed a few things right away. He looked like the world had been hard
on him for a long time. He wore a waist length brown corduroy coat. The stubble
on his face and the hair on his head was the same length. As he walked past, Al
noticed a skin condition on his chin and around his mouth. The way he puckered
and moved his lips told Al that the elderly guy was missing most, if not all of
his teeth.
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