See the man with the lonely eyes?

Just take his hand, you’ll be surprised!

– Supertramp, “Give A Little Bit”

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When Gregory House Elementary School ended at two-thirty-five, Liam sped from class to beat the crowds of students going home. He intended to go home too, yes, but his primary objective was far more interesting than merely returning to his dwelling place. The corner between 5th Street and Harmon Boulevard was the niche of the most pitiable homeless man in all of Antiman, Oklahoma, and Liam was absolutely enthralled by him. The reason why Liam raced out of school every day was to finally see the man come to his roost; but Liam was always too late. Somehow, the hobo always beat him there.

All was well though, as this enhanced the mystique surrounding the ragged man. One day, Liam planned on approaching the poor man and offering his sympathies, perhaps even making a friend; because the tramp looked so incredibly lonely. One could see it behind his blue eyes, the loneliness and sadness. This was a man without a home, without a family, without a friend.

After a good while of ogling the vagabond, Liam hopped and skipped his way home, imagining every conceivable story. In one, the tramp was the villain – a drug-abusing wife-beater, booted by his family, spat on by everyone that he had loved, no one giving him a second chance. In another, he was a lost king or prince of a country whose name was impossible to pronounce, like Tajikistan or Czechoslovakia, and his daughters had betrayed him, taken his crown, and had him exiled – or even better, had attempted regicide! The prince escaped and was plotting vengeance in the streets of Liam’s humble hometown.

Liam preferred the latter story.

He was nearly home, having passed the familiar landmark that told him so (a lamp post where were posted missing persons posters). That night Liam dreamt of the tramp.

The following day at school was the longest day of Liam’s life. He had made a pact that morning with himself that he would finally approach the homeless man immediately when school ended. It was spring. School would be out in less than a month. He had to make his move now or never, because next year he would move up to middle school!

When school finally did end, Liam surprised his teacher and classmates by taking his time packing his book bag and departing class at a normal pace. He was mentally preparing himself for the encounter soon-to-come. The sun felt much too hot for spring, or was that just his bundle of nerves firing off all at once? He crossed the street, his goal in his eyes. Every step felt like it would be his last. Liam was suffocating in this shirt – would it be appropriate to take it off? He had never felt so nervous in his life. He idolized this hobo, and now the moment was coming when he would finally put a true story to the man. But did he prefer his myth? He almost stopped and turned back when the thought entered his mind. No, he had promised himself. To back out now would be the end.

The vagabond was no more than three feet in front of him. Liam cleared his throat to no effect. The homeless man, as if deaf, dumb and blind, did nothing.

“I-I thought you m-might want this.” Liam thrust his uneaten lunch at the feet of the tramp.

The tramp looked up, that despondent loneliness stuck unwaveringly in the recesses of his eyes. Liam was struck by the sudden urge to take the tramp’s hand in his. But his geniality withered when the grip grew firmer and yanked him closer, close enough to smell the stink of alcohol on the tramp’s breath and see every bristle of his unshaven chin. Another man, equally dirty, took Liam’s other hand. Liam was helpless to resist as they hauled him off into the dark alley where they had parked their van.