City life 1

    I was waiting for my street car at the usual stop, and was staring in surprise at the tableau in front of me. It was like a movie still whose narrative I knew, nevertheless it felt shockingly intriguing... A rerun, but what was going to be the end this time...?

    Right across the street-- in my tableau,-- it was The Good Samaritan Hospital. On the cement near the sidewalk, at the bottom of the main portal where the Emergency Entrance stood imposing, there were a yellow comforter and other bedding items, all spread in a messy manner; a smear of color though in a grey landscape. I could easily distinguish the form of an adult human body partially covered with those blankets. I had a view of the behind area of the body, which was also the one that was not covered. 

    I could see that the person was wearing a diaper, and judging the bare bony hip, I reasoned it was a male. He was curved mimicking the womb position, and was moving from time to time as if in an attempt to find more confort. But I sensed  a quivering in his movement... A few passersby came in and left from my tableau, while they threw a few glances towards the apparently sleeping man.

    Although the general scene seemed quiet, I felt urged to do something to change it. Technically, I had the power to do so, but found myselft powerless however. Eventually, I was about to enter the hospital to tell somebody about the man outside. Right at that moment my street car arrived, so I stepped in hesitantly when it stopped. It was the easy way far from a disturbing tableau... Comfortably in my seat, I rationalized: maybe the man had just been discharged from the hospital and he wanted to linger in there... 

    The scene was in the middle of one of the trendiest cities on the West Coast. Homeless people here are too many, paradoxically. As they can no longer keep up with life's rules, and even those of provided shelters, they prefer to live on the streets, where there are none for them; no pressure, no time... just a minimal struggle to survive... It becomes a normality to see them sleeping on the streets... Why react to normality...?

    After all, I was just another passerby, cold as that winter day, busy with my shopping list, one who lives by the rules...


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