HENRY
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He stood there waiting. They said they would be right back. So Henry stood there, with the vapid smile on his face. He wondered how much longer they would be. He completely trusted them. He believed they would be back. But they would not be coming back. For they abandoned the elderly man in the bustling shopping mall.
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It was actually to Henry's benefit he believed they would return for him. For his mind was eroding away. Ravaged by dementia. It meant he would be spared the pain of comprehending that someone he trusted would abandon him like this, so heartlessly.
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Henry had been passed around from relative to relative. As he got older his health problems exacerbated. He was becoming a burden to his family who had little use for a man who could no longer take care of himself, remember what day it was, or even his own name. And once his mental health issues became evident, the family talked openly about him. Often with Henry right there. They no longer wanted to deal with him.
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Finally tiring of standing for so long Henry shuffled over to a bench in the mall. He sat down gingerly. Old bones creaking as he did so. The hard bench provided little comfort. Henry watched as the waves of people walked by. They didn't even notice him. It was like he was merely a spectator. The world passed by him so fast, it just left him behind.
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Henry watched the droves of people pass by. Young men engaged in a nearly volatile debate about which quarterback was the best ever. Teenage girls walking absentmindedly with their cell phones held out in front of them. Parents and their half hearted attempts at warning their children not to run in the mall. Same sex couples holding hands. A conservative husband and wife walked by quietly, keeping to themselves. And yet no one paid any mind to Henry. Minutes passed by and turned into hours. He hadn't eaten since this morning. He needed to take his medication. And now the droves of people had withered down until only a person or two passed by. But then Henry saw someone who reminded him of himself.
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A young man dressed in military fatigues. He was tall, strong, and handsome. He was well mannered as he let an absentminded woman step in front of him. She offered only a quick and dismissive over the shoulder apology. But seeing this man took Henry back, way back. Henry had served in the military, the Marines. He engaged in many missions and assignments that dealt directly with humanitarian aid, often volunteering. Henry was always concerned with the less fortunate. Those that could not protect or fend for themselves.
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Henry was a handsome man himself in his younger days. Tall, muscular and proud. He at times could be a bit brash, but never offensively so. He exhumed a gregarious disposition that drew people to him. His warmth and kindness was sincere and indiscriminate. And no one noticed these traits about Henry more so than women. He was frequently sought after by them. They chased after him aggressively. Some fought viciously with one another. Some women tried to manipulate his kindness. There were loose women, and women that practically threw themselves at him. But Henry was a man of sturdy moral character. He would not fall for their damsel in distress ploys, or their vain attempts of seduction.
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But then there was Evelyn. He first saw her working at a mission after a hurricane had decimated the populace of an Island. She looked exhausted, and yet she continued to work diligently. Her long dark hair had fallen in spots from her cap. Her uniform was wrinkled and stained. The weariness in her voice was evident when she spoke. And yet despite all this she still exhumed a natural and internal beauty that shone through.
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Henry was there as part of a military operation to provide aid to the Island. He watched her struggle with a gurney. He rushed to her side to offer help. But Evelyn barely looked up. Instead she continued to focus on her work and appeared very frustrated. Henry implored her to slow down. He offered her some water and motioned for her to sit and rest for a moment. Reluctantly she did so. After Henry completed the task at hand. He sat next to her and started a brief conversation. It was a conversation that would forever change their lives. He listened to the sound of her voice more than what she said. He noticed her curious mannerisms and perfect olive skin. Henry was a man whose behavior was driven by a strict sense of logic. He had heard fools speak of love at first sight. But Henry dismissed this as wanton lust or a spell that enchants the young and emotionally immature. But Henry was experiencing something he never felt before. A sudden unexplained feeling had rushed into him. Invading his thoughts and taking a sudden hold of his emotions. It left him speechless and helpless. It was because of this women, this Evelyn. Now Henry mused, he was the fool.
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“Sir, Sir... Oh Sir. Excuse me Sir!” Henry finally snapped out of it. A security guard was standing directly in front of him. He was obese, and smelled of stale coffee. But his appearance was impeccable. His white shirt was crisp and clean. His hair well groomed , and his mustache perfectly trimmed. But dark circles under his eyes indicated he was in dire need of sleep. “We are closed now Sir. You have to leave.” Henry's response was a bewildered gaze. “Look Sir.” Began the security guard who was doing his best to maintain his limited patience. “We are closed now. I have to lock up. I have a lot of security checks to conduct. If you need help someone in the building across the street can help you. But I can't have you stay here.”
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The guard stepped back, giving Henry some room to stand up. He walked behind Henry as he directed him to the door. “Yes Sir, just walk right across the street other there and those nice people will help you out.” Henry shuffled outside and was immediately greeted by a frigid breeze. As the guard shut and locked the door he heard some unintelligible chatter on his radio.
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By the time Henry started walking he had already forgotten what the security guard had told him. And instead of heading across the street like the security guard had instructed him, he shuffled along absentmindedly in the opposite direction. His mind continued to wander off.
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He thought of Evelyn again. He remembered the day it happened. He was on base. Evelyn was providing humanitarian aid to poverty stricken people in South America. Unfortunately a gang of bandits overran their caravan. Stealing everything and massacring everyone. Life can be so grand at times. Handing you the greatest joys and deepest pleasures. But then in one fateful instant it can also ravage your life and crush your dreams. Without explanation, without remorse.
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Although Henry could have he never did remarry. Instead he chose to stay fateful to his late wife. He continued to live his life helping the poor and unfortunate. But he missed Evelyn deeply. And it showed in every aspect of his life. His smile was a little weaker. His laughter less hearty. His zeal for life weakened.
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It was already getting dark. The sun was barely peaking over the landscape. It's warm orange glow giving the false notion of warmth. Henry continued on as he wandered into a park and past a lifeless playground. It's swings that brought so much simple joy to squealing children during the summer swayed ever so slightly in the frigid winter air. Ice encrusted the low end of a teeter totter trapping it in the frozen earth. The sand in the sandbox was more ice than sand, it's crystals glistening in the fading sunlight.
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The cold continued to torment Henry. Exhausted he sat down on a bright green bench. He drew his sweater tightly around his weathered body, but it would do little to help. Henry was already succumbing to hypothermia. But once Henry sat down he heard something. It was so faint he could barely make it out. He listened intently. Mew, mew, mew.
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Henry looked under the bench and saw a tiny gray frail kitten. Her fur was sparse and matted. She had two green eyes, one was partially shut. She looked up at Henry somewhat startled, and continued to mew. Henry bent over to pick her up. A movement that under normal circumstances would cause him great pain. But as hypothermia burrowed deeper into his flesh the sensation of pain was less evident.
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He sat up with the kitten on his lap. She looked up at him, shivering from the cold. Henry somehow remembered he had a snack packet of tuna and crackers in his pocket. He pulled it out and it took some effort to get the wrapper off. The kitten immediately began pawing at Henry as he placed the packet on the bench for her to eat.
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He smiled at the kitten as she gobbled down the food. After she ate she climbed into his lap. She looked up at him shivering and mewing. Henry was well into his eighties. His once strong body was now frail and weak. His once sharp mind was now wasting away with age and disease. And yet he never lost his sense of compassionate. His genuine selflessness and concern for others. It never faded from his memory. It was the one thing that grew ever so strongly inside of him.
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Henry struggled to undue the buttons on his sweater. The use of his fingers was almost completely stolen away from him by arthritis. He finally managed to remove his sweater, his last piece of armor from the frigid winter night. He wrapped the kitten carefully up in his sweater. He looked down at her as she slept, purring contently. Only a tiny pink nose sticking upwards gave any indication she was nestled in there.
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But now the cruel ravages of hypothermia were in full force. Henry's breathing had slowed down and he felt sleepy. It wouldn't be long now. He stared straight a head into the empty darkness of the night. He felt the bitter sting of the cold subsiding. And then a short while later he felt nothing at all.
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And then something awakened Henry. He looked up and saw her, Evelyn. She stood before him smiling brilliantly. Henry had told her on their wedding day that this was the most beautiful she had ever been. But now she was even more beautiful, it took his breath away. She didn't say a word and she didn't need too. She extended her hand. Henry got up effortlessly. He took her hand. There was no more pain, no more sadness. The feelings of loneliness that had invaded Henry's emotions fell away. They walked together hand in hand. Henry had come home.
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