My Heart’s Last Pieces

He remained a few paces behind as they traveled down the frozen cobblestone path. Before this day the man had assumed he was the only inhabitant of the run down freight station. Perhaps assuming something before learning all the facts was incredibly civilian especially for a veteran.

He pondered over his thoughts as he continued to follow in the womans tiny footsteps. He watched as she climbed up from the edge of the cobblestone up onto the broken platform. For someone who appeared to be sick she was very agile.

The young woman glanced back at him for a split second before heading in the opposite direction of his homestead. He took a shaky breath before placing a partially frozen hand on top of a precariously stacked rotten wood beam. A few seconds later he stood on the broken concrete platform. The aging gentleman took a look around and simply shrugged his shoulders as the young beautiful woman was nowhere in sight. He reached down and picked up his old wooden cane before turning down a narrow path of concrete toward the far right end of the walk.

As he limped from the cold, pain, and old age a beautiful mass of golden red curls peaked out from behind one of the graffiti ridden concrete pillars. She watched him from a distance as he opened a rusted heavy iron door allowing her to see into his life; he had been on the street for several years judging from the way he moved and the decent enough collection of things he had acquired.

She watched him bend down low to peel away his worn out black boots before placing them inside the entryway and stepping onto a warm looking shag rug. He glanced back over his shoulder and the woman ducked behind the pillar. When she looked up again he had already pulled the iron door closed behind him. She sighed as she turned away and opened her makeshift wooden entryway. As she moved into her small enclosed space one thought stuck in her mind, the elderly man had been able to understand her.

She closed the door by sliding a half rotten wooden pallet in front of the driftwood and sat down gently on top of several heavy comforters before carefully peeling off her own worn out shoes. If she was careful about it maybe there was a way she could trust someone again.