A Little Wind, A Little Rain...

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He's an old Southern black man with snowy white hair. A Vietnam Vet back in the day. His sister owns the property and decided to demolish the ramshackle trailer with leaking roof and rotting porch. Tear everything down on the acre, the trees the sheds that were falling down covered with vines. Her plan is to bring a single wide onto the property and rent it out.

Meanwhile he doesn't have anywhere to live now. That was the house he was living in with thirteen cats. He really is beautiful. There is a light that surrounds him and when he smiles it's like the sunlight. He's set up house in small metal shed his sister brought onto the property for storage. Very small shed. No windows. And now also there is a portapotty.

A storm tropical storm with gale force winds and lots and lots of rain came through the last two days. Power out everywhere. He came to my door like he always does when the power goes out. "Do you have a candle I can borrow." I'm the candle lady, obviously.

This time I said, "Why don't you buy some candles?"

His response, hemming and hawing and after a few false starts for a sentence, "I don't think. I can't remember. I go buy cat food and come back but I don't think to buy candles."

He's very funny. A conversation with him is like a 60's tv sit com. I can almost hear the canned laughter in the background.

"You're camped out in the storage shed? Were you in it during the big storm yesterday? Are you practicing to become a saint? Living with nothing?"

"They can't find the key and there's valuable stuff in there." Like that's a valid explanation about why he's living in an 8x10 storage shed.

I said, "Just see a little wind, a little rain and poof ...the power goes out and everyone's life is very different. We're back in the 1800's. It just goes to show how we take everything for granted.. running water, electric lights, but it's all temporary. It can all disappear. Temporary." Looking at him straight in the eyes, "Is there anything that isn't temporary?"

"Let me think about that," he said with seriously thoughtful look. "I'll definitely get back with you with the answer." As he started to walk away with his candle, turning back "I know something that's definitely not temporary."

"What?"

"Accidents. Accidents are definitely not temporary. They will always exist."

"I have to admit it was not at all what I was expecting. But now that I think about it, that's an amazing answer. You're very thoughtful."

"Yes, I had to go deep to find that one. And there is second place runner up for not temporary."

"What?"

"Litterbugs. There will always be people who throw their trash out the window as they drive."

Seriously. He's an amazing person. He's really quite beautiful. And very funny.

Last time he came for a candle he told me, "Ain't no way outta here, except death."