Harbinger: A Journal of Art & Literature | 2018-2019

“Ed?” the man leaned forward to catch Eddie’s eyes. He offered a dollar bill from one hand.
Eddie smiled, shaking his head. “Sorry.” He took the money. “Thanks, as always.” Now
he had enough for dinner. But Stella first. Eddie glanced over his shoulder again, looking to
where she had run off this morning.
“Everything else going okay?” the man asked, taking a sip from his coffee.
“Don’t have much going. So yeah, we’re fine,” Eddie said, scratching the back of his neck.
Eddie appreciated the man’s help, but he always felt a sort of benevolence in the way he spoke,
like he was teaching a foreign kid to speak English. Maybe Eddie was just being defensive. Or
maybe he knew how many people saw the homeless as lost children, and they all thought they
could become Mother Goose and earn some good karma to share with their hot yoga group
on Saturday.
“So where’s the pretty girl?” the man asked, checking his watch as if this conversation was
just another obligation to carry out, but he never lost that artificially white smile.
“Hm? Oh, Stella.” Eddie nodded. “She went out this morning for something. Not sure
what. She drives me crazy sometimes.”
“I can drink to that,” the man said with a laugh then took a drink. “Hey man, I bet it’s
rough out here sometimes, but at least she’s the only thing you have to worry about.”
Eddie opened his mouth to respond, then stopped. He didn’t know how to respond. He
thought he should have felt insulted, as if this man knew anything about the struggles Eddie
dealt with. Did he think Eddie chose to live this way? Did he think Eddie had never lived a
similar life to his own? —the job, the house, the money. Maybe Eddie didn’t look the part,
but he was human. And he had plenty of things to worry about.
Eddie smiled. “Yeah, she’s a handful.”
The man returned a smile, tilting his head back for another drink. “Well that’s all the time
for me today, Ed. Take it easy, pal.” The man slapped Eddie on the shoulder and bounced
down the sidewalk, switching his focus to his Blackberry as easy as turning off a light.
Eddie watched the man leave, looked down at the dollar bill in his hand, and stuffed the
money into his pocket. He also stuffed away the short interaction, pushing it to the back of
his mind before it could boil over and ruin his mood. Instead, he thought of Stella and turned
around to wait for her return.
Eddie grew more worried as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky. He watched the
street corner where Stella had disappeared this morning, twiddling his thumbs and rocking
back and forth on his heels. It was getting darker. Eddie bit down on his bottom lip and
pushed away the thoughts of shadowed alleys and suspicious loiterers. Then he heard a jingle.
Eddie shot to his feet, losing all concern for his precious cup of change as he walked towards
the street corner. A few seconds later, Stella came cantering around the corner, her tongue
flopping with satisfied panting, and her tail wagging just the same. Eddie smiled, dropped to
his knees, and embraced his favorite person in the world, the only thing he needed in life.