If you have ever watched the famous television series “Snowfall,” the show is a prime example of what greed does to you. The character Franklin Saint was just a guy who was in own enemy. He wanted everything to himself. He had no sad backstory or anything. It’s just a guy drowned in greed, leading to his downfall. This reminds me of an interaction I had.
I always used to see this homeless guy roaming around my area. Of course, you see people in your lifetime, and at the same time, you never see them again, but this is different.
Most of the time outside, I would see him picking up bottles to sell them or simply trying to survive.
Seventh grade in middle school is a blur. Not much that I remember, honestly, but I could tell you there was this one specific moment that I remember particularly.
I always had keys with me to get inside after school. My mother was a nurse at a private hospital then; she worked in Yonkers and would always come home later in the afternoon. There was no problem with that because she had keys to get inside and cut keys for me, so I never had a problem getting inside. But Thursday morning, I got on the MTA bus to head to school and realized I had left my keys at home. That sucked – I knew I was going to wait for her to let me in after school.
My school, M.S. 113 Richard R. Green Middle School, usually finished around 2:20. 2:20 hits and I got my phone call; when she answered, I told my mom I had left my keys in the house. She told me to wait for her by my neighbor Ms. Everlyn’s house till she came home. I could have hung out with my friends after school, but I was tired and did not want to do that. I took the bus home, and when I went to Ms. Everlyn’s house, I rang the doorbell and knocked, but there was no answer. My only option was to wait outside the home for someone living in our building to let me inside. My father worked till midnight, and my sister was in after school.
While waiting for someone to let me inside, I saw the homeless guy approaching my building. I had a bag, collecting bottles. I saw him but did not say anything. I think he is about to leave when he notices the pair of sneakers I wore. I had on the air Jordan 2s. The guy said he liked them, to which I responded, and he then sat down and started talking about his enjoyment of sneakers. When he was around my age, he used to get all the newest sneakers around his time. He had a love for Nike and Jordans specifically. From my observations, he was one of those types of people who liked to talk a lot. I can talk all day and not have any topics to run out of. Spoke about anything.
Plus, I was not bothered by it, as it seemed like he wanted to talk about shoes. “I stopped getting them, though,” the guy said. I asked why just out of curiosity. Guy told me he had been in prison for ten years before landing on his feet again. He explained that he could get all those sneakers and all the luxury things because he was involved in a gang. He got involved in a life of crime before everything came crashing down on him.
The guy got up and explained how he was arrested.
“Had problems with this person for a while. I walked up to him, took out my gun, and shot him. Right there. I walked up to the police after, told them, and gave them my hands for the handcuffs.”
He never told me about every little detail of what he was charged with exactly or anything else; it was just a random interaction where it went from him enjoying sneakers to the reason behind all of this. The guy telling the story was uneasy. The story fell over the top and was overreactive.
But it happened. He had everything and a support system; nobody was there for him when everything crashed. Being homeless is an awkward thing to deal with, and the circumstances that he was involved in were not at fault, but he had himself engaged in the wrong spot, leading to his taking his life. He kept talking for a little, then he left. I would see him around where I lived, here and there. I did not say anything to him, but I kept thinking that what happened to him was wild.
But the fact is, the number of people in this world who have downfalls makes you appreciate your own life more. I always have to make sure I do not let opportunities fly by. Make sure I do not mess myself up.
