She worked at the Diner around the corner, waiting tables and selling her homemade pies. It didn’t pay much but at least she was allowed to sell her pies. She dreamt of having her own shop where she could sell her variety or pies, pies for every emotion. But all this changed when she had the greatest gift she had ever received, her daughter.
She had to marry him, she didn’t want a daughter being born without a father’s name, she didn’t want her daughter being born a bastard. The initial honeymoon period was good, he was good to them. But then the truth reared its ugly head, he had a drinking problem and was abusive to her when drunk. She wanted to get out of this situation but didn’t have the courage to do so. He put a roof over their head and took care then, gave them security. He was good them when he was sober, but another creature when drunk. It was like living with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. No matter what, she couldn’t leave for her daughters sake.
He used to busk in the park, near the bus stop where she took her bus home. He was elderly, ravaged by weather and by life, and the toll that it had taken on him. He was homeless, without a soul to support him or be supported by him. He had no one to call his own. He played a fine tune and tried to earn a bit from the music he played. She often used to take her lunch in the park just to listen to him. It was one of the high points of her day when she could forget about her cares and get lost in.
He came to the diner every morning for his coffee, the only thing he could afford. Fumbling through the change which he had earners from his busking, much to the annoyance of the other waitresses who unfortunately waited on him (and also they knew they were not going to get any tips). So she took It upon herself, at times slipping him a slice of pie, which was on her. As much as she liked listening to his music, she loved listening to him, and his life’s story (which he had plenty).
She learned that he had lost his family in an accident and that it slowly lead him to depression and homelessness, and now he was trying to piece together his broken life. He had very often advised her to leave her husband and start life a new, but she argued that she wouldn’t be able to start a life a new, it was something she didn’t want her daughter to go through what she had gone through, she wanted her to have a good life.
One day, after his drinking binges, and his abuse that has left her battered and bruised with marks all over her body, she sat there on the park bench weeping, wanting to end it all, cause she was not sure if she could take it any longer, she couldn’t take it any longer. She wasn’t thinking very clearly. He noticed her weeping and saw the marks on her body. He slowly played her a tune, one he had never played before that acted as a soothing balm, calming her down, clearing her clouded mind, reminding her the reason to live, her daughter, her dream. In a way saving her life.
From that day on that song became hers. Whenever she was troubled, she thought about it and it calmed her down. Whenever she was troubled he played it for her. She slipped slices of pies and goodies she knew he couldn’t afford, she paid for out of her own pocket. They were two lost souls who found each other, who found a way to help each other.
Months went by and suddenly he stopped coming to the diner. She didn’t see him busking at his usual spot. She enquired around if anyone has seen him, no one had any information about him, no one really knew where he lived or where he was. It was strange, it felt like he disappeared from the face of the earth.
After weeks and weeks of searching, she finally gave up, resigning to the fact she would never see him again, he must have moved on to different city. Then one day when she came to the diner, she found an envelope with her name, waiting for her on the counter. As she read each line of that letter her heart sank and then rose. Tears streamed though her eyes. He had recently passed away, and in the envelope was a cheque. This was a money that he has saved for his daughter, the money that he had no use of. He saw his daughter in her, and hoped that with this small amount she could start her life all over again, she could escape and give her daughter the life she deserved. Holding that envelope close to her heart she cried, cause once more he saved her life and brought her hope.
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