How I Got the Man to Smile

     He sat in that chair for a week, looking out the window. I mean, he ate, sometimes he would talk, but he was very introverted. He didn't actually tell me the details of the fight on the train. But whenever a train passed through town, I could see him shudder. He'd pull the blanket around himself a little tighter. He was a little bit traumatized. He and Otis got along very well. It seemed like Allen didn't wat to interact with people very much, but otis stayed with him, and they enjoyed each other's company. I guess I have this way about me, bringing in strays.

     I made soup on the second sunday Allen was with me. It's funny the details that stick out, but it was definitely soup. It's very comforting, soup and bread, which is why I made it. I was going to ask Allen about his plans, and I wanted him to feel comfortable. He was hunched over his bowl, dipping the crust of his bread into the broth, and taking large bites from it. That's when I asked him what his next step was. He sighed, and lowered his head. His scraggly hair hung into his bowl of soup, and I realized that comfort food was not going to be enough. He was really broken. Next step was wine. That always makes the truth come out. At least for me, anyway.

     We spent a lot of time together in silence. It was so comfortable, being silent around him. Most times I feel like I have to say something to fill the air, because if there's no sound, then the room feels empty. But with Allen, we never had to talk to make the room feel full and warm. He and otis would sit and read, and I'd browse the internet, and it was just good.

     It was the next friday when I tried wine. I came home from the bakery at about six, and brought food and booze with me. Otis was very excited, of course, because whenever I pick up dinner, I grab him something extra. I told allen we were having a movie night, and he seemed relieved to have something to do. The normalcy of it really warmed him, I think. I got him beer, and got myself a bottle of something white, and we started watching movies. The first thing I did was help him out of his wheelchair, and put him on the couch, which was the first time, besides showers, he had left the chair. We watched two movies, sitting on the couch, dog on the rug, glasses in hand.  He fell asleep, so I gave him a little shake, and he sat bolt upright, ready to defend himself. He saw it was me, and immediately relaxed. He was scary like that sometimes, but it got better with time. Finally, two movies, three hours, half a bottle of wine, and a six-pack of beers later, we let the credits run out. We were close together on the couch, and he was almost smiling, which I hadn't really seen him do the whole time he had been with me. Two weeks without a smile is very sad.