Encountering Jamie

Encountering Jamie

 On the way to my Roundelay Choir rehearsal this evening I called in on a local Sainsburys for a packet of Lockets. Outside the door was homeless man. I already decided, for some reason, to give him a quid when I came out. He assumed that my lack of response to him on the way in was negative but he said something pleasant to me anyway.

I came out and gave him a quid. He thanked me and said that he now had enough money to go to the hostel that night and began to gather up his meagre belongings. For some reason I lingered. He told me he was 50 and I said he didn’t look it. He then said he would die soon. I queried this and he replied that if you haven’t achieved things by the time you are 50… I challenged this and said that people with a few months to live could still achieve things. He thanked me for this and offered a handshake which I accepted and told me his name was Jamie. We then said goodbye. There was something about this that I found moving and I think he did too.