While sitting alone in a cafe after being fired, a nurse finds company in a homeless man. The next day, Olima arrives to pick her up, and she has no idea her life will never be the same again. Lorraine was dumb, she really was. She tried everything she could to survive her job, and it reached a point where she couldn’t bear her arrogant boss anymore, so she told him what a jerk he was. That resulted in her being fired, and she was now worried about how she’d manage her bills since she’d been living paycheck to paycheck for quite some time. I know it’s tough, but I had no choice. She reminded herself as she sat in a New York cafe, regretting her situation. Lorraine’s workplace was a few buildings away, and she frequently went there after work. Outside, there were straw chairs and round glass tables, each meticulously furnished with a vase of flowers in a magazine. But Lorraine was too distracted that day to see how elegant it looked or enjoy the hot espresso in front of her, which had gone cold long ago. She worried about what she would do now and the whole nerve racking process she’d have to go through to find a new job.
Suddenly, a weak voice interrupted her thoughts.
Please excuse me, miss. Do you mind if I have the rest of your coffee, if you’re not drinking it?
I’m feeling a little under the cold weather, the voice said.
What?
Lorraine suddenly looked up and noticed a disheveled man in front of her. By his appearance, it didn’t take her long to realize he was homeless.
Coffee? She asked confused.
The man noticed Lorraine seemed lost, so he repeated himself.
Yes, the coffee. Can I have it?
He asked, pointing.
At it. Yeah, sure. I mean, I wasn’t going to have it anyway.
She replied, offering it to him.
Please join me.
The man nodded gently as he took a seat.
It’s excellent, but it would have been even.
Better if it’d been hot, he said, taking a sip.
Thank you for letting me have it. My name’s Jeffrey. Lorraine Simpson, No worries, Jeffrey.
She replied. If you don’t mind, Jeffrey said, settling down the cup.
I can see something’s bothering you. Not that I have.
The right to.
Meddle in your affairs, but if sharing it with me makes you feel better, I’m all ears. Just saying.
Lorraine smiled a little.
That’s actually really generous of you, Jeffrey. Thank you for asking. Honestly, I feel horrible because I lost my job. I’m a nurse. My boss was creating trouble at work, so I lost my calm and yelled at him. In retaliation, he fired me, and now I’m at a loss for what to do. I’ve been having financial problems, and lately that’s all there is to it. Getting fired feels horrible in a life with no money, even worse.
She cried, shaking her head, and immediately regretted it as she glanced at Jeffrey, who had it even worse.
Sorry, I think I overshared. I’m sorry if I offended you.
No, no, you didn’t, Jeffrey replied, waving his hands.
It’s all right. I hope you.
Feel better now that you’ve gotten it out of your system.
Very much, thank you. Let me get you.
Something to eat. She offered, suddenly feeling grateful to Jeffrey for his thoughtfulness. She ordered a tuna sandwich for him and a fresh batch of two cups of coffee, although she knew it would drink her pocket more. As the two talked over coffee, Lorraine felt her heart free up of all the worries for a while. During their conversation, Jeffrey laughed and said, If I were.
Your boss, I’d come to you in a limo and hire you in my medical center, or whatever they call it. I’d be delighted to have you on my team. How could someone fire you?
Lorraine blushed.
That was all I needed to hear today. Thank you, Jeffrey. I feel really good after speaking with you.
After finishing their coffee, Jeffrey offered to walk Lorraine home. Lorraine agreed, and while they were walking, she noticed Jeffrey would always be behind her at a considerable distance. She pointed that out and his cheek flushed.
You see, I’m a homeless man, he said. If people notice us walking.
Together.
They might not see it in the right light. Dral, I’m a filthy scuffy man.
Lorraine smiled, shaking her head and held his hand.
I don’t care what others think, she said.
To me, you’re a kindhearted man who made me feel better by listening to my worries.
Your appearance and status are the least that matters, Jeffrey. You shouldn’t let people judge you like that. You deserve to be respected, all right?
Jeffrey nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. As they reached her home, Lorraine offered Jeffrey to spend the night at her house and sleep in the guest room. But he refused, saying he didn’t want to trouble her unnecessarily. Instead, he thanked her and and left. He’s such a kind soul, Lorraine thought as she saw him walk away.
I should have asked him about his worries too. How could I be so self centered? I hope we meet again, Jeffrey. I really do.
That night, her fears crept back into her head as she sat at home alone. She couldn’t shake the fact that she was jobless and cried herself to sleep due to all the anxiety and worry. The next morning, she woke up to the sound of her doorbell. She hurriedly threw on a sweater and rushed to answer the door. She opened the door and found a man in a suit standing in her doorway and a limo parked outside her house. Good morning, man, said the man. My name’s Stewart and I’ll be your valet for the day. My boss is looking forward to seeing you. Lorraine looked at him from head to toe and side.
And I guess you’re at the wrong address, Mr. Stewart.
I’m afraid I’m not, ma’am, he said. Aren’t you, Lorraine Simpson? At this point, Lorraine was utterly confused. She clearly didn’t know anyone who would send a limo to pick her up, but she wanted to get to the bottom of this, so she got ready quickly and decided to go with the man. Fearing the worst, she had 911 typed on her phone and it was only a click away. What was the when the car pulled up at one of the town’s most prestigious medical clinics and she met the owner, she knew it wasn’t necessary. Stewart worked for none other than Jeffrey. How different and elegant Jeffrey looked in his suit, she thought, as Stewart opened the car door for her and she got down. Jeffrey explained he was a psychologist who disguised as a homeless man as part of a sociological experiment for his research. When he met Lorraine, he saw the fire in her eyes and decided to hire her. People know who I am, he explained. You see, fame has.
Its drawbacks.
If I approached them as a doctor, they wouldn’t be honest with me and my experiment would fail so this was the only option. He offered Lorraine a job and hired her. Lorraine was beyond grateful to him and couldn’t believe how well things unfolded for her. But then they say that kindness never goes unrewarded. Perhaps this was the world’s way of rewarding the kindness Lorraine showed to a homeless man.
