Waste not - I

My friend and I went to lunch together. This was a long time ago. We worked at this Leasing Company, downtown, at the city where I came from. A city with a population of two and a half million people, at the time.

We had two hours lunch! Horrible working schedule they had. I know.

Anyway, my friend and I went to this restaurant, not far from the office, close to a park. It was a simple place, with wide, really wide open doors to the sidewalk, tables spread along the walls, and a long counter in the center in the shape of an U.

It was rainning. A soft, gentle rain that had been falling for a couple of days. That made the day a little chilly, and dark.

We were awaiting for our food, when I saw something. I still cannot forget that image.

Right in the center of that door I saw the silhouette of a child. Because of the darkness of the day, and the place where the child was,  I could only see the silhouette. Skinny legs, sticking out of something too bulky that I could not figure what it was. Small bare feet on the sidewalk.

The child was standing there, in the rain, staring inside the restaurant.

I watched it for a while, trying to understand what was going on. Which was not difficult... I got up and went there.

Then I really saw her. A little girl, eight years old perhaps, light skin and greenish eyes, wearing an old, wornout man's jacket as a dress. It was actually wrapped around her thin little body, reaching below her knees, and her arms were holding it closed. Her long hair was soaking wet, tied on a low pony tail. She had no shoes. Little dirty feet.

And she was cold. She was shivering, as the drops of rain ran down on her face. She lifted her eyes and looked at me. She did not say a word, just looked at me, straight in the eyes.

- Hello, I said.
- Hello.
- You are hungry, right? (She could have been waiting for someone... who knows?)
- Yes, ma'am.
- OK. Lets do something. But, first of all, you are going to move over there, on the side of the door, where it is not raining. Will you?
- Yes, ma'am.

And we moved together under the eve.

- Do you have left overs? For me? She asked.
- No, but I will have something for you. You have to wait here, and I will come back and bring you food. You know that the restaurant people could "shoo" you away, if they got upset. Don't you?
- Yes, they've done it already today. But I came back.

Hold on to your heart, Miriam. Hold your tears down, life is like this. Life can suck cannal water!

- It will take a moment, but do NOT go away. You promise me?
- Yes! I promise!!

She smiled. I felt like crying.

I went inside, to the counter, and ordered the Special of the day to go. The containers "to go" back in my country were quite large.

I cannot remember what the meal was anymore. Probably something composed of the usual rice, beans, meat, potatoes, a hot vegetable and a salad. All included, a heavy and warm meal for a hungry little girl. Probably even too much for her. And I asked for a plastic fork and spoon, plus a large glass (Styrofoam) of orange juice, with a lid.

As I came outside carrying the food, she stood up. Still grabbing her "dress" across that little body. She again looked at me, eye to eye, straight forward and direct. She glimpsed at the "to go" container, very quickly, and set her eyes into mine again.

No words. Just that unforgetable precious look in her eyes.

Oh, little girl... I will remember your eyes until the day I die!

I gave her the food. She used the long sleeves of that coat to pad her little hands, so she could carry the warm container. The juice, I put in the curve of her arm.

And we stood there for a few seconds. I asked her if it was OK for her to carry it, and she said yes. I told her to be careful and said "tchau" (meaning "goodbye").

She looked at me again and said, in a whisper:

- Deus lhe pague. ("May God pay you in return") And she left.

By this time, my friend had joined me. And we stood there, looking at her little figure crossing the wet road, towards a large wood wheel cart that was hidden under some trees at the the park.

We decided to check what she was going to do.

She got to the cart and put the food on the ground. Then she bent over the cart, her little butt sticking up, and her legs kind of dangling. She did something and all of a sudden, OH - MY - LORD !!  A little boy, a toddler, surfaces from there. Standing up, he was too small to get out of that cart by himself.

We could not hear them but saw her direct him to get something from that cart. He moved here and there, she pointed, he got something and then, stretched his arms for her to pick him up. She then placed him on the grass, and they both squatted around the container of food.

The little girl had him get a plastic plate and a tin can, so she could split the food with him. And juice. She gave him the spoon, after serving his plate.

The rain was still falling... thin, mild, softly.

And the city ceased to exist. And there was no noise anymore. There was no traffic. There were no people all around us. There was no smell of food from the restaurant.

Just those two little souls enjoying their warm lunch.


I cannot accept, or understand, waste of food. Can you guess why?

Love ya!