Whatsoever You Do

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Shamed myself the other day.

It was blazing hot outside and after I visited a job I stopped at a 7/11 to grab some water.

On the way into the store I saw a black man, in a wheelchair, making a rather spirited move towards me and the front door.

He called out.

“Sir!”

I pretended I didn’t hear him.

The air conditioning blasted me and it felt great. I headed straight to the cooler and grabbed 3 bottles of water because they were on sale.

“Did you see Harry out there?” The clerk asked me.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Harry. Older black man in the wheelchair?”

“I guess,” I said.

“Today is his birthday. He’s a good guy. He probably just wanted to say ‘Hello.’”

I had assumed that he was going to beg for my change. I didn’t know how to answer the woman behind the counter, but I was going to at least tell Harry to have a ‘Happy Birthday.’

I opened the front door and Harry was right there. He was using a white towel to wipe sweat from his brow.

“Happy Birthday, Harry,” I said.

He laughed.

It was a great, booming laugh.

“Hot today,” he said. 

As he wiped his brow I noticed something.

He didn’t have any fingers.

On either hand.

“Hey, you want a water?” I asked.

Harry quickly accepted and I put the water in the cup holder in his wheel chair.

His legs stopped at the knee.

Stubs in his shorts.

“Thank you, kindly,” he said.

“It IS your birthday!” I answered, and I turned to head for my car.

“Sir!” He yelled, and then he burst out laughing again.

“What?” I called out.

“Turn it,” he said. “The water!”

I was lost.

“What?”

“I can’t open it,” Harry said, laughing again.

“Oh shit.”

We both laughed.

We were still laughing after I turned the cap, and then headed away.

When I was pulling away, I heard Harry singing ‘Happy Birthday to me.’

He laughed again.

What a great laugh!

I was ashamed that I had ignored him on the way in.

Hope he had a great day.

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