I just came back from the Setagaya Library to borrow wedding magazines. While i was roaming the basement looking for wedding magazines, an old man sitting in one of the aisle chairs caught my eye. From the big shabby plastic bag beside him containing perhaps everything he owns, he was unmistakably a homuresu, or homeless. He was slim and already in his 60s. He was wearing clothes as shabby and dark as his bag but somehow he looked tidy and smelled cleaned. When I passed him, he was intently reading a book. Perhaps aware that his hands were dirty, he used a plastic bag to hold the book with both hands.
Wanting to get a closer look, I walked around the shelves near where he was seated. He sat with dignity and grace despite his sooty fingers. There is wisdom in his face.
On my way out, I wondered about the story of this old man's life? Does he go to the library everyday to read books? Because it sure didn't seem like he was just there for the shelter and warmth. For a homeless old man, he seemed to belong in the library, as if it was his home.
Ohh, he reminds me of Joe Pesci's character in With Honors. I hope the next time I visit the library, he would still be there. Maybe then I will have a chance to strike a conversation and hear his story. =)
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2 comments:
baka si dracula pala yun ng the historian hahaha!!
hahaha! i saw him again on his favorite corner of the room. nakakatuwa talaga.
ay babalikan ko sya after 50 years and if he still hasnt grown a year older by then, nasa Japan na si dracula.
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