The Traveler

The day had been filled with the sultry heat of summer. The weary traveler had looked in vain for a building with air conditioning to relieve the heat and allow him to rest in comfort. No one would allow him to stay inside, his physical appearance made them uneasy. Not that he was poorly dressed; his clothing was just worn from the constant traveling that was now his life. The backpacks that contained all of his possessions were worn and dirty. The heat and humidity was so thick, he removed his shirt in an effort to cool down. As he stretched out on the pavement, leaning against one of the backpacks, he began to contemplate his life. It had not always been this way. Once, life had been full of hope and prosperity. One day was all it took to completely change his life forever.
Two years ago, he was living in comfort. Home was a beautiful two-story white plantation style house with well manicured lawns and perfect gardens. His position in the banking industry was secure and his financial situation was flourishing. His wife and young son were his focus when he was not working. Unfortunately, work often consumed most of his time, with his family functioning quite well without his presence. His wife often traveled to foreign places with his son to both enjoy for enjoyment and education as part of the home schooling program his son was involved in. Missing birthdays and other events in his son's life was now expected; no one expected him to be present, even on holidays. His family had become immune to his absences and carried out holidays, ball games, and birthdays without even missing his presence.
Most nights, he stayed at the office until 2 or 3 am and slept on the couch in his office. A closet full of clothes kept him dressed for work on the days when he had spent all night in the office. His secretary kept his wardrobe dry-cleaned and fresh; this was an understanding between them and he compensated her for the extra work monetarily. Most mornings, his meetings began at early and never ended until he fell asleep at his desk in the early morning hours. Meals were grabbed whenever he could grab a sandwich and cup of coffee. As vice-president of a large banking firm, the job was demanding and stressful. Often, travel was involved in order to finalize transactions and business deals. First Class was the only way he traveled, nothing but the best was acceptable.
One morning in April, his life changed drastically. The morning meeting began normally enough; however, the president of the financial company seemed very nervous. Around 10:00 am, the meeting was interrupted when federal officials entered the room. Shock and fear were evident on the faces of employees. Silence filled the room. It seemed as if hours passed before the president began to speak to the group. It seems that the visit was expected by a select group of the company's officials; what was not expected was the presence of police officers. It was the beginning of a sweep by the federal government to clean up the financial industry. The destruction of life as he knew it.
He remembered the stunned feeling and shock that overtook him as federal officials announced the arrest of the president and some of his partners. Unable to comprehend the depth of the damage done by his superiors, disbelief took over. As the president apologized to the group, realization of the seriousness of the situation began to become evident. Around the conference table, faces reflected the gravity of the situation and the changes to their lives that would begin to take place. As the president and his partners were led away in handcuffs, the stunned CEOs began to murmur among themselves. Nothing was ever the same again.
His wife left him and took his son. The house was sold, cars repossessed; all his worldly possessions were stripped from him in the aftermath of the divorce and loss of employment. Penniless and jobless, the street was the only place he could call home. Blame for the divorce and the madness that followed was place on him, even his family deserted him. For two years now, the streets had been his home. Traveling from city to city in search of work, desperation took over. Many days, hunger was his constant companion. Because of the damage done to his reputation, loss of his home and family; employment was denied him. Many excuses were given; nothing could take away the pain of his losses. Now, in this hot, humid southern town, he must make a decision.
Life was not worth living in his eyes. You could see it in his demeanor; he was close to giving up. As he lay on the hot sidewalk that morning in July, the thought of continuing to live in this fashion was not an option. People walking by looked at him with disgust. To them, he was just another bum who does not want to work and is taking up space and wasting their tax money. Suddenly, he noticed the shadow of a man standing in front of him. At first, he thought he was going to be arrested for vagrancy, and then he noticed the clothing and demeanor of the man. Kindly eyes looked deep into his. A gentle smile caressed the gentleman's lips and a feeling of warmth emanated from him. Even before the man spoke, he knew. He knew that his time of being a lost soul was over. "You look like you could use a good meal and a comfortable bed," the man said. "I run the local rescue mission in town, I am in need of someone to help me organize and run the daily operations. Are you interested in the job?"
Stunned, he nodded. As he followed the man to the mission located down the block, he realized that his life was going to change. His guardian angel had led him to this town because this would be the start of a new life, a life where he could be a useful member of society again. He smiled.