Miss Carol
Frank's place. This is what everyone on the street calls the homeless shelter where i volunteer. i have never met this alleged Frank, nor will i ever. It's funny how a name from over 15 years ago will stick, even when the official name was changed over 7 years ago to New Visions.
Everymorning when i arrive at the shelter, I get a big hug and usually a small, harmless, personal attack from Miss Carol( this is how i know i'm on her good side... i don't think she has a bad side though...). She is the saint who makes everything run at Frank's place. She has dedicated the past 14 years of her life to the poor, the elderly, the widows and the children of Camden through her ministry. She only sits to eat breakfast, "i don't sit down, because my feet will swell up if i do." she walks around and talks trash with the homeless folks, "just so they know i care" she will say. She will bring candy and toys to young children "i give children anything they want, because it is not their fault they are here." she carries the weight of people very high on her shoulders.
the other morning we arrived a bit early and sat with Miss Carol as she was eating breakfast. She also takes alot of pills for diabetes, high blood pressure, and many others for various health issues. She sat there toying with her various pills. We began to hear a story about one of miss Carol's favorite Homeless men. His name was Bishop, and "he was a horrible man." she describes. He used to do alot of Heroin, he stopped. He used to get with alot of women, he stopped. somewhere along the got HIV. He had been homeless for 22 years. Miss Carol said that he got drugs for HIV for free from a nearby homeless outreach center, She would sit there with him every morning and make him take the pills.
as she sat there, she picked up the first pill and said, " Bishop would tell me how these pills, (holding a gel-cap) would stick to your throat. He would tell me that these pills ( holding up those huge horse-sized uncoated pills) would choke you before you could swallow them.
She told us how he used to hate taking them, and would hide them, and then someone would snitch that he had hidden them, and Miss Carol would "confront" him and make him take the pills. She said one day, after year of taking the medication, he said he was done. "Bishop just stopped taking them, three days later, he went to bed and didn't wake up." She didn't say anything else for a long time as she began to take the pills
finally she looked at us with watery eyes and said "I think of Bishop every morning because of these little things." and took the last one.
there are some moments that alter the courses of our varied lives.
Everymorning when i arrive at the shelter, I get a big hug and usually a small, harmless, personal attack from Miss Carol( this is how i know i'm on her good side... i don't think she has a bad side though...). She is the saint who makes everything run at Frank's place. She has dedicated the past 14 years of her life to the poor, the elderly, the widows and the children of Camden through her ministry. She only sits to eat breakfast, "i don't sit down, because my feet will swell up if i do." she walks around and talks trash with the homeless folks, "just so they know i care" she will say. She will bring candy and toys to young children "i give children anything they want, because it is not their fault they are here." she carries the weight of people very high on her shoulders.
the other morning we arrived a bit early and sat with Miss Carol as she was eating breakfast. She also takes alot of pills for diabetes, high blood pressure, and many others for various health issues. She sat there toying with her various pills. We began to hear a story about one of miss Carol's favorite Homeless men. His name was Bishop, and "he was a horrible man." she describes. He used to do alot of Heroin, he stopped. He used to get with alot of women, he stopped. somewhere along the got HIV. He had been homeless for 22 years. Miss Carol said that he got drugs for HIV for free from a nearby homeless outreach center, She would sit there with him every morning and make him take the pills.
as she sat there, she picked up the first pill and said, " Bishop would tell me how these pills, (holding a gel-cap) would stick to your throat. He would tell me that these pills ( holding up those huge horse-sized uncoated pills) would choke you before you could swallow them.
She told us how he used to hate taking them, and would hide them, and then someone would snitch that he had hidden them, and Miss Carol would "confront" him and make him take the pills. She said one day, after year of taking the medication, he said he was done. "Bishop just stopped taking them, three days later, he went to bed and didn't wake up." She didn't say anything else for a long time as she began to take the pills
finally she looked at us with watery eyes and said "I think of Bishop every morning because of these little things." and took the last one.
there are some moments that alter the courses of our varied lives.
posted by willyinphillie at 8:26 AM
2 Comments:
i love reading your stories.
I love your stories and getting your letters. I am always touched and smiling when I finish them. God is Good!!! I'd also love to see your corn-rowed beard. Yes, we have redone the house and yes, Carl's english bulldog, Mac, is working very hard to make everything new look old and chewed up. God's Blessings, Val
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