Fiction Series

The Corner of Something and Nothing

Chapter 1 — Streetlight Souls

Authors Note: The short stories here are fiction and will be serialized in parts to form a larger work. They stand alone in themselves but will fit together under similar themes. Everything is from the author’s imagination and any similarities to persons living or dead or actual events are purely coincidental

The bird flew over the streetlight on fluttering wings. Or was it a butterfly? I can never tell anymore. Things weren’t always like this. I wasn’t always like this. I had a job and an apartment. Mind you, I wasn’t rich and nothing I had was fancy, but it was mine and I was comfortable and happy.

It wasn’t so long ago either. Or maybe it was. I can’t remember. I don’t really remember very much anymore. Except for my name, which is Eli! Oh, and my job and apartment. I worked as a garbage man. I liked it because it felt good to help keep the city clean, and it paid for my apartment and the things I needed. Riding around on that big truck all day and just getting to be outside was nice.

My apartment was nice too! It was in the basement of this old building right in downtown. It had a little kitchen and a bedroom so I could cook and sleep. It was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I enjoyed living there. Not like now.

I’m still a garbage man, just so you know. Only, I don’t put it in a truck to keep the city clean. I take things out of it. Mostly food, but other stuff too. You can find some decent stuff that’s been thrown away or just left in an alley. Don’t feel sorry for me though, cause I had a job and a nice apartment once. I still get good food sometimes too. I sit on the corner with a little cup and occasionally people will put in a dime or a quarter. Even a dollar! I use it to buy food and other things that I can’t find in the garbage.

I remember I lost my job cause I started having these terrible headaches. I remember that because I still have them. This lady that used to help me cook and clean the apartment took me to the doctor one time and he said I had a lee-shun on my brain that was untreatable. Whatever that is. It was causing the headaches though and so I couldn’t work and then I started not being able to remember things. She may have taken me to the doctor more than once but I don’t remember. I just remember about the lee-shun, which is why I don’t remember very much anymore.

So I live on the street now. I don’t know how long it’s been. I remember one day, that lady I was telling you about, told me I’d have to go into a home. That didn’t make any sense to me because I had a home. It was my little apartment but she said since I couldn’t work anymore I wouldn’t be able to pay for the apartment, so I’d have to move.

I didn’t want to move to a different home, so one day I just decided to live on the streets. At least that’s what I think happened because here I am. That lady doesn’t come around anymore either. She prob’ly had an accident or moved away or something. Maybe she just forgot to remember me. I can understand that cause I don’t remember hardly anything.

Anyway, I hope she’s okay. She was nice to me and helped me.

I got this book someone threw in the trash the other day. I read it some and it’s got a lot of stories in it about angels and a place called heaven. Them angels even have wings and can fly and everything. It don’t seem real to me, but who knows. I like to sit under the streetlight and read the stories in it at night when it gets lonely.

In the daytime, there are lots of people on the street to say hello to, or that’ll give me a dime or quarter, or throw a newspaper in the trash can that I can get. I also like to watch the garbage trucks when they come by cause it reminds me of when I was a garbage man myself. It gets awful lonely out here at night though, so I just sit under the streetlamp and read that book until I get sleepy. Then I go crawl under some boxes and newspapers in the alley to sleep.

Don’t feel sorry for me though. It’s not so bad. There are other folks that live out here on the streets and they’ll come by and talk awhile, or I’ll walk over to their alley and we’ll talk awhile there. We share food and things too! It’s pretty nice!

Sometimes when I’m walking around I look for that little apartment where I used to live, but I can’t find it. Maybe it’s gone. My name is Eli and I don’t remember very much anymore because I have a lee-shun on my brain. I just remember my name and being a garbage man and my apartment and that nice lady who used to help me.

Well, it’s starting to get dark now so I guess I’ll go sit under the streetlight and read that book. We can always talk another time if you want to come and see me. Maybe I’ll have some nice food to share with you.

Hey, ya know, I was thinking. Maybe the next time a bird or butterfly flies over the streetlight, it’ll be one of them angels from the book instead. Maybe that angel will fly right over and see me and take me up to heaven and I can live there for a while, or visit for a few minutes at least. I hope it’s a nice place like that little apartment I used to live in.