17. To the People Who Refused to Give Up On Me

I pointed to the cane in the corner.  Daphne shook her head and limped off to get coffee.

The artist’s name was Austin and he asked if I could sit for a minute. He turned a page in his notebook and began sketching me as we talked. 

“Do you mind if I ask how you got that scar?”

He said, “I found my brother in a bar outside of Toronto. We had a few beers.   I told him he looked terrible, and needed to get help.  We had a few more and he started getting angry.  Said I didn’t understand, all I did all day was draw shit in my stupid notebook.”

Austin looked into my eyes, erased something, and started drawing again.  A long moment passed. He said, “We sat there for the longest time. Out of the blue he grabbed my shirt, said I’d ruined his life, and threw me to the floor. Called me a piss poor Van Gough and tried to cut my ear off.”

“And you still want to help him,” I said, wondering if I’d do the same.

“Not ready to give up on him yet. Gonna get stronger myself, a little smarter about when I talk to him, and see if I can’t reach him.”

I thought of all the people who refused to give up on me when I was struggling.

Today I’ll try to be one of those people who doesn’t give up on others.

Time for a Change ©2017 by Ken Montrose

Time for a Change is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com