Today we couldn't decide what to eat for lunch so we drove around aimlessly in the Family Jeep for a while until Tim suggested Claim Jumpers. That seemed OK, since I was starving at 2:30pm with no lunch yet. So we redirected our four wheels toward Crackamas Town Center.
Along the way, my iPhone had rung (ringed? rang?) so I had taken it out of my pocket and handed it to Tim, as is our custom when the driver's phone rings. You see, it's illegal to talk on the phone while you're driving in Oregon, so we always hand it off to the passenger. ANYWAY, long story short, I left my phone in the Jeep when we got to the restaurant.
While Tim was being seated, I headed back to the car to retrieve the iPhone when I was approached by a street urchin. I'm really good at ignoring people walking towards me in public places – I've been a city dweller for far too long. But this guy walked right up to me and started talking:
Him: "Don't get mad at me, the last guy I talked to almost hit me."
Me: "No worries, mate. What up?"
Him: "I'm really hungry and I was wondering-"
I cut him off right there. I have a soft spot for hungry people so I interrupted without letting him finish his well rehearsed speech.
Me: "You want to join us for lunch, we're just sitting down in that restaurant right there."
His face lit up and it was like Christmas morning. He seemed genuinely excited about the offer of a free meal.
Like I said, I've always had a soft spot for people who're hungry. This guy seemed down on his luck and hadn't actually asked for money. I almost never give them money, but I will always buy them food if I can afford it.
Him: "Can I bring my buddy? He's over at the Max Station…"
Me: "Sure. Go get him and meet us inside. I'll tell the restaurant that you are coming. Just ask for Paul when you get back."
He ran off in the direction of the Max Station to get his friend. I went back inside Claim Jumpers to tell Tim we needed a larger table.
Fortunately Tim had already been seated at a large enough table, so I sat down and told him we were expecting company.
The guy who had talked to me in the parking lot looked to be about 25, was clean-cut and didn't smell like cigarettes or like he hadn't bathed in a while. He seemed like your average guy at the mall, only he was down on his luck and hungry.
We waited about 40 minutes before we ordered our lunch (we did have an appetizer of delicious cheese sticks so I wouldn't die in the process). Finally we gave up waiting and ordered and ate our meal. The two of them never walked in the front door, I could see it from where I was sitting.
The whole thing kind of made me sad. I wonder why he didn't come back. I wondered if his friend didn't want to come, or if they got food somewhere else first, or if he was just looking for a handout and when I didn't offer cash he bailed, or what.
I hope it was that they got food and went on their way.
