The Word in Focus with Dr Larry Taylor

Only out of pure necessity did she take the

Job waitressing in the run-down diner

Where seedy old men sat and smoked and

Drank really bad coffee all night.

Seedy old men who would slap her 

Butt as she walked by, pinch her when

She took their orders and make crude 

Remarks about her tits and hips, wishing

They could, like their idol, grab her by the pussy.

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The father of her baby left as soon as 

He knew she was pregnant, never to be

Heard from again, which was just as 

Well – at least no one was there to

Slap and curse her and call her fat.

SNAP, subsidized housing, and the diner

Gave them barely enough to have

Ramen and cheap cheese all too frequently.

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She’d sing to and tuck her little boy in

Each night, shower and dress in the ugly

Uniform they made her wear, then carry the

Sleeping child across the hall, where the 

Kindly, but somewhat senile old woman

Would sleep in a chair in front of a 

Television broadcasting nonsense.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t awaken before she

Came home in the wee hours of the morning.

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Worse than the job was that walk home. 

Gunshots frequently reverberated, sirens 

Wailed, emergency lights flashed; but it

Was worse when it was still, for then

Threats of muggers, murderers, and 

Rapists lingered in every shadow.

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Everyone stared at him in the diner,

He was so out of place they assumed he

Must be a Fed from out of town. No one

Wearing a suit ever came into this diner, much

Less at one in the morning. His order, though,

Matched the clientele – just bad coffee.

Somehow, though, she felt safe with him around.

His presence seemed to silence the old perverts.

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Gunfire erupted outside just before quitting time and

The streets lit up with the flashing red and blue lights of

Multiple ambulances, fire engines, armored personnel carriers, and

Dozens and dozens of cops. Bullets shattered the diner windows,

Old perverts ducked for cover, the cook ran out the back door,

Bodies lay in the streets, a bloody river emerged.

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The only person who showed no fear was the man in the suit.

He stood, took her in his arms, and told her she was safe.

There was nothing sexual about his touch – it was more 

Paternal than sensual. 

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“Let’s get you home to your baby,” he said gently.

How he knew she had a child she could not imagine.

Why he wasn’t afraid was an enigma.

Why anyone would walk out in the midst of 

The chaos was beyond reason, but walk out they did.

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It was as if they were invisible, or maybe all the

Cops and paramedics were preoccupied; regardless,

The man and the waitress simply walked through it all,

Down a dark alley to a side street that paralleled the 

One on which she lived. She instinctively clung to his arm

And felt safe for maybe the first time in her life. 

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She resigned herself to the assumption that he’d 

Expect sex as a thank-you, and was shocked when

He said he’d wait in the hall while she changed. He stood 

Behind her as she knocked, awaking the old lady.

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Gathering a sleepy little boy in his arms

How was it that he knew his name?

Who was this man to whom her son went so willingly,

Who held him in strong arms and made him laugh?

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He simply said, “Let’s go.”

As if in a dream, the threesome 

Walked to the subway station,

Boarded the train and sped off under the city.

When they emerged from underground, they 

Were uptown – gleaming towers, theater marquees,

Door attendants, chauffeurs, limousines.

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A doorman bowed, welcomed him by name, and

Escorted them into a glistening lobby of

Fountains and flowers, tropical fish and

Classical music. A gold-plated elevator

Whisked them to the penthouse, where, 

Once more, she assumed she’d serve his

Sexual desires; but instead, he smiled, handed 

Her the keys, and said, “Welcome home.”

Gourmet meals, fine wines, decadent deserts

Arrived at her door day after day –

Morning, noon, evening, and night.

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He came many evenings, sometimes to take her to

A play or a show, or out to a fine restaurant, or

A poetry reading, or a pub filled with

Laughter. He was always the perfect gentleman and 

Seemed deeply interested in her. 

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He always walked her home.

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Enrolled her son in a prestigious 

Private school, and eventually, got her enrolled in a 

Fine university from which she matriculated as a

Skilled artisan.

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Her life was filled with friends and joy.

He faded from her life, although she 

Seemed to always feel his presence.

Her son grew to become a well-known

Playwright; at the age of 60, she married for

The first time – a handsome widower. Together,

They toured Europe, took in cruises and safaris, 

And spent summers on his 48-foot sloop. Once, they

Even spent an entire year on the boat,

Wintering in the Bahamas.

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Elderly now, her head filled with happy

Memories, she was content in the

Hospice bed as friends and family,

Son and grandchildren, flowed in and

Out of the room, along with the

Ever-present nurses offering yet 

Another dose of Adderall or morphine.

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People and room seemed to fade into a

Fog, voices seemed distant; alone one

Night, he came again.

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This time to escort her home.