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“How do you pronounce your name?
“Holly.”
“Like Hollywood!!!” another man chimed in.
I laugh. “Exactly!”
“For a second I thought it said, ‘holy.’”
“Well that’s what it means. Holly means holy.”
He smiled. “That’s nice.”
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Basil. It’s an herb, baby. It’s an herb!”
Basil was one of my “guests” at Hand to Hand today.
Today’s good deed: SERVE FOOD AT A FOOD BANK
Hand to Hand is a feeding project run by the Agape International Spiritual Center in coordination with OPCC. Their goal is to provide a better quality of life for people who live on the streets in the Santa Monica, CA area. Basil was one of those people.
The HTH folks instruct us to treat our “guests” as if they were eating in our homes. If I were to do that, my “guests” would have to bring their own food, prepare it, and help me clean up afterwards.
I decide to treat everyone as if I’m their waitress in a restaurant. When they arrive I greet them, seat them, and offer them coffee and water.
I look each guest in the eye and call them “sir,” “ma’am,” or “miss.” I shower them with as much respect as I can. The respect is reciprocated with “yes please” and “thank you.” Occasionally, it’s reciprocated with conversation.
“Actually I have an English, a Spanish, and an Irish name. My name is Basil Carlos O’Malley.”
“Your mama didn’t know what to name you, huh?”
“Nope!”
We all laugh.
It astounds me that laughter is so easy to come by here of all places. Jokes are welcomed. The playing fields are so clearly uneven here, yet the mood is jovial, kind and pleasant. I heard “God bless you” here more than in church.
I chewed the fat with Basil for a while. He is the color of the midnight sky sans stars. He has one good tooth in the front of his mouth but a radiant smile all the same. He totally charms me.
I refill his coffee and water and check to see if he, as well as the rest of my guests, need shaving razors, can openers, garbage bags, food baggies, or dog food for their pets. Hand to Hand provided all of these things. OPCC was providing doctor visits, showers and hair cuts.
“How many barbers you got back there?” Basil asked.
“Just one.”
Basil scratched his super short, barely there hair. “Never mind then.” Everyone laughs.
Their lunch was provided by Meals on Wheels. It consisted of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, carrots, a tiny container of cranberry sauce, a dinner roll and a slice of pumpkin pie. Basil finished everything on his plate. There was nothing left to put in a baggie. I wish I had more to give him, but we had 100 more people waiting to be served.
“You have a good day, Basil,” I say as he’s leaving. “Be careful out there.”
“You too. God bless.”
God bless you too, sweet Basil.
Photo (Flickr CC) by Ricardo Camacho
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Holly Walker
Latest posts by Holly Walker (see all)
- Behind Closed Doors - October 9, 2014
- Shhhhhhhh! - October 8, 2014
- Look Who’s Talking! - October 7, 2014
- The Donor Party - October 6, 2014
- Food To Go - October 5, 2014