An Equal Justice by Chad Zunker

Author:Chad Zunker
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781542043083
Published: 2019-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

Jen Cantwell wanted to hear all about David’s crazy story. She admitted she was intrigued as to why someone like David Adams—a clear fish out of water—had been invited to visit a place as secretive as the Camp. Because she had to leave the resource fair early on Saturday, she asked if David would be willing to meet her the following morning at seven on the running trails by the First Street Bridge. David found it an odd time and location to meet—after all, it was Sunday, with the sun barely up. Nevertheless, it worked well for him, as he could still be at the office early enough for a full day of billing. Lyons had given him some grace yesterday, but he knew not to push it too far.

He arrived a few minutes early and was surprised to find a big crowd already gathering—probably around a hundred people. Something was clearly going on here this morning. A majority of the crowd looked like the group he’d served burgers to the day before. They were all huddled near a tree by the banks of Lady Bird Lake, with the downtown landscape just on the other side of the river.

Jen was already there. David found her just as he had the previous day, wearing blue jeans and a white cotton pullover and hugging a woman wearing rags with frizzy gray hair.

“You actually came,” she said, as David walked up to her.

“Was there ever any doubt?”

“You’d be surprised how fast the euphoria of serving those in need can wear off with most people. It usually happens overnight.”

“Not to me. Coffee?” he asked, holding up a carton containing four different cups that he’d picked up at Caffé Medici on his walk over from the Austonian. “I wasn’t sure what kind of coffee you liked, so I just brought an assortment with me.”

She smiled at him. He noted the cute freckles on her cheeks. The diamond nose stud was still in place. She wore very little makeup and didn’t need a drop of it.

“I actually don’t drink coffee,” Jen admitted.

“Oops.”

She laughed. “But plenty of people here would love the treat.”

Jen took the tray and quickly gave the coffee away to four of her nearby homeless friends, who all gratefully accepted, no matter the make or flavor. David wished he’d brought a dozen more cups with him.

“What’s going on here, Jen?” David asked, the crowd growing.

“It’s an annual memorial service for all the friends we’ve lost on the streets during this past year.” She pointed over to the large oak tree close to the water, which seemed to be the focal point of the gathering. “We call that the Tree of Remembrance. It was planted there more than twenty years ago at the very first memorial service. Come on, they’re about to get started.”

They navigated to the front of the crowd and closer to the tree. A man behind a microphone called everyone together. Jen whispered that he was an author who’d written several books on homelessness.

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