Homeless but Human: Life in a Shelter by Rich Hebron

Author:Rich Hebron [Hebron, Rich]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Byron Books
Published: 2018-10-30T04:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Plane Crashed

“Over here, Rick!” Vinny called across the bar, waving his arms from a high-top table in front of a projection screen. Only two other tables had people. It was quiet and dark inside, compared to the sunlight and increasingly active intersection outside. Sundays in Chicago didn’t move much until late morning. It felt strange to enter a bar while homeless—and not just to use its bathroom. My stomach danced just thinking about it, not knowing what to expect. Would people know we were homeless? Would we be treated differently?

I meandered over and joined Vinny, his dad, and Juan.

“What’s up?” I took a seat next to Vinny. He wore a gray T-shirt with the Chicago Bears logo on it. His hair was slicked back. He must’ve used half a container of hair gel on that.

“Me and my dad got here a half hour ago to grab this spot.” Vinny tapped the table. “Did you walk past Wrigley Field to get here?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “How could I miss it? It’s right off the red line stop.”

“It’s awesome, isn’t it? Did you know the Cubs have the most fans in America?”

“How do you figure that?” I asked.

Vinny dismissed me. “It’s a fact. You know what we call your stadium?” He didn’t allow me any time to respond. He tilted his chin high into the air. “Wrigley North! Because Chicago fans go up to Milwaukee and fill it up.”

I rolled my eyes, cocking my head. “When was the last time the Cubs won the World Series?”

“1908,” Vinny said solemnly. Juan watched with a smirk. “But they’re going to be really good in a few years,” Vinny quipped. “They just hired that GM from Boston. They won two titles with him—just watch!”

“All right. We’ll see,” I mocked.

The Bears game kicked off on the screen. The bar was quickly filling up. People dressed in navy-blue and orange Bears clothes joined their friends at tables. Of course, a few nonconformists wore sky-blue jerseys, supporting the Carolina Panthers. The bar grew louder with background chatter and shuffling. An excited energy replaced the sleepiness inside the bar when I arrived.

I wondered whether it was a common thing for other homeless individuals to go to a bar and spend money on food. Were we an anomaly? I wouldn’t have come if Vinny weren’t paying for me. I was conservative with my money. I didn’t know where Vinny got his money from. It wasn’t any of my business. Then again, we came to escape the homeless environment and eat a good meal. It was more of a one-off rather than a consistent routine.

“I think the Bears will win by ten,” Vinny said. Vinny’s dad nodded. His dark eyebrows looked stern. He had confidence in his son’s prediction. “What do you think, Juan?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know much about football. Maybe the Bears will win by four?”

“Rick?” Vinny asked.

“The Bears will lose by five.”

Vinny’s eyebrows pinched together. “What? The Panthers have a rookie quarterback. They’re not going to win.

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