The Face At The Window

It was a beautiful day! We were walking back from the park, but not to go home, only for refreshments, we were happy in the sun.
We looked downwards to protect our eyes from the sunlight, and as I glanced up, I was surprised to find myself looking, into another pair of eyes...

Naturally I recoiled, uncomfortable with the intrusion of uninvited human contact from the face, in a crack, in a curtain. But the eyes locked on mine and the mouth opened, words were spoken, words I could not recognise...

I hesitated, media's dark stream of negativity crawled beneath my skin.

I opened the gate...

I walked across the grass and approached the window of the ominous stranger, I put my head inside, and three more times I listened intently to the undecipherable message, the gestures offered clues, and I realised that he wanted me to pass him something from inside that darkened room...

A flutter of indignation rose in my chest, calmed only by a whispered 'wait'.

Determined to know what was spoken, and determined to be heard, we tried once more.
And finally, I understood the words that he was saying;

"Could you pass me my wheelchair, please?"

My suspicions fell shamefully away, and my heart rose, open and willing.... willing and able!
I opened the door to the house, stepped inside and obliged his simple request; for freedom.

And we went on our way, richer for the encounter, grateful to be blessed with the gift, of a chance to be kind.

A short while later, we passed the window again, the face was still there, eating a sandwich.