Day 86: Eye of the Storm

Downtown Fort Street is always bustling with people.  At about 8:00 am, they start trickling out as shops open, and people hurry to work. People of all sorts crowd the streets.  Young teenagers shopping with their friends, business associates, families, joggers, mothers with their strollers, dog-walkers, lovers, those in a hurry and those who enjoy a stroll.  Lastly, you see the homeless, in all stages of adult life, wander the streets aimlessly.  Everyone else goes past them.  They seem to be so much a part of the scene that they are overlooked, as the sidewalk is on that street.

Amidst this swirling life sits on the end of the sidewalk a man of close to thirty, dressed in clean casual clothes with a towel over his leg.  He has a chair set up in front of him with a bucket and a basket of cleaning supplies such as a bar of soap, bath salts, and a washcloth.  He has taped a sign to the side of a building above his chair that reads, "Free Foot Baths." 

This odd scene has caught the attention of fewer people than you'd expect.  They are all too self-absorbed.  Those who do see it stop and gape.  One man scoffs at the idea and thinks the man is off his nut.  One woman is confused why he would want to do such a weird thing.  A few passersby think it's nice, but no one takes the smiling man up on his offer.

The stranger stands up now and starts asking people opening.  "Would you like a free foot soak, ma'am?  Come and get your free foot bath!"  A homeless man ambles down the sidewalk.  "Sir, would you like a foot soak?" 

The second man stares at him.  "Me?"

"Yes," he smiled.  "Have a seat."

Confused, the man slowly sits down in the seat and sticks his feet in the bucket of water.  Smiler pours some soap and bath salts in and makes the water erupt with bubbles.  He starts chatting with the homeless man, whose name is learned to be Gerard, and gets his washcloth ready.  Then he tenderly lifts Gerard's foot.  It is a few shades darker than the rest of his skin, a grey black color.  Dry, cracked toes, open sores, scars from cuts, and dirt under the nails can be seen.  Smiler keeps on talking pleasantly as he gently scrubs the foot.  He tries to cause the least amount of pain possible.  When he is done, the water is now as dark as the feet had been.  Smiler dumps it out, fills it with fresh water, and offers Gerard to soak his feet in longer.  Gerard is in tears now and can't stop thanking Smiler.

He places his hands on his shoulders and says to Gerard, "I'm only being a servant to illustrates God's love for you."

Other homeless folk are lining up next to the chair, eager to have their turn.  A few other shoppers who have blisters from their heels or those runners with sweaty athletes' foot line up as well.  Smiler whistles as he fills up his bucket with fresh water for his next customer.