His machete bobs lazily against his hip
As the old man shuffles up the mission house driveway
Hugging the armful of ungainly sticks he extends
As an offering to the woman who squats on the ground by the fire
Dreamily stirring a pot brimming with rice and melted peanuts drenched in tabasco sauce
His dusty pants are held up by a belt made from yellowed banana leaves
On his feet he wears tire treads duct-taped to mismatched socks
He bows as he accepts a bowl of food
In exchange for the spindly firewood
We offer him a bedroll, a steaming mug of Re-Bo coffee, and a place to sit
But he just smiles and shakes his head
Tapping the raggedy pillowcase slung over his shoulder
As it holds all of his possessions
He waves an arm toward the sky
Telling us that he has everything he needs in the world
Before he bows and takes his leave
Predictable as ocean tide
The gentleman’s silent appearance every day
As dinner is being served
Makes us smile
And wish that we could give him more
Deep down, though, we know
That already he has what makes him happy
Because he chooses to be happy with what he has.
Lorri Ventura is a retired special education administrator living in Massachusetts. She met the man featured in "Heart of Haiti" while on a recent service trip there.
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