Still Human

Still Human

By Keith Kareem Williams

She walked by and it was obvious that she was addicted to more than just nicotine. Her weight, her condition and everything about her made it obvious to me that she was a fiend. She moved with the flow of the people passing by but she marched to her own rhythm, lost in her own world that most people either ignored or scorned. Only the gatekeepers to her hellish false heaven were ever glad to see her coming.

I don’t know what made me stop her that day as people looked at me as if I was either crazy or shady. I explained to her that I was a writer, described the premise of my book and asked if she’d like to buy a copy so I could autograph it for her. As soon as I finished my speech, I felt foolish. I was sure that she didn’t have any money in the filthy pockets of her jeans or if she did, she damn sure wasn’t going to spend it on MY book. Still, I was glad that she politely listened to everything I had to say, which was more than what some of the “good citizens” would have done. It came as no surprise when she told me that she didn’t have the money to buy the novel at the moment but she wished that could have supported me. There was a glow in her eyes when she took my hand and told me how proud she was of me and how much nerve it must have took for me to stand out there and chase my dreams. Right before she walked away, she actually told me that although she didn’t know me, she loved me.

About an hour later, the same woman came back and handed me the money for my book. I felt bad to actually take her money because judging by her condition, she really couldn’t afford it. I also didn’t want to offend her so I did what I would do with any other supporter. I asked her name and how to spell it so that I could autograph the book for her. I couldn’t resist so just before she left with a copy of “Water Flows Under Doors” in her hand, I asked her how come she came back and bought it. She knew as well as I knew why I had asked. She turned to me and said that I had made her feel good because I’d treated her the same way I had treated everyone else. She explained that it had been a long time since anyone had respected her enough to speak to her the way I had. I guess it felt good that I had recognized her humanity.

There’s never a dull moment in the block. If you spend enough time out on these New York streets, you can feel the pulse, vibe and life of the city.

This is the novel that she purchased from me.

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Flows-Under-Kareem-Williams/dp/1419601482/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313411845&sr=1-1