"Joey before you go, can you please check the kitchen sink? It's dripping."
"Of course, Greta. Have a wonderful Sunday." replied Joey, as he lovingly kissed her goodbye. After the sink was fixed, he put away the tools, and in minutes was on his way.
"I hope I find work soon..." He thought to himself gloomily, as he trudged down the street in the ice cold rain. Thankful for the thick jacket and rubber boots, he pulled his hood up to block some of the wind.
One place after another had the same reply: we aren't hiring at the moment, but do check back at a later date.
"What am I going to do?" thought Joey, discouraged. Just then, he walked by an alley. Next to the dumpster was an old wheelbarrow. He inspected it to see how bad the damage was. "Seems pretty solid..." he said, surprised to find it being discarded.
"Maybe they just forgot to take it in. I better ask first." thought the now soaked man. He knocked on the door, unsure if it was a business or residence.
"No handouts here! Keep on moving." ordered a large woman, blood covering her white apron. She was holding a wicked looking meat cleaver.
"Sorry, Ma'am! I just wanted to ask about this wheelbarrow. Did you forget to take it in, or was it meant for the dumpster?" asked Joey, as he took several steps back.
"We just got a new one. If you want it, go ahead and take it. Thanks for asking first, by the way." she said, in a much kinder voice.
"Thank you, Ma'am! I couldn't have lived with myself if I had thought it might have been left out by mistake." he replied, smiling.
Soon he was walking down the bustling Market Street, pushing the wheelbarrow easily. This was where merchants who didn't have shops did business. "Maybe someone will need help hauling goods." he thought, but didn't really dare to hope.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Joey, as the wheelbarrow made a sharp left. Up to that point, it had steered easily.
He stopped to check what had caused the problem, and saw a trailer loaded with huge sacks. Standing close to it was a man with a white beard. The man didn't look happy.
"I wonder..." thought Joey, as he quickly made his way towards the older man.
"You! With the wheelbarrow. Do you have some time?" shouted the man, before Joey could get close. He made eye contact, and nodded.
"Hello, Sir. Do you need help with a load?" Joey asked, unable to believe his luck.
"Do I! I have a buyer for all of this flour, right over there. But only if I can deliver it to their kitchen." replied the older man, as he pointed towards a restaurant, which his trailer was parked in front of.
"Let me take care of it." replied Joey. The other man smiled, and soon they reached an agreement. It was a tiring job, but the pay was good.
The next day:
Joey passed the same alley, on his way to Market Street. As he went by, the wheelbarrow caught on a crack in the sidewalk, and tipped.
As he was righting it, he heard a booming voice. "How do you like it so far?" It was The same woman who had given him permission to take the wheelbarrow the other day.
Once he had it upright, Joey went back to see her. "I like it a lot, it helped me to earn some money yesterday. Thank you!" he replied gratefully.
"How would you like something more permanent? I had to fire our stock guy today, he's been stealing for some time now. We need someone honest, and you seem to fit the bill. Oh, just so you know, there's nothing wrong with your wheelbarrow. I was going to keep it as an extra, but saw that you could really use it."
"Oh yes, I will work in any position that you need!" Joey replied eagerly. "But can I please use this wheelbarrow, instead of the new one?" he asked sheepishly.
Describe what you see:
I see a bustling street. It's raining, and people are bundled up. There is a man in a jacket and rubber boots, pushing a wheelbarrow. An older man is standing in front of a heavily loaded trailer.
Describe what you feel:
I feel like it's a busy place, but nobody is having fun. It's a cold, wet day.
