Nettle in the haystack amongst the crowd

It started out at midnight on a cold October night. I bet the man with the two dollars did not know he would become a hero that night. He did not know that that night he would relieve the coldness from the man on the steps, a nettle amongst the haystack. Just a lonely man sleeping on the steps, with no one to turn to but those cold uneven steps. Even with the crowd across the street, somehow we all missed him as we do when it comes to the small things. But just maybe that man with the two dollars knew that the simple gesture of  giving away the two dollars would create a reaction that would not merely end with the lost of two dollars. So, back to the cold October night we go. All it took was two sisters to bike ride at midnight, after the other sister had gotten off of work. They did not have time to bike ride in the morning, so they decided midnight would be fine. And while coming back from their ride they met the hero. He was leaned up on the black truck, the door was ajar a bit too far, so he closed it so the girls could pass. "Thank-you," was what they said to the hero, even before they knew he was a hero. They quickly realized they had missed their turn, but could go that way nonetheless to reach home. But the sister who was waiting at home for the other sister said, "No, do not be lazy, you wanted to go the other way, we can always turn back."  Thus they turned back and were faced with their hero once again

With a smile on his face, he held out two dollars in his hands, and while they rode pass, he threw the money in their baskets and said "Happy Halloween!" Who made his day? The sisters talked about how strange and weird that was, they surly did not need the two dollars. But nonetheless, they rode off with the money. Surrounded by water from the harbor with a peaceful calm was the reason why they decided to ride back the way they had come. The sister who had suggested that they turn back said, "We should give our dollar away to a homeless person." The other sister quickly dismissed her, saying the money was their gift. In her mind she just did not want to try to hunt down a homeless person to give the money away to. Pity, she did not know that they would come face to face with the man sleeping on the cold October steps. So rode they rode, destination home, and on their way home they passed the man sleeping on the steps.  He was wrapped up in his unsuitable jacket, but still they rode pass him. The sister in front suddenly stopped at the end of the block, and with the heroes two dollars in mind and her sister’s suggestion of giving the money away to a homeless person; she suddenly decided they had to turn back around

Bikes parked in front of the steps, up they went, and quickly tucked the two dollars in the homeless man's back pocket. He moved a bit, frightened they were by his movement. So the sister who was riding in front spoke, she simply said "would you like a blanket?" And the sleeping man on the steps responded back, "yes, I would." Oh so shocked the sisters were because with those words, they realized he was still a human just like they were. They were not expecting his voice to sound so clear, so conscious, and so human. They were unknowingly expecting a drunk with gargled words. But there on the steps they met their brother. "Okay, I will be back with your blanket," was what the sister said. They rode back home with a kind of sadness in their hearts, because on those steps laid their brother, conscious, and not suffering from drunkardness as they had originally thought. And thus because the hero gave away two dollars, two sisters are on their way home to get a blanket for the homeless man sleeping on the steps.

 Arriving home, the sister in the back decided to make hot chocolate for their brother on the step. The biggest and thickest blanket the other sister could find in her house was the one she was using. Without a thought, she folded it up and placed it in a bag for the homeless man; she also placed a pillow with a clean pillowcase in the bag, and a roll of toilet paper. They grabbed a few dollars from their savings for the man on the steps. They rode back to their brother as quickly as they could. "We are back," was what the sister with the blanket said.  He heard her voice, but was too cold to move. So, they covered him with the blanket, "much better," he replied. "Thank you so much girls, God bless you," "We also brought you a pillow and hot chocolate." "Oh, thank-you so much girls, God bless you, thank you." The money was given, the pillow was placed behind his head, and the hot chocolate was left sitting next to him.

Two dollars brought a blanket to the homeless man on the steps. God only knows what good deeds he had done to deserve it. He is our brother you know. The sisters' hero was the man with the two dollar, and the homeless mans' hero was the sisters with the blanket and hot chocolate. We are all each others heroes. I did not realize the full impact of the domino affect until that night. I am the sister with the blanket, and my hero that night was the man with the two dollars. You know what's interesting about that situation is we did not bring any money with us on our bike ride. So, if the man with the two dollars did not give us the money we would have no reason to turn back. And if my sister did not suggest we turn back the way we wanted to go the homeless man sleeping on the step would have been lost in the cold October night, nettle in the haystack amongst the crowd.