The Time I Bothered to Listen to a Homeless Person

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

It was on a hot day that I met Patrick. I was sitting at an outdoor table in the park beside the London museum where I worked.

He sat opposite me, setting down his bag as if to rest for a moment. He faced away, gazing nowhere in particular. It wasn’t completely unusual for him to sit there, as the benches and tables were communal. I picked at my salad. He began to talk. Just…