A Very Special Undaground

Two hours before I pulled the turkey from the oven, I hopped in my car to pick up some ice and beer at the one supermarket that was open.

As I drove through the same busy intersection I cross every day, I saw the same homeless guy that’s always there. I’m sure that as far as panhandling goes, it was a pretty good day for him. It is Thanksgiving, after all. No doubt, drivers who normally cruise right by were stopping to hand him a dollar or two. Normally, when he walks past my window, I stare straight ahead with both hands on the wheel. This time was different. The light stayed red long enough for me to roll down the window and wait for him to walk over.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out two dollars. As I handed it to him, the weathered lines on his face fell into a warm smile.

“Thank you, good sir”, he said in a surprising English accent.

“Hell of a day to be out on the street”, I said.

“I’m just happy to be alive today”, he replied as he tucked the dollar bills into his shirt pocket and adjusted the “Hungry” sign he had resting in the crook of his other arm.

“Listen, I’ve got a twenty-pound turkey and an extra spot at the table. Why don’t you hop in and share Thanksgiving with us?” I couldn’t believe what I was saying. I was half-hoping he’d say no thanks, as he scooted around the other end of the car and was suddenly sitting next to me. “We live just down the street. I won’t take you too far.”

“You’re very kind”, he said, as he bobbed his head to the music playing in the car.

On the short ride home, I found out his name was Edwin, and he had been living on the streets of South Florida ever since he’d lost his job as a college professor teaching economics. Wow, that’s irony.

We soon arrived home, and I asked Edwin to wait in the driveway so I could go in and tell Mrs. U that we needed to set the table for one more. Mrs. U was both shocked and touched by my gesture of goodwill. She also said that she had invited our neighbor, Paulette to join us since she found out she, too, was alone for the holiday.

I introduced Edwin to my wife, my in-laws and our son. He took a special liking to our dog, and she was pleased that somebody was finally paying attention to her for the first time since the Undaling was born.

“Is there anything I can get for you Edwin?” I asked.

“A glass of ice water would be great, but a shower is what I’m really thinking.”

I got Edwin a towel and also gave him a disposable razor and some shaving cream. I also gave him a clean pair of shorts and a Hawaiian shirt out of the closet.

While he cleaned up, Paulette arrived. She is an older woman who tends to be a little excitable, so we gently told her that we’d be eating dinner with a homeless guy. We even joked that she might be attracted to him and that maybe the two of them could date.

Forty-five minutes later, Edwin emerged from our bedroom looking more like an economics professor on holiday than a homeless person asking for money. It was an unbelievable transformation.

Edwin's long, unkempt beard was now a closely cropped, snowy white, distinguished facial feature. My nephew, who is a year-and-a-half old and can say maybe 10 words, looked at him and said "SAN-TA!"

Everybody in the room laughed, including Edwin. "See that Edwin", I said, "now the kids think you're Santa Claus."

“Ho, ho, ho. Good as new. Thanks for the clothes.”

“They’re yours, Edwin. This is our neighbor Paulette. Paulette, Edwin.”

Seriously, I think there were immediate sparks. What a wacky Thanksgiving. Nobody will ever believe this story.

The rest of the night went like most Thanksgiving dinners go. Our family shared comfortable, family conversation while Edwin and Paulette reminisced about their own families. Both had gone years without seeing them. Each of them got tears in their eyes while they spoke. As the dinner went on, we realized Edwin and Paulette had a lot in common. Who knew?

After dinner, I wasn’t sure what to do next. “Can I drop you off anywhere Edwin? How about some money for a hotel room tonight?”

“You’ve really done enough for me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of this. I’m going to enjoy the weather and walk off that wonderful meal you folks prepared for me.”

“Seems like you and Paulette hit it off.”

“She’s a great lady. Looks like a girl I knew in Manchester. I’m fixing her fence for her next week for a home-cooked meatloaf.”

I walked him to the door and handed him a bottle of water for the road.

“Take care of yourself, Edwin.”

He shook my hand and looked me in the eye. Again, he smiled and his grandfatherly eyes filled with tears.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do this. This was your child’s first Thanksgiving. And, it was my first Thanksgiving in a long time.”


Okay, fine. So I made all of this crap up. I think I just wrote an episode of “A Very Special Fresh Prince” or “A Very Special 90210”.

I did see a homeless guy on the way to the store, but the light was green and I didn’t have time to stop. Maybe next time, I will. If I find out he’s from England, I’ll invite him to our house for some leftovers.