A homeless girl named Hope was roaming the streets one evening, when she saw two homeless children in the streets wanting to stop cars to so that the drivers can assist them. Because they were children and it was dark, Hope got very nervous about their safety.
A car came suddenly but stopped just in time before a child was run-over. The driver named Henry got out to speak to Hope about the situation. By that time the children out of fear had already run away.
To calm Hope down, Henry offered to buy her something to eat and drink, and she accepted. At the small restaurant on the street, Hope and Henry chatted all night. She was interesting. Henry found out that she did not use drugs or alcohol. She was educated, had a previous employment history, but had lost her family, and due to expenses had lost her home as well. And this was how she landed on the streets.
Henry wanted to see her again and they made arrangements to meet at the same coffee shop the next day. They chatted for many hours and for many days came to meet again and again.
Henry started to fall for her and one day asked her if she had time during the day to see him. He wanted to take her shopping for some new clothes. She definitely agreed. The next day they went shopping and Henry, who was a doctor, put time aside from his patients to spend time with her. He then took her to his apartment to freshen up and put on a new item of clothing. She did so and she looked beautiful.
It came to Henry’s thoughts that Hope, from the situation she has been in, should see a psychologist. And so an appointment was made with Dr. Megan.
Dr. Megan sat and listened to Hope’s story for several weeks, most of the time nodding but not offering much helpful information in return.
After six weeks Dr. Megan invited Henry to dinner at a restaurant in order to discus Hope’s situation.
“Hope has Sensimitude” Dr Megan stated. “It’s a manipulative condition, where all sense and focus is on oneself and schemes are devised in order to manipulate anyone in any situation in order to achieve all requirements, even if it means lying.” Dr Megan continued, “there is unfortunately no cure and the only way you can be safe from her is to not see her at all. That is what I think everyone in her situation did and which is the reason she is now homeless.”
Henry was heart-broken and he could not think clearly, was the affection he felt for her manipulated and were any feelings Hope had for him false? He decided to ignore Dr. Megan’s suggestion to not even speak to her. He had to find out for himself.
So when he returned home, he sat Hope down to confront her. Hope felt a chill run up and down her spine. “How could this be?” she thought, “Dr. Megan did not even tell her about her “supposed” condition. Was it right to speak to Henry before even talking to her?”
Hope had been hurt too many times and she could not let this take over her life again. So she spoke to Henry stating that according to her what Dr. Megan has said is all false. She is perfectly normal in an abnormal situation. However, she will move out of his apartment back to reality, but the only thing she will take with are her new clothes, as these were a gift and they may help her to find work easier than looking for a job in rags.
“At least I do know the streets and I do have friends on the streets, even if sometimes they are not in their right minds.” She said. And most importantly she has God who has helped her this far and by faith will continue to do so.
Hope left and went straight to a homeless shelter and assisted in the soup kitchen. The next day she started looking for work by walking from company to company enquiring if any positions were available.
At a warehousing company she managed to speak to the “boss” first. She told him of her qualifications and that she can work on a computer. He – John, felt intrigued and wanted to know more about her. She then came straight out with the fact that she is homeless, but not useless. She is just looking for work to help her to firstly find a basic place to rent and get off the streets.
John asked her how she can look so good living on the street? Hope told him that she had been blessed to receive help from someone for new cloths and a cleanup. John then offered her the job of reception. “I will just need your contact number” he said.
“I unfortunately cannot keep a phone, it will disappear before I realise it” was her response.
“But then how will I be able to contact you?” asked John.
“Don’t worry, I will be here the same time every morning” she responded.
After a few days John began to notice that her work was perfect but she began to smell “unclean”. He called her into his office asking her about this and she severely apologised stating that it was quite hard to keep clean when living in a homeless shelter.
That evening John spoke to his wife Elsa about his new employee and Elsa was shocked. Elsa said she’ll come and assess the situation tomorrow. When tomorrow came Elsa was impressed with Hope’s work and she felt compassion for her. Later Elsa asked her husband why can he not let her live at work? There is an outside section where they can place a bed and it does have a shower.
They once again called Hope in offering her this opportunity and she was thrilled. She did mention that she would only stay until she could prove to the bank that she was earning an income and provide them with a physical address of where she was staying. She could thereafter also start looking for a room to rent as she will then have an income and a bank account.
John thereafter insisted that she inherit his old cell phone. He gave her a sim card and the phone number. He said that she cannot use the “street” excuse again. The phone did not have airtime. When she could afford to load some then it will have airtime, but in the meantime it was just meant for John’s company “Stor-All” to be able to contact her.
Henry:
Henry felt very lonely. It was almost a month since he last saw Hope and even though he had been on a few “dates” with Megan, he was missing Hope.
Tonight he decided that he had to speak to Megan about what happened to Hope. Did she see her again? What would she have told her if she saw her? Or was it all a trick for Henry to lose and forget about Hope and for Megan to replace her?
Henry first thought of where he should take her. It must not be an expensive, romantic restaurant. It also must not be the coffee shop where he met Hope several times. So he decided McDonalds was the place.
Megan was highly offended by the choice and let him know. This encouraged Henry to tackle her more as it would seem she’s the one interested in looks and labels. He asked her about Hope and her response was that she did not have a clue what happened to her as she did not come back. He then asked why she told him about her condition and not Hope, wasn’t Megan restricted to confidentiality? Megan responded that Henry was at that time Hope’s “keeper” so she thought it would make more sense to tell him first and foremost.
While Henry and Megan where arguing and defending themselves, Henry spotted Hope ordering a meal. Megan then looked. “See she either follows you or is manipulating someone else in order to get a “happy meal” instead of eating at a soup kitchen like most homeless people.”
When Hope received her hamburger and Coke, she noticed Henry staring at her. She quickly turned around to leave. Henry jumped up and stopped her before she walked out. “I’m sorry” she said “I did not know you where here”.
“Don’t be sorry” Henry said, “but why are you here?”
“Please, I don’t want to take you away from Dr. Megan, I am leaving now.”
“No” said Henry, “please stay I want to talk to you. Don’t worry about Megan, she can leave when she wants to.”
So they sat at a small table on the side.
Hope told Henry that she was blessed to have met him, even if it was just for a few weeks, as her new clothes and fresh look helped her to get a job. She’s also thanking God for the people she’s working for as they have provided a place for her to sleep. And today she got paid and is now celebrating by treating herself to McDonalds.
Henry apologised for listening to Dr. Megan and for letting her go. Hope told him that if he had not done that she would not have found her new job, place to sleep and cell phone.
However, Hope insisted that in order for her to trust him and him to trust her, they need to take it slowly and rediscover each other again, not allowing others to decide who they are and what and how they should do it.