The Bum (Short Story)

This is my first short story that I put on this blog, give constructive criticism. Also, I am looking for people to design a cover of sorts for Kandraken. Please contact me by E-mail if you have talent:

znhunter@gmail.com
Use the subject: "Kandraken Cover"

The Bum

I walked up to the 7-11 that was across the street from the main terminal bus shelter in downtown Fort McMurray. I walked in and was greeted with the usually cheery “hi Zach” by the clerk (I went there every day after work so I was well known there). It was rare for a store clerk to know one person by name and by face in a city that was gaining on it’s 100 000th resident. I walked up to the counter and ordered my usual meal: two pieces of chicken and the wedge fries that were just so good. He gave me my meal steaming hot as usual, and I paid Hafiz at the counter. I exited the store and sat on the bench at the bus stop, waiting for my bus.

I was eating for about five minutes and was just about to start on my second and last piece of chicken, when a man sat next to me. I was startled by him and jumped a little in my seat. He was dressed in a tattered overcoat that had an ugly brown colour. His pants were torn at the knees, and looked to be about a hundred years old. He had a scruffy beard and hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in days, possibly weeks. The man’s face had dirt and grime all over it and it wasn’t very pretty. There was also a stench that wafted off of him like a siege army. The man himself looked to be about forty. He looked at me with a pleading look. I looked at my meal. I lived in a big house in the middle of Eagle Ridge, a ritzy neighborhood where the house prices averaged at about $700 000. I didn’t need this meal. I gave the last piece of chicken to the man, along with the remaining half of the wedge fries. He tore into the meal like he was a wild animal. It was then I noticed his thin figure. There was a possibility that the man had not eaten much in days, maybe a week.

My bus pulled up about five minutes later, along with the parade of the other ones that came with it to the main terminal. I surprised even myself when I asked the hobo to come with me to my house. He looked at me shocked, as if no one had ever been this nice to him.

“What’s your name,” I said. “Mine is Zachary.”

“My name is Benjamin, thank you for being so nice to me and giving me a meal. I would be happy to accompany you to your house.” I was a little surprised by his speech, I half expected it to be slurred and undefinable. However it was very clear, and he used words that I wouldn’t expect a bum to use in natural speech. I led him to bus number four and gave him the $1.25 fare. Ben got on and put the money in the slot, the bus driver gave him a dirty look, but as I came up behind Ben I glared at the Bus driver’s disgusted face, and he whited out. I am a fairly big man, at 6’8” and about 250 pounds of muscle. The bus driver however was about 5’ tall and 150 pounds soaking wet. I put my fare into the slot, and walked to the back of the bus where Ben had gone. I sat down next to him, and then scooted one seat over. He stunk so bad that I almost couldn’t stand it. He looked at me frowning and I laughed, his frown turned upside down and he started laughing to. We laughed until we got to my house fifteen minutes later.