The Vagabond: The Survivor

“That’s Dr. Tad,” said the bus driver to Mercy, a dark woman, who had just gotten on the bus.

Dr. Tad was one of seven hundred residents forced to find other accommodations, when a long-term mental health facility closed due to the lack of government funding. He was homeless and toted everything he owned around town.

She was not very impressed.

“He looks like a vagabond,” Mercy replied, as she watched the old man with a long, unkempt beard. “He ought to be ashamed.”

Dr. Tad was wearing an old, brown plaid suit, a wrinkled shirt and dress pants. Pinned to his tie was a pair of navy blue socks. His shoes were scruffy looking. Old runners and several articles of clothing, hung from the straps of his battered suitcases.

The bus driver smiled and waited patiently. It took a while before he was able to load his things on the bus.

“Hello, Dr. Tad. It looks like moving day. Any luck finding another place?”

The man shook his head.

“I will keep my eyes open for you. There has to be some place around this town.”

The vagabond moved towards the middle of the bus, picking up and pocketing a book someone had left behind. As he sat down, his nimble fingers quickly absconded with a red plaid scarf on the next bus seat. He put it around his neck. Dr. Tad did not miss a trick. He drained a partial cup of coffee another passenger had left on the floor, too. A young woman was not aware that he grabbed a small loaf of bread from her grocery bag, as she exited the bus. He quickly stuffed it inside his jacket and ate it, moments later.

A strange, acrid smell drifted towards the back of the bus, where Mercy was sitting. The man, bent over in his seat out of the sight of the bus driver, was smoking a malodorous cigar. He took several puffs and snuffed it out. The rest went into his pocket.

“Now where did he get that cigar?”

Mercy was concerned about him until an hour later, when she watched him share his treasures with other vagabonds at the terminal.

“He is a street-wise survivor. He will be just fine.”