Nawin actually approached me during my conversation with Loco on the curb. I noticed him standing there, looking at me, and I apologized to Loco—said, “Hi!” to the man.
He asked me if I’m Japanese. I couldn’t understand him at first—he asked me again, “You Japanese?”
“No, I’m Chinese, actually.” I gave the whole my-parents-came-here-from-China spiel. He nodded. I asked him if I could maybe come talk to him once Loco and I were done. He agreed, then walked back towards the rows of parked cars.
After my conversation with Loco, I went into an aisle between cars to search for him. I found him standing in the sunlight on the other side of the lot. I greeted him and we went to go sit on the bumper at the front of an empty parking space.
Pretty much entire time we talked, my heart was breaking for him. I was physically sinking with sadness for him.
At the same time—and this sounds terrible—but he was on my side. Meaning, he was homeless because of an absolutely terrible accident, losing his identification. And not only that, but he was a relative newcomer to America—didn’t grow up here, didn’t feel completely at home here. Nepal is a far place for a newly homeless man to attempt to return to.
Thinking, I couldn’t find any justification for a person to not pity Nawin, a single reason against helping him. I actually did give him a few dollars for the bus ride back to The Salvation Army, but as a sixteen-year-old there wasn’t much I could do.
This is truly a hurting man; I really, truly hope he can recover himself and do what this country promises him is possible.
–Isabella, 10/9/16
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