On Sunday we went to Waikiki for the afternoon. On our way to the beach, I spotted a man digging through the trash cans. I caught up with him as he was grabbing a newspaper out of a bin, and asked him if he might need a dollar or two towards food. He gratefully accepted and we spoke for a moment or two. I asked him if he might need a book and showed him my releases for that day, Snow Falling on Cedars and Hogfather. Neither appealed to him, even after I assured him that they were free for the taking, and that I was planning on leaving them on a bench a few feet from where we were standing. Then he smiled.
"Did you leave The Juror?" he asked
"Nope, not that one, but I know who did."
"And a book about war, I don't remember which one?"
I told him that my husband had left those books. He said he had found them, and had enjoyed them both. I told him that we all tried to leave books that were easy and fun for beach releases, and that I would think of him now when I released in Waikiki. We exchanged names, and parted ways.
His name is Frank, and he made my day so much brighter. I hope I did the same for him.
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