Joe and Maria sat in the near
silence of their living room, with only the sound of the grandfather clock ticking
in the background, a family heirloom that had been passed down the matriarchal
line for the last seven generations. Joe had turned thirty-nine that previous
spring and Maria was only two years behind him, both of them saddened and
desperate at their failure to have children. A constant ache in the hearts of
them both, struggling for the last eighteen years, and finding no solution in western
medicine, natural medicine or TCM.
The
possibility of adoption had been discussed between them, as the dreaded forty-year
mark drew close, they knew that this was their last option if children were to
be a part of their future. Joe pulled Maria to her feet, seated her at the
dining room table, and retrieved the adoption paperwork from the desk in his
office, already fully filled out but needing only their signatures. Both
disappointed and excited, they signed the documents, scanned them into their
computer and sent them by email to the adoption agency.
By
the end of the week, Maria received a phone call while Joe was at work,
informing them that their paperwork had been received, had been processed and
they would likely have news of a child by month's end. Trembling with excitement,
Maria hung up the call, placed a call to Joe and shared the exciting news. Joe
arrived home that evening laden with take out sushi as a small celebration of
making this first step and the possibility of finding the child they had dreamed
of for years.
They
enjoyed their dinner with a glass of Gewurztraminer, while watching the final
episode of their favorite show on their streaming service. Eleven o'clock came
and went with Joe carrying Maria to bed, having fallen asleep halfway through
the episode. He took a quick shower, slipped into bed beside her to immediately
receive a pair of very cold feet, to then be awakened two hours later with a
phone call from the adoption agency, informing them that a child had just been
born and the young mother decided that she could not keep him.
With
a combination of excitement and sickness in their stomachs, they quickly
dressed and hurried to the hospital to finalize the paperwork and bring home
the healthy child at the end of the following day. Thankful for the weekend,
Joe and Maria returned home to rise early the next day for a trip to numerous
stores, in order to be fully prepared for the arrival of little Noah. Wincing
at the amount of money that they needed to spend, they were thrilled as well
that their dream was finally coming true.
In
what seemed like a flash, little Noah was no longer little, and was signed up
for kindergarten, fully literate and articulate, to receive a commendation from
the school with the strong suggestion that he be moved into first grade
immediately, as he seemed bored and distracted with the elementary and basic
stimulation typically received by the average five-year-old. As he reached the
halfway mark of the first grade, he received another commendation from the
school with another strong recommendation to be moved into the second grade.
This
became a regular pattern for Noah as he found himself jumping grades and
entering high school at the age of ten. His parents were concerned with the
social interaction and the likely difficulties that would follow but his size
and his academic prowess allowed him to blend in and make friends, being more
of a mentor and student aid than a peer. Graduating at the age of thirteen, he
received a full scholarship for the local university, to then continue his
faster than usual academic progress. With a particular special interest in
chemistry, he received a job offer after earning his Ph.D in organic chemistry
at the age of nineteen.
Following
six months of employment, he saved as much money as possible, buying only that
which was necessary, making the lives of his parents that much more comfortable,
for all the love and grace they poured into him over his years of growth and
development. A full year had passed, and Maria began to become concerned as she
noticed that Noah appeared overworked and exhausted, staying up too late, being
out with co-workers, and looking, overall, spent and distracted.
Three
months of this behavior crept by which finally led to a radical change in
Noah's behavior, as he began to speak of the importance of helping those in
need, giving up the comforts and distractions that most would consider a normal
part of life.
Later
on a beautiful summer day he stood in the lab, struggling over a question
regarding oxalic acid, penciling through the structure several times, he felt
himself to be at an impasse. Looking across the lab, he saw Daryl leaning over
his workspace with his stomach resting on the countertop, looking tired and
sweaty. He slipped on his jacket, announced his need to take a short walk, to
then depart from the building, heading into the poorest and most dangerous part
of town.
He
picked up a peppermint mocha and walked the streets, looking at store fronts,
looking at other pedestrians, and looking at the nature of people in general.
The steady stream of customers in and out of a dispensary, an adult bookstore,
and a liquor mart was only matched by the number of homeless staggering in and
out of alleys, always looking for the pleasure and distraction that seemed to
control nearly everyone.
A
particular young woman caught his attention as he entered and exited an alley
at least five times with a different man each time, for reasons obvious based
on her choice and near lack of clothing. Noah returned to his office, closed
his door, and placed a call to a former university mate who worked in a lab
similar to his own in a city on the other side of the state, hoping for a new
perspective on his oxalic acid question.
As
they caught up on one another's lives, a curious idea popped into Noah's head,
which he then mentioned to his former classmate. "Hey, Jack, I was
downtown a little bit ago and couldn't help but notice that everyone has some
sort of vice that dominates their lives and the suffering that naturally
follows from it, especially those who sell themselves out to accommodate these
passions. I'm thinking I should rent a storefront in that area and open a soup
kitchen. If you're interested in doing the same, I'll front the money for you,
for this problem is certainly not limited to only my city."
The
two men agreed on pursuing the endeavor and within a month Noah funded and
operated a fully functional soup kitchen, helping those who struggled with
vices, some repugnant and others socially acceptable. As the year progressed
and he witnessed the success of feeding those in lack, he expanded his contact
list to include other former classmates scattered across the entire country,
starting a chain, as it were, like a free fast-food restaurant, but instead,
food that was healthy and actually helped others.
It
was on his 85th birthday that Noah rejoiced at the incredible success his soup
kitchen chain enjoyed, seeing over one hundred locations, feeding tens of
thousands of people. When each location opened, further connections were made with
religious groups, Alcoholics Anonymous, vocational training centers, and
counseling services.
Noah
closed his eyes for the last time, leaving the incredible work to his children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren, knowing that this work would continue on,
spreading, he hoped, across the world. While initially funded from his own
means, over time Noah received support from other businessmen, politicians, and
those in the entertainment industry, to see a radical change take over and
transform peoples lives. He breathed his last knowing that he did all that he
could with the means he possessed, with the brilliant mind he continually
challenged, and having a love for his neighbor, when so many simply despised
those who were outside of and, what they believed, beneath them.
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