His son, Jake, was gone.
His father was gone.
And now even his business seemed to be dying.
Sometimes Henry wondered whether broken things simply recognized one another.
The old car.
The old garage.
The old mechanic.
At 11:47 that night, he heard a knock.
Henry frowned.
Nobody came to his garage that late.
He opened the door.
A young man stood outside.
He was thin, soaked, and exhausted.
His jacket was torn.
His backpack looked like it had survived a war.
"I'm looking for work," the boy said.
Henry almost closed the door.
"We're closed."
"I know, sir."
"Come back tomorrow."
"I don't have anywhere to go."
Henry stopped.
The boy looked down.
"I'll work for free," he whispered. "Just for food. A few days. I'll clean. I'll sweep. I'll do anything."
Henry studied him.
"What is your name?"
"Eli. Eli Thompson."
Recognition flashed across Henry's face.
He had heard the rumors.
The troublemaker.
The boy who had supposedly attacked Tommy Douglas.
The kid everyone in town wanted gone.
Henry looked at Eli again.
He didn't see a dangerous criminal.
He saw a hungry kid.
"Come inside," Henry said.
Eli looked up.
"Really?"
"Before I change my mind."
Eli stepped inside.
For the first time in weeks, he was somewhere warm.
He thought his life had finally changed.
He was wrong.
It was only beginning.
A Burger and a Blanket
Henry gave Eli a rag and pointed toward the corner.
"Start there."
Eli nodded quickly.
"Yes, sir."
But his hands were shaking.
A container of motor oil slipped from his fingers.
It crashed onto the floor.
Oil spread across the concrete.
"Damn it!" Henry shouted.
Eli froze.
"I'm sorry."
He grabbed a rag.
"I'll clean it."
"Stop."
Henry's voice was sharp.
Eli lowered his head.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I always mess things up."
Something changed inside Henry.
He remembered being young.
Being hungry.
Being rejected.
Being told he wasn't good enough because of something he couldn't control.
He remembered standing outside factory doors while people decided his future before he had even been allowed inside.
Henry walked out.
Eli assumed he had been fired.
He reached for his backpack.
Ten minutes later, Henry returned.
He carried a paper bag.
Inside was a burger and a bottle of water.
"Eat."
Eli stared at him.
Then he took the burger.
He tried to eat slowly.
He couldn't.
He devoured it.
Tears ran down his face.
Henry pretended not to notice.
After Eli finished, Henry brought out an old sleeping bag.