Harry and Amy Index

Chapter 6

Posted: August 10, 2005 - 05:22:23 pm

Standing in the center of the hotel room, Amy managed to keep her

balance and looked around at her surroundings. She was standing in what

had been the living room of the best suite of a major hotel. It wasn't

recognizable as such any more. The room had been transformed into a

machine shop and laboratory. The couch and chairs had been pushed

against the sides of the room. Worktables had been added. One table was

loaded with machining equipment. Another table was loaded with

electronics. A third table was loaded with tools.

Amy tried to take a step, stumbled, and then fell to her knees. The

kneepads cushioned her fall so she wasn't injured. None the less, she

was frustrated at having ended up in the same position for the hundredth

time. Concentrating on what she was doing, she rose to a standing

position. She was getting good at that after all of the practice she had

gotten. If only she could figure out how to walk with the new braces.

Losing a bit of her cool, she said, "I'm never going to be able to walk

with these stupid things."

"Maybe you need to learn how to crawl before you walk," suggested Peter.

He knew the sensors were working correctly and the actuators were

functioning properly. They might need a little tweaking to get them

tuned properly, but they were close enough for her to walk.

Angry, Amy stepped forward and dropped to her knees once again. When her

anger was about to overwhelm Amy, Laura, with a wink, said, "You know,

Bill is going to love that move, but I imagine you're going to get tired

of giving blowjobs."

The comment was so unexpected that Amy burst out laughing

uncontrollably. Her anger and frustration dissipated. It amazed her how

Laura always found the right thing to say when she was reaching her

breaking point. Catching her breath, she said, "I doubt he'll be able to

perform a thousand times a day."

Catherine laughed at the retort and knew Laura had said the right thing.

Laura was a firm believer in the old adage that laughter was often the

best medicine. She said, "You know. I think Peter has a point about

learning to crawl first."

Nodding, Laura realized the problem was that Amy was sending the wrong

commands to her muscles. She was trying to move as if she were wearing

her old braces. Rather than trying to move her legs forward, she was

trying to swing her legs around. It was the swing that caused her to

lose balance. She said, "Your muscles have learned patterns appropriate

for your old brace. You're swinging your legs out rather than moving

them in a normal walk. That's okay when you're wearing your old braces

and using your crutches, but you aren't wearing them now."

Amy gave in and tried to crawl. She found that with each slide forward,

her knees were getting further apart. She stopped and adjusted herself

so that her knees were closer together. She realized what she was doing

and said, "You're right."

For the next four hours, Amy crawled around the room like an infant. At

first, she kept finding her knees would become spread in an obscene

manner. With practice, she slowly achieved a normal crawl. As she made a

circuit around the room, she thought about crawling under the dining

room table to give Bill a blowjob. She recalled when she had wanted to

give him a blowjob and had been unable to get into position. Now she was

concerned that she'd never get out of that position.

"I think that is enough for now," said Laura seeing that Amy was tired.

"Thanks," said Amy realizing only at that moment just how tired she had

become. She crawled over to a chair and climbed into it. Settling into

the seat, she crossed her legs without thinking about it.

After a few seconds, she looked down and saw what she had done. She

hadn't been able to cross her legs without lifting them into position

since the day that her life had changed. She'd never been able to do it

while wearing her old braces. Overcome with emotion, she said, "I

crossed my legs."

Not understanding the significance of the act, Peter shrugged and said,

"Okay."

"You don't understand. I haven't been able to cross my legs since my

knees blew out." Amy stared at where her legs crossed. As she thought

about it, she realized that she was going to be able to act in a more

feminine manner. If she'd master these new braces, she'd be able to walk

across a room, sit down, and cross her legs like a normal person.

Catherine understood and said, "Your life is about to undergo a major

change."

Amy worked up the courage to ask the question that had been bothering

her. She didn't feel that it was right for her to be the one chosen for

the honor of receiving these braces. There were others more deserving.

Looking at Laura, she asked, "Why me?"

"Even angels occasionally require a minor miracle," answered Laura

making reference to Amy's nickname that had been bestowed upon her by

the homeless she had helped. Laura took a seat on the couch beside Amy

and held her hand.

Sitting down on a chair by the table on which the jeweler's lathe sat,

Catherine said, "You help others without asking for anything in return.

We kind of identify with that sentiment."

"I haven't done anything special."

Laura laughed and then said, "Ed Biggers told me that you did lots of

things that were special."

"Ed?"

"You remember Ed Biggers. Cowboy in a black robe who's stuck with

telling the truth all of the time. He can't even tell a tall tale. That

must be torture for a cowboy." Catherine grinned as she waited for Amy

to give a nod of recognition.

"He and I worked together for a little while, but I don't remember doing

anything special while he was here."

Laura said, "One night he asked you to join him for dinner and you

turned him down with a lie. When he asked if he had upset you, you told

him no and that was the truth. Well, that got his attention so he

followed you. You'd never guess what he discovered. His little helper

was out helping the homeless by bringing them food and clothes."

"He followed me?" Amy didn't know what to think of that.

"Of course, he did. He was investigating some stock manipulation crimes

and wanted to know that you weren't being used by some unscrupulous

individual."

"He suspected me?" asked Amy shocked at the suggestion.

"Not for a minute. He suspected everyone around you, particularly anyone

who he hadn't met," answered Peter from his seat at the table with

electronics. Absently, he played with a couple of resistors that were on

the table.

"How do you know that?"

"He told Harry and Harry told us," answered Laura.

Although she knew it was a stupid question, she asked, "Why would he

tell Harry?"

Laura answered, "Ed tried to find out what he could about your knees. He

had hoped that his wife would be able to correct the problem. When it

was discovered that your problem was congenital, there was nothing he

could do for you. So he decided to let Harry help you out with your

mission."

Amy had heard that part of the story before from Harry. Curious, she

asked, "Do you guys talk about people like me very much?"

Although the question wasn't very specific, Peter understood what she

was asking. He answered, "Ed likes to rescue women from bad situations.

He was quite disappointed when he discovered that he couldn't do more

for you. You've been a special case for a while."

"Oh," replied Amy. It wasn't a comfortable feeling knowing that you were

a subject of conversation among the most powerful people in the country.

She stood up and started to pace across the room trying to make sense of

what they had told her. She wondered what kinds of things they knew

about her. She stopped and looked at Catherine to ask a question.

Catherine, Laura, and Peter were watching Amy with broad smiles on their

faces wondering how long it would take her to realize that she was

walking without the aid of crutches. Amy looked from one person to the

next curious about the expressions on their face. "What?"

"Nothing."

Amy turned and took a step towards the couch she had abandoned. At that

moment, she realized why they were looking at her. She screamed, "I'm

walking!"

Black George watched the man walking towards the shed. He knew he should

recognize him, but he couldn't make out enough details to distinguish

him from others who visited there. It didn't matter, who ever it was,

he'd offer him a bunk and, after a little work, a hot meal. He went back

into the shed to check on the big pot of chili that was slowly cooking.

"Black George?" asked Bill hoping he had the name correct.

The black man turned and looked at Bill standing at the door. Close up,

he was able to see enough features to recall the identity of his

visitor. "Dapper Dandy! I'll be. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Amy," answered Bill wondering what it would take to get

rid of that nickname. After a moment of reflection, he decided that he'd

have to do something pretty awful and he'd not want the nickname that

would result.

"Druids took her." George turned back to face the stove.

Bill grabbed Black George by the arm and tried to turn the man to face

him. Despite his failure to budge the man, he asked, "Who took her?"

Black George looked down at the hand on his arm and then at Bill.

Getting the message that it would be best to unhand the man, Bill

released his arm. Frowning, Black George answered, "The Druids. You know

-- the guys in the robes. They took her to perform some experiments on her."

Concern for his girlfriend overcame his reason. Angry, he shouted, "You

let them take her to be the subject of some mad science experiment? What

is wrong with you? Where in the hell can I find these Druids?"

A throat clearing from behind him got Bill's attention. He turned to

find himself facing a black robed Druid. She looked at him carefully and

then said, "You won't find us in hell. We tend to avoid it as much as

possible."

Black George chuckled at her line about hell. He'd been about to shake

hands with Bill and welcome him to hell. He decided that her line was

better. He listened on the conversation knowing that he'd have a good

story to tell around the fire tonight.

Bill stared at the Druid for several seconds and then repeated his

question. "Where's Amy?"

"She's busy and will be unable to see you until Friday night, Bill."

"I want to see her right now!" He didn't notice that she knew his name.

He was more concerned for Amy. The previous Monday he had called and

she'd been very distracted. That was the last he'd heard from her. His

calls to her house on Tuesday went unanswered. He had tried again on

Wednesday with the same result. Thursday he'd called her office and left

a message with some young woman who had answered the phone. Amy never

called him back. Friday had been more of the same.

"You can't see her right now, she's busy. However, I've brought someone

here to keep you distracted until Friday. I'd like to introduce you to

your new intern, Sydney," answered Kristie while pointing to a young

woman wearing a blue robe. She was 5'4" and built like a cheerleader

with long blond hair that reached the middle of her back. Her eyes

twinkled with amusement at the exchange.

"The only one I want distracting me is Amy," said Bill insulted by the

suggestion that he take up with the young woman. His voice took on a low

threatening tone when he said, "If you've hurt Amy, I'll hunt down and

kill everyone of you."

Kristie studied Bill for several seconds. He was strong willed and a

good man. His concern for Amy was pure. She replied, "You would do that.

I find it rather touching that you'd sacrifice yourself that way for love."

"I don't think he's ready to be my mentor," said Sydney surprised by the

suggestion that he thought she was being offered as some sort of sexual

diversion. She didn't expect her practicum to start with this kind of scene.

"He's worried about Amy. I suppose there's only one thing to do."

"Right. Take me to Amy."

"We'll have to stop by a jeweler's to pick up a ring so that he can

propose to her Friday night."

It was not what he was expecting to hear. "Huh?"

"A man who's that much in love with a woman is eventually going to

propose to her. Might as well make it sooner than later," said Kristie

as she took him by the arm. She sighed and then said, "I'm sure there's

a jeweler near here who's open on Saturday."

Bill stumbled as she led him away from the homeless hotel and to his

car. Sydney followed them after waving farewell to Black George. The

black man shook his head and returned to his work preparing dinner.

After thinking about it for a minute, he looked up and stared out the

door of the shack. In a quiet voice that conveyed immense sadness, he

said, "We're gonna loose Amy. Dapper Dandy is gonna steal her from us."

The Friday night crowd was quiet as they watched Amy walk around the

fire pit at the Homeless Hotel. Gone were the clunky metal braces and

the arm crutches. A spider web of some black plastic material that

hugged her legs had replaced them. Amy paused and asked, "What do you

think?"

For nearly half a minute no one answered her. Finally, the California

Kid, in a resigned voice, said, "We're happy you can walk real good now."

The reaction was not what she had expected. Curious why they weren't

happy she could walk, she asked, "What's the matter?"

None of the men answered her. They all stared into the fire as if there

was something very interesting going on within the flames. The air was

filled with a sullen, almost bitter, feel. She looked around getting

angry that they were not happy for her. Putting her hands on her hips,

she shouted, "What's that matter?"

It was Bad News who finally answered her. He'd gotten that nickname

because he was usually the only one who had the heart to deliver bad

news. Staring woodenly at the fire, he said, "Now that you can walk,

Dapper Dandy is gonna marry you and take you from us. We's happy you can

walk, but losing you is almost more than we can take."

A voice came out from the dark surprising everyone. "You're right. I'm

gonna marry her if she'll have me."

Amy spun to see who spoke. Off balance, she fell to the ground. A dozen

hands reached out to pick her up. It was Black George who led her back

to her chair. As Amy sat down, Bill approached and dropped to one knee.

Holding out a ring, he asked, "Will you marry me?"

Amy stared at the ring in shock. The men, their worst fears being

realized, stared at the fire hunched over as if in pain. She couldn't

believe that he was asking her to marry him. Despite knowing there would

be problems, there was only one answer that she could give. Hand

trembling, she reached out to touch the simple gold band. Softly, she

said, "Yes."

There was a pained groan from the men around the fire. Leaning forward,

Bill kissed her. She returned the kiss with passion even as tears of

happiness gathered in her eyes. For the moment, they were only aware of

each other.

When they broke off the kiss, Bill stood and faced the circle of unhappy

men. Not one man looked at him. Their happiness for Amy conflicted with

their feelings of loss. More than one man entertained thoughts that

weren't exactly legal or gentle. If it wouldn't have hurt Amy, they'd

have beat him where he stood.

In a voice that carried around the fire, Bill said, "I've been working

this week to move my business to Chicago. Amy won't have to leave or

give up her life here. I imagine that she'll be here long after you guys

have found homes."

The past week had been busy for Bill. His intern, Sydney, had worked out

a scheme in which he separated the manufacturing part of his business

from sales and administration. The sales and administration teams were

going to move to a new location in the outskirts of Chicago while

manufacturing was going to stay where it was. The move would allow him

to expand his manufacturing facilities into the freed up area. It meant

that he was going to have to travel rather frequently between the two

sites, but the plan she had laid out was sound and would improve his

ability to grow the business.

The California Kid looked up at Bill once he realized what the man had

said. Tears streaked his face forming little light tracks that

contrasted with the ever-present thin layer of dirt. In a voice that

cracked, he asked, "Why would you do that?"

Understanding for the first time just how fragile some of the people who

stayed at the Homeless Hotel were, Bill answered, "She loves this place

as much as I love her. There's no way I could take her away from here

and live with myself."

A wave of relief washed through the men gathered there. The relief was

palpable. All anger disappeared. It was Hotel Harvey who said, "That

Dapper Dandy sure can sweet talk even when he's talkin' to us."

His comment broke the men's reserve and they swarmed Amy. She found

herself surrounded by happy men congratulating her on her new legs and

her upcoming marriage. Their comments were real and heartfelt.

Standing in the dark shadows, a small cluster of Druids looked at each

other and smiled. Each of them appreciated a job well done. Unnoticed by

others, all but one member left as a group to return to their regular

duties. After watching his fellow Druids leave, Happy Harry made his way

to the fire pit. As he entered the circle of light, he said, "Ladies and

Gentlemen, we have a wedding to plan. Why don't we let the newly engaged

couple go off and celebrate while we get to work?"

The homeless gathered around Harry and the volume of noise rose

considerably. It took less than a day for the news to spread to every

shelter, soup kitchen, and flophouse in the city. In less than a week,

the news had spread to both coasts and north to Toronto. When a date was

set, the great pilgrimage to Chicago began.

With a suddenness that was almost shocking, Amy and Bill were left alone

after Harry's announcement. Amy smiled and said, "Let's go home where we

can celebrate."

As they walked to the car, Amy asked, "What do you think of my new legs?"

"I'm kind of disappointed," answered Bill with a grin.

Amy froze and stared at him wondering how he could say such a thing.

Shocked, she asked, "Why?"

"Now when I chase you, there's a good chance you'll get away," he

answered. The tension melted away and she hit his shoulder a little

harder than she intended. It made a resounding thawk in the darkness. He

complained, "Ow!"

"You're horrible!"

"Yep."

"You're incorrigible!"

"Yep."

Wiggling the finger on which the ring had been placed, she said, "You're

mine."

"Yep and happy because of it."

Amy giggled and returned to walking towards the car. She said, "You

know, these legs are pretty good. I can do all kinds of things now that

I couldn't do before."

"Like what?" asked Bill. He hadn't really had a chance to check out her

new legs. He looked forward to getting her alone where he could explore

her new legs as well as the more interesting parts of her body.

"Oh, I can get on my knees and give blowjobs."

"Come to think of it, I'm beginning to like your new legs a whole lot

more," he teased. He remembered when she had wanted to do exactly that

and her emotional reaction when she realized that she couldn't.

"I'm going to be able to experience all kinds of sexual positions that I

couldn't before. I'll even be able to be on top of you." Even describing

the new possibilities caused her to get a little wet between the legs.

She couldn't wait to try out all of the possibilities.

"I beginning to love your new legs." His arm, which had been around her

shoulders, moved down so that he could cup her ass.

She started to lose her balance, but recovered with a little help from

him. Although she had been practicing with them for almost a full week,

she was still getting used to her new legs. Surprises tended to cause

her to lose control. She said, "Sorry. It's going to take a little time

to get used to them."

"Hey. People trip and fall all the time." He pinched her ass and was

rewarded with a nice little scream. He had to catch her before she fell.

When they reached her house, clothes flew in random directions as they

allowed their excitement free reign. The new brace did not interfere

with their lovemaking in any manner although her first orgasm nearly

launched her across the room. Over the next few days, she took every

opportunity to get on her knees and give him a blowjob. They both

enjoyed the benefits of her new legs.

Half of the high school football field was filled with shopping carts of

all sizes and shapes. The other half of the field was filled with cinder

blocks, milk crates, and stools upon which filthy men and woman sat. The

stands, designed to hold close to five thousand people, were filled.

Only a handful of the people seated wore suits or fancy dresses and they

were in the section set aside for family. The well-dressed guests tended

to stare at the slovenly mass of people seated around them. There were

notable exceptions among them, namely individuals who knew and worked

with the homeless.

The parking lot of the school was filled with roach coaches of every

size and description. Volunteers, who had come from churches located all

over the country, staffed tables laden with food and coffee. They'd been

busy for the past three days feeding the men and women who had drifted

to Chicago.

A cameraman, with a television reporter, was trying to find an

appropriate place to film the proceedings. If it turned out to be a slow

news day, the wedding would make good filler material. It wasn't often

that so many of the poorest in the country gathered together in one

place. It was even rarer when some of the richest people in the country

were seated next to them without complaint.

Amy was in the locker room getting into a simple white dress. Her

mother, emotional at the fact that her daughter was finally getting

married, tried to help, but kept breaking out into tears of joy. Carlie,

her intern, served as Maid of Honor and had taken charge of getting Amy

ready for the ceremony. She had been the only logical choice since Amy

had been overwhelmed by offers from the bag ladies that frequented the

homeless hotel.

Happy Harry was leaning against the concession stand wearing his green

robe and carrying his shepherd's staff. Beside him stood a very nervous

Bill. Bill was wearing a sport coat, a compromise between the Tuxedo

consistent with the expectations associated with such event and the blue

jeans that would have been appropriate around the homeless. Looking over

the crowd, Bill said, "It's hard to believe how many people she's helped."

Even though half of the attendees were there because it was an event, a

good percentage of them knew Amy. A dozen years of feeding and clothing

the homeless had allowed her to influence the lives of a lot of people.

Harry looked over those he considered his people with affection and more

than a little pride that they had chosen to come here to honor Amy. He

asked, "Any wonder why we took an interest in her?"

"None. She's an amazing woman," replied Bill feeling humbled by the

scene around him. He looked up at the sky amazed at the weather. The

temperature was cool, but not so cold as to be uncomfortable. The sky

was a clear blue without trace of a cloud anywhere. Even the infamous

Chicago wind had been tamed to a refreshing breeze. It seemed to him,

based on the weather, even the Gods and Goddesses were smiling upon

their wedding.

Under the guidance of Sydney, Amy's mother left the locker room to make

her way to the stands where she had a reserved seat in front of the

small platform on which the ceremony was to be held. Rounding the

corner, she saw the crowd of people gathered for the wedding for the

first time and stopped short in shock at the sheer number. She turned to

Sydney and asked, "Who are all these people?"

"Most of them are homeless."

"Why are they here?" she asked puzzled by the presence of so many

unwashed people.

"Amy has helped all of them. They've come to celebrate her happiness,"

answered Sydney with a smile. Seeing the incredulous expression on the

other woman's face, she added, "Your daughter is known around the

country as the Chicago Angel."

Amy's mother had despaired for years about the fact that her daughter

hadn't had a boyfriend ever since her injury. She had not known of Amy's

activities, believing instead that Amy was spending her time hiding from

life in the barren comfort of her apartment. Lame excuses for not

attending family holiday celebrations suddenly made sense. Still not

sure that she believed what she was hearing, she exclaimed, "You're

kidding."

Sydney pointed to the stands and said, "Over there is the team who

developed her new brace. The red robed woman hanging onto the brown

robed man is Catherine. She's married to Oliver. He's the one in the

brown robe and is head of the Druid organization. That man over there is

Ed Biggers. He's the head of those who serve the Two-Sided One, but he's

representing the Fusion Foundation."

"I hadn't noticed all of the Druids," she said. The thought that the

Grand Druid was attending her daughter's wedding was staggering. She

didn't know how to react to the news.

"Cardinal O'Reilly over there is the head of the Catholic Church in

North America. Seated beside him is a representative from the Vatican."

"Vatican?" Shocked, she looked at the priests huddled together in one

area of the stands.

"Yes, the Vatican. Your daughter doesn't even know the impact that she's

had."

The pair resumed walking to the stands to take their place. Harry

noticed and said, "It's about time for this show to get on the road."

Walking to the small platform was a nerve-wracking experience for Bill.

Unused to crowds, the sheer number of people was overwhelming.

Lightening the mood, Harry started marching like he was leading a

parade. The homeless, all of them well familiar with Harry, laughed at

his antics. Even Bill relaxed when the attention of the crowd was

transferred to Harry.

An expectant hush fell over the crowd when Bill and Harry stepped onto

the platform. Everyone knew that it was time for Amy to make her

appearance. Bill and Harry turned to watch for her to emerge.

Amy walked out of the locker room to make her way to the small platform

on which the ceremony was to be held. Rounding the corner, she saw the

crowd of people gathered for the wedding and stopped short. Hands

trembling, her hand rose to cover her open mouth as tears welled up in

her eyes. She couldn't believe the number of people who had showed up

for the ceremony. She had assumed that Harry had planned it here so that

the homeless at the shelter would be comfortable. Eyes scanning the

crowd, she couldn't believe how many people she recognized. So many

people and she knew most of them.

While her attention was on the crowd, Bottle Cap limped over to her. He

limped as a result of toes lost due to frostbite. A scar creased his

cheek; the result of a brutal beating by some drunk kids having a little

fun one Saturday night. After hesitating for a second, he said, "Miss

Amy. You're supposed to have something borrowed with you when you marry.

Would you like to borrow this?"

She looked down at his hand and saw that he was holding out a bottle cap

for her to take. Touched beyond words, she nodded her head and accepted

it. In a voice that trembled with emotion, he said, "That's my lucky

bottle cap. It's the only thing I have that means anything to me, but I

figure you should have it for this day."

Bottle Cap edged away feeling nervous about having given up his lucky

charm, but happy that he could contribute something to the ceremony. It

was a rusty old thing, at least twenty years old, and the paint had worn

away from years of handling. He'd had it for as long as he could

remember and had credited it with all of the good events in his life.

One of those events included the night Amy had saved him from freezing

to death.

Tears in her eyes at the gesture, she croaked something that sounded a

lot like, 'thank you.' Overwhelmed by emotions, Amy was barely aware of

being led to the platform and exchanging vows with Bill. Even Bill had

difficulty talking when it came time for him to speak his vows. Happy

Harry was smiling so broadly that his face started to hurt. The only one

who wasn't overwhelmed with emotion on the platform was the Minister.

The wedding platform wasn't the only place where emotions were running

high. Whiskered men and worn women, hardened by years on the street,

wiped eyes during the ceremony. One of their own had found happiness and

allowed them to share in it. It was such a rare occasion on the street.

Before Bride or Groom realized it, the ceremony was over. When the

Minister shouted that they were man and wife, the crowd let loose with a

loud roar. For a moment, it sounded like the home team had won the state

championship. With eyes only for each other, the newlyweds kissed.

Throughout the kiss, the crowd repeatedly shouted, "Amy!"

A swarm of people descended upon the newlyweds. Amidst the chaos of

happy words and tears, Bottle Cap hung back, anxiously watching her. Amy

noticed and gestured for him to come over. She handed the bottle cap

back to the very relieved man; giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek

in the process. Harry noticed the exchange and recognized what had

happened. He went over Bottle Cap. "That was a nice gesture Bottle Cap."

"She's a special lady, Harry." Bottle Cap, embarrassed at being noticed,

looked down at the ground and nudged a patch of grass with his toe.

Harry looked at the horizon for a moment as though pondering something

great. He looked over at Bottle Cap and then said, "I need an assistant

to help me in the roach coach. Are you interested?"

Bottle Cap stared at Harry and then nodded his head. In a soft voice, he

said, "I'd like that a lot."

"Let's go. There's a bunch of folks that need feeding." He led the way

to the roach coach. Bottle Cap followed pleased to be of help to Harry.

It wasn't often that he was the person doing the helping.

It took almost two hours for Bill and Amy to make their way to the

parking lot. They ended up at the table set up by the Wooden Spoon. Mike

and Gail greeted the couple with hugs and kisses of congratulations.

When she finally had a chance to say something, Amy said, "You shouldn't

be working here, you're an invited guest."

"Are you kidding? We're not working," answered Mike with a wink. Even

though he was the CEO of a major investment company, he never forgot the

lesson Harry had taught him so many years ago.

Gail smiled and gestured to the crowd around the table. "We're having a

party with a few of our friends."

Looking around at the huge number of people in the parking lot, Amy

asked, "Any one ever tell you that you tend to understate things a bit?"

The group laughed. Mike pointed to another stand about thirty yards

distant and said, "Stop by Richard's set up over there for some coffee

when you're done eating. I'm sure he'd like to see you."

After his tour with Harry, Richard had started driving through streets,

alleys, and abandoned construction sites in an old van. On the cold

frigid winter nights common in Chicago, he'd hand out cups of coffee and

coats to anyone who needed them. During the summer, he'd deliver bottled

water and mineral tablets to help stave off the effects of heat. He felt

it wasn't much, but it was the best he could do.

Hours passed as the couple moved through the crowd. It was exhausting,

but the good kind of exhaustion that came greeting friends. They made

sure to sample items at the various food stations while talking to those

who had volunteered their time. Finally, aware that even the best times

have to come to an end, they made their way to their car.

When they reached the parking lot, Amy noticed Johnny walking away from

them with his wife and two kids. He was the driver of the bus she used

to take and she hadn't seen him since the night he had dropped her off

at the site of the homeless hotel. She called out, "Johnny."

The man turned to see who had called out for him. A smile grew when he

realized that it was Amy. He was pleased that she remembered him. "Hello

Amy."

Amy went to him and gave him a big hug. She whispered in his ear, "Thank

you. You always watched out for me. I can't tell you how much I

appreciated it."

Turning to his wife, she said, "Your husband played a very special role

in my life. He took me where I was needed and made sure that I was

picked up afterwards. I felt a lot safer knowing he was watching over me."

Hearing words of praise by someone so well respected, Johnny's wife

looked at her husband in pride. Others might see nothing more than a bus

driver, but she knew the man and loved him. She said, "He's got a good

heart."

Smiling, Amy said, "And that heart belongs to you. I've never met anyone

so proud of his wife. I've wanted to meet you for such a long time to

let you know that you're a very lucky woman."

As Johnny's wife hugged her husband, Bill looked at Amy knowing that he

was the lucky one there. Amy was remarkable woman and he knew it.

Energetic and attractive, she was modest beyond belief. Kind and caring,

she loved in the purest way possible. He loved her with his entire heart

and soul. How could he not love her -- she was an angel.

Your opinion is *important*:

Please cast your /fair/ vote for:

"*Harry and Amy*"

The End

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To: *Lazlo Zalezac*

Subject: Harry and Amy

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Posted: 2005-08-06

Last Modified: 2005-08-10 / 05:22:23 pm

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