Looked Down On and Frowned On

Zak, had always felt himself being picked on. He looked different, but was kind to others, no matter really how they acted toward him. He was friendly to others all he could and helped anyone that looked like they were in need. No matter what, however he felt alone and lost. He did okay in school but never played the fool. He pretty much kept to himself. Zak did have friends, but they were all pretty much treated pretty much like him. He loaned his friends books and stuff, but rarely got them back without asking for them two or three times.

As Zak grew older, he got smarter, but still felt like he had nothing to do to become a winner. He constantly saw himself as a looser. He lived just off Pearl Street in the house he inherited from his parent. This seemed like this was his only achievement. At work he’d did his job and got payed enough to pay bills, but still felt alone, lost, poor, and a looser. It was mid-week and he walked the block to Safeway in a gentle rain. He walked in brisk step. Just forty feed from the store he saw a penny on the sidewalk and he thought to himself, “If I slow down and bend over to pick up the penny I’ll get wet and look like a fool.” He stepped over the coin and continued to the grocery store. Returning home walked out of the store and then stepped over the penny again and made it home without getting wet and cold.

The next day he went back to work, did his job and returned home for the week end. On Sunday he read the Tacoma Sunday morning paper and stopped dead when he saw a picture of a longtime friend on page four. His friend, Max Baxter, had found a coin outside of Safeway that was worth a bundle. It was a rare coin. Max thought to himself, “If I had a straight razor, instead of my Triple Blade Razor from Dollar Tree, I’d slit my throat.”

A hour later Zak heard a knock on the front door and peeked through the eye hole to see his old friend Max. What went through his mind was “Here I go getting belittled for my stupidity, my laziness, and my simpleton existence.” With a sad smile he opened the door and Max entered with a smile from ear to ear. Max gave Zak a hug and said “Did you read the paper this morning?” Zak gave a sad nod and said “Congratulations.” Max said, “You need to smile and enjoy yourself. last week I saw you in the rain outside Safeway and saw you stepping over something as you hurried home. I said to myself, “What in the heck did Zak do?” I got out of my car and walked over to the sidewalk to see what you had stepped over. When I got home I looked up the coin and thought perhaps it was worth something. It was . . . Zak, we are rich . . . not filthy rich, but we will be well off for a quite sometime.” Zak with mouth wide open just starred at Max. Max continued, you’ve been a great friend, and seeing you stepping over something in the raid just caught my attention.”

Zak, on the verge of tears, remarked “It’s nice that you want to share, but it’s all yours.” Max said, “No it’s not. You’ve always been smart and welcoming . . . and a true friend. We’ve both been overlooked and looked down on. Let’s enjoy the money and our friendship.”