My Cardboard Balcony

This Heavy Heart by Belinda Roddie This heavy heart of mine is weighing down upon me on this chilly Christmas night, as I slog through the slush and snow downtown to get myself a cocoa and a light. The café is still open, and the girl behind the register looks nearly dead from exhaustion. Her eyes are like the world submerged in sadness. As her head droops, I'm inspired to do something for her, something insignificant, but still nice. I fetch some cookies and mints from the store nearby, a little sugar and some spice, and give them to her with a note that reads, "Thank you for catering to others' needs."

"Hey! Hey, you!" At first, I didn't know who was talking to me. I was still lifting myself up from the pavement, not sure if it had been a bicyclist or a bison that had bowled me over. When my vision cleared up just enough, I saw my classmate Marshall limp up to me. He had always had a bad leg. "You there!" Marshall said as he helped me to a bench. "You okay?" "Yeah, fine," I murmured. "Just a little shaken up, is all."