Cali Sunshine & Rain

She did not consider herself homeless. In fact, she scoffed at the idea. “I am “house-less” if anything,” she would often tell herself. Her Moleskine notebook was home to her. It was home to her thoughts, home to her emotional traumas, home to the highlights of her exhausting days and home to her music.

At twenty-six she needed to leave home because “home” wasn’t safe. Since then, she has redefined home as being wherever she has a pen in her hand, even if the surroundings are anything but comfortable.

At the shelter they don’t ask questions except the routine ones. She appreciated that. She felt the curveballs too heartbreaking for her earnest nature to answer. She wanted to respond to their questions in full, but she felt the words she would speak could only ever bring more questions, and then more. She feared their invasive nature, and so she kept it surface level with everyone, except her little black book.

Cali’s energy was one that people wanted to be near, so she tried to dim her light. It never worked. She could never let anyone in because anyone who had ever been close before had tried to use, manipulate or drain her in some capacity. She sometimes likened her condition to that of a zombie apocalypse. She wanted others to leave her alone until they sorted themselves out first, feeling as though they were frothing at the mouth to be close to her. She knew on some level that things were dark for her right now but nevertheless she maintained hope.

And there lay her conundrum, but her greatest foresight indeed.

Late one evening, Cali walked along her regular dimly lit route back to the shelter for a version of a good night’s sleep. She had her life’s possessions on her back, her eyes on the stars and was listening to “Unforgettable” by French Montana featuring Swae Lee. Just then, when she finally felt a moment of calm, peace and serenity in her day, a tall and distractingly handsome man came running straight in her direction. The two collided chest first leaving both Cali and the equally distracted stranger entangled in some sort of spontaneous embrace.

“I’m so sorry ma, didn’t see you there, you okay?” he looked down at her from his 6’2 strong build with honest big brown eyes.

“Am I okay? Let me go. I’m fine.” Cali wasn’t fine, she was shook. She didn’t know what was worse, the sincerity in his question or the fact that she hadn’t ever been held like this before in her life.

He looked at her, realized he was still holding her upright to make sure she didn’t fall, and then let her go. He then watched while she brushed herself off and straightened her jacket as if to hide the fact that she’d been on and off the streets for years already.

“I’m not invisible.” Cali said, reminding him that he was in fact speaking to a living and breathing human being.

The man responded almost hurt, “I don’t mean to imply…”

“They never do.” Cali said, rolling her eyes.

Then he extended his hand for a traditional handshake and said, “my bad, let’s start over. I’m Romeo.”

“Romeo?” Cali laughed, taking his hand. It was actually more of a giggle, a flirty one at that, which surprised her more than anyone.

“Yeah. Mama was a Shakespeare fan, what can I say.” Romeo said with a coy side smile.

Then there was a silence that lasted long enough for Cali to look up at the stars and Romeo to continue looking at her intently. The more he looked at her, the more exposed she felt, but he interrupted her insecurity with his normalcy in interaction.

“So, what was your mama a fan of? She name you after her favorite flower?” Romeo asked with genuine curiosity.

Cali thought momentarily about lying to him, after all he was a complete stranger, but something about him made her trust Romeo. At least enough to know her real name.

“Actually, she named me after her favorite type of sunshine, Cali.” She said with warmth.

“Fitting.” Romeo announced with a smile.

He was flirting with her too. They were flirting back and forth. Cali had not flirted with anyone since she left home. She knew that there was no room for dalliances while she was on the streets. She was too vulnerable. Anyone, even the kindest of individuals, could find a surge in the power differential to exploit. She couldn’t take that risk.

But Romeo was nice, kind, seemed sincere, and worst of all he was alarmingly well dressed. Surely he had noticed she wasn’t?

“So Cali, tell me, is there sunshine in my forecast?” Romeo bravely inquired.

He was making a play. She knew what he meant, and who knows if there was sunshine in his forecast, there could be… but, still she played it safe in her reply saying, “Mama didn’t give me the ability to foresee that.”

Cali may have been playing it safe, but Romeo was smooth. Earning his name, the handsome stranger then went for it saying, “Interesting…I hear you. But she did give you the ability to give a Romeo your number…didn’t she?”

“You want…my number?” Cali asked with her jaw proverbially dropped.

“You’re surprised?” Romeo asked, again curious for her response.

“I’m bewildered.” She stated.

Just then Cali realized she missed curfew for the shelter while speaking to this fine gentleman. It wasn’t his fault. She couldn’t blame him, but now she would have to find a safe space to sleep tonight. As the thought of sleeping in the cold washed over her, Romeo could read the melancholy on Cali’s face.

“I don’t mean no disrespect, but can I help? With whatever it is you need help with. I don’t want to presume, but I think I’ve been where you have before. You’re beautiful, you know that and so do I. I don’t want to put you in any position, but is there something I can help you with?” As Romeo asked Cali this his body language changed. His arms opened up, as did his hands and his heart.

Cali started crying, knowing that he knew at this point. The conversation went from every girl’s dream to every woman’s nightmare. But he was trying to help, in some capacity, surely there could be at least one kind person in the universe. She could say “no, thank you and good night,” or she could say “yes, I need help.”

She chose the latter.

“A hot meal could be nice.” This made Cali cry harder. It was the truth. It was what she needed.

“Cool Ma, there’s a 24-hour joint around the corner. They make everything. I’m in no rush.” Romeo said motioning towards the Northeast corner.

“That’s funny coming from the man who winded me 5 short minutes ago.” Cali said, wiping the mascara tears running down her face.

They both laughed.

Romeo smiled again and then said, “Well, plans change.”

Romeo and Cali walked to Cecile’s, a 24-hour 1950’s style deli, about a block away. He held the door open for her as her eyes darted around the restaurant looking for the peering eyes of others. They were a clearly mismatched pair, but she was exhausted, hungry and in need of human connection. Thankfully the restaurant was relatively empty.

“Order anything you want, I’m going to fill the parking meter. I’ll be back in a few.” Romeo announced this as he walked away, placing his order with the waitress right before exiting the restaurant doors. Cali watched him walk away until he was completely out of sight. She unloaded her backpack from her body and unzipped her jacket letting out a large exhale.

“Hi doll, what’ll it be?” the waitress asked.

“Oh. Umm, I’ll have the veggie burger with sweet potato fries and a vegan chocolate shake. Wow, that looks great. Yeah, I’ll have that thank you.” Cali couldn’t believe her good fortune.

Romeo returned with a black bag in hand. It was notably full.

He sat in the booth smiling and placed the bag on the floor near Cali’s feet.

“Look, I don’t know how to say this to you so I’m just going to say it.” Romeo took a deep breath and continued, “I know that you’re living on the streets. I’ve seen you before. I’m not recording this. I’m not going to post this to Instagram, unless for some reason that’s your wish but I’d rather not. I’m a music producer and I know you’re an artist. I just want to help out. So, with no strings attached, I’m giving you $20,000 with absolutely zero expectations of anything in return. I have been homeless before and I am now in a position where I can help you secure your future. So, I am doing that.”

Shocked, completely speechless and almost traumatized by the kindness, Cali asked “But, why me?”

“You just so happened to practice your freestyles and vocals in the alley below my condo.” He said, again with a smile.

“I also make very personal phone calls from that alley.” Cali said looking mortified.

“I’m sorry, I overheard. And you know what I heard? That you are a beautiful soul who is in a rough space. So, what’d you order?” He asked as if there wasn’t $20,000 just casually sitting by their feet on the floor of this 24-hour deli.

“I don’t know what to say…” Cali pushed out those words from her lips because that was all she could muster.

“Well, you can start with hopefully telling me you got a milkshake because those are infamous here.” Romeo said still smiling.

“Thank you. Thank you! Thank you so much. I…I don’t know if I can eat now, I’m so overwhelmed.” Cali said pushing herself away from the table while transfixed on the $20,000 touching her toes.

“Oh please, don’t say that. You can take as long as you need to eat. Or you can take it to go. Just please tell me you’ll try to eat.” Romeo now looked concerned. He felt in that brief moment as though he had done the wrong thing, but in his heart, he knew that what he was doing was right. He remembered being on the streets himself. He remembered all of the times he heard Cali crying in the alleyway. He knew she had a good head on her shoulders. He knew she could use this money to turn her life around.

They both looked at each other for a silence that felt like it lasted decades. Just then the waitress set down the meals in front of them, the scent of the warm French fries overpowered Cali and she began to eat, one bite at a time. She was mid-meal when she looked up and noticed Romeo crying.

“Thank you.” He said.

“For what?” Cali asked.

“For trusting me enough to share space, time and accept my gift.” He pulled out his business card and handed it to Cali.

She read his name back to him, “Romeo Henderson.”

“One and only.” He said slurping on his chocolate milkshake happily like a child.

Cali opened her torn up backpack and pulled out her Moleskine notebook, placing Romeo’s contact details secure within the pages of her trustworthy little black book.

They finished their meals and continued talking until the early hours of the morning. When it was just before dawn and after they had drank all of the milkshakes they could possibly drink, Romeo and Cali walked out of Cecile’s with smiles on both of their faces.

“It’s nice to see you smile.” Romeo told Cali.

“It’s nice to be seen smiling.” Cali responded to Romeo.

Romeo hesitated and almost turned away as if to leave but then asked, “do you know what you’re going to do next?”

Cali looked Romeo in his generous brown eyes and without hesitation replied, “absolutely.”