Homeless Man Steals Woman’s Purse at the Park, Finds Photo of His Mother in It — Story of the Day
A man steals an old woman’s purse in the park and makes an extraordinary discovery that ends up transforming his life.
Timothy Oster had been living on the streets for so long that he’d forgotten he’d ever lived any other way. At thirty-five, he was hardened, angry, and like so many other homeless people, he deadened the pain with drink.
Twenty years on the streets meant that Tim was a survivor, and the things he did to survive weren’t always exactly legal, or pleasant. Tim had no friends because no one trusted him, and he trusted no one. It is hard to imagine a lonelier life.
Timothy’s life was miserable, and he had long forgotten it had ever been different | Source: Shutterstock.com
Once, long ago, Tim had been happy. He had lived with his mom in a small apartment in East Harlem, and maybe it hadn’t been Easy Street, but Ellie Oster had been street-wise and funny, and her son’s best friend.
Ellie also had a drug problem, but she had always made sure Tim was safe, clean, and well-fed. Social Services had come around once or twice, but despite her problems, they had to admit Ellie was a good mom.
“We’re family!” Ellie would cry fiercely. “It’s just us two in the whole world — remember that!”
Tim remembered. He remembered that as he grew older, Ellie had grown less pretty and more desperate, and sometimes he’d begged her to stop using, to go to rehab. Ellie had said, “I can’t leave you, buddy! Remember, it’s just us two in the whole world!”
Despite her problems, Ellie was a good and loving mother | Source: Unsplash
On the terrible night when Ellie died, a fire had broken out in their rat-trap apartment building, and there was no way out. Ellie had thrown a chair through the window and let in the icy air, which had only made the flames leap higher.
Elie pushed Tim into the waiting fireman’s arms, and screamed, “GO!” When they came back for her, it was too late. The shivering, weeping Tim had been taken in by Child Services, but a week later, he ran away.
“It’s just me in the whole world, mom,” he whispered, and that was how he had been living since then, footloose and free, with an eye on the main chance. Tim looked around him.
“Hey, hey!” he whistled. The opportunity...