Out in the streets

“It’s cold tonight” she said and rubbed her hands. “It’s cold and I need fire”, she thought.

She went on moving around the city, crossing roads, watching other people move, hurry, stumble, laugh and cry.

“It’s cold tonight”, she thought while passing by a poor man that was sleeping on the street. “He must be warm under all these coverings” she thought but took that thought back as she felt guilty.

“I’ m cold. I’m cold. I’m cold. What am I? I’m cold. What am I? I’m cold”, she thought.

Another homeless man on the street. Under warm coverings.

“I wish I could lie there beside him. I’m cold” she said and went on walking.

“I’m cold and I need fire. But I cannot ask for fire. I’m incapable of asking fire”, she said. And she took a box of matches out of her pocket. And her hands were trembling from cold. And she stroke one match. And then a second one. And then a third…. until she had lit them all up.

The homeless man woke up from the smell of the burning fire. And he said, “Excuse me lady… Can I sit by you? You are so warm here. You are so warm…”