Toronto Earth Hour

A big red man in a white stretched racing shirt, wearing his gold necklace, nervously takes a position between his son and the ranting hobo.

"I'd like to give your son some money sir
but you'd have to pay me first."

The guy nods, and mumbles that he understands, sarcastically.

We pull into the station, people get off, people get on, and then we pull out.

"I used to sleep there, at that station, on a mattress on the snow
but, but, but they made me sleep at St. Stephen's house, and I did
but I left and I slept at the church."

More sarcastic muttering and the kid, big glasses and mushroom haircut, laughs.

"Do you know where I can go sir?"

Sarcastic, again, and the son and the father both laugh.

"You gotta talk to Zooli, I think."

Just nonsense, they're dismissing him.

"Do you know where he is sir?
Do you know where he is?"

We pull into a station and the man and his son get off, and then we pull out.

"I know I have a free ticket, Lord, I know
I know I have a free ticket, I do
Not many people have that."

People inch away, as he begins to sway on his hips, rubbing his chalky hands together, blinking and looking around.

"I get to go up when I die, I get to go up
While some people go down, Lord, some people go down...
Go down... They..."

Softly he starts to cry, and it becomes heart-breaking, and nobody can watch anymore, everyone looks away, except a guy with a canvas in a garbage bag. He leans into him, but doesn't touch.

"Hey man, it'll be alright."

The hobo's eyes light up, unfocused, like a blind man.

"Are you a believer sir, do you believe?"

"Looking at you... I want to."

Every girl on that car falls in love with him, bastard, but you have to admit it's a beautiful line. An honest moment, real humanity, so heavy it weighs me down. The train pulls in, people get out, and after a minute I do the same.

I saw that today. True story.