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In The Course Of Faith
Serendipitous. Yea, that's the word the guy used. Manny didn't know what it meant, but he loved the way it just rolled off his tongue. It was one of those words which made his lips vibrate a little when he uttered it; especially, 'dip-i-tous'. Today he daydreamed as he walked a non-descript railroad track, as he'd done hundreds of times before. The planks passed under his feet and he had to alter his natural stride to land directly on every third one. After all these years, it occurred to him that he’d never been able to change it.
Many things couldn’t be changed. Life on the road was not what Manny had expected. The isolation and solitude were difficult for him. Sometimes he just sang to the trees, and pretended they were companions. Hello, Frank Poplar, you're looking great, today. I see the Mrs. is expecting again, you rascal.
Naturally gregarious, although he wouldn't have known what the word meant, Manny genuinely liked people and enjoyed the opportunity to converse. The subject was unimportant, Manny wasn’t scholarly; he watched and if asked, offered advice or gave solace as needed. He was empathetic rather than sympathetic, and it was not in his nature to talk down to anyone. Mannerisms were important to Manny, too. As he watched and listened, he noted the body-language of the speaker; gestures added insight into personality. People with foreign accents usually gestured with their bodies as well as their hands, as if to guide him to their meaning like a man trying to entice a small child to sit in a chair.
Others made no attempt to gesture at all. These were folks who Manny felt uncomfortable around. The road taught him to be wary of the silent ones. Many out here wanted and needed to be left alone. Violating the wrong man's space could be a fatal mistake.
Autumn was as transitional for Manny as for most people in temperate regions. He had no house to prepare for winter, no wood to chop, or even any plans to make for family get-togethers, but he still had to make preparation, nevertheless. Was there a warm place to huddle against the wind and a sufficient supply of rations available for ready consumption? Would he be able to find dry wood for a fire, in a place that wouldn't attract attention? Could he reasonably expect to wake up in the morning at all? Manny's heirarchy of needs wasn't that different from Joe Average Citizen, really, just less secure… maybe more serendipitous.
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