Emo was the resident derelict of Pawtuxet Village.
He was a filthy creature who reeked of the twenty cats with whom he shared his delapidated shack of a house- his share of a once prominent family's estate.
Rag doll of a man that he was, he had penetrating, sensitive, " artist " eyes . And Laurie, a talented, young pencil portrait painter, noticed this. Where everybody else in the quaint neighborhood saw a loathsome creature, Laurie saw a misunderstood, persecuted ET. "Poor Emo!" she would often say to unsympathetic locals.
One morning she sat across from him at the coffee shop and boldly started a conversation with the pariah : " Hi Emo! My name is Laurie and I think you have an INTERESTING FACE. I want to sketch it before I go to school."
Emo looked a little shocked, almost embarrassed by the pretty 12 year old's kind tone of voice and interest in him as a Person. In ten minutes she completed her " miracle " sketch and handed it to Emo. He studied this " portrait " with an intense expression for a while. Tears formed in his bloodshot eyes and he quickly handed the pencil portrait back to Laurie.
" I must be going. Food stamp day today ". Just as he was getting up from his counter seat, Laurie said: "Walk me to school Emo. I take the short cut through the woods."
In the woods on a sun lit pathway, Emo was silent while the girl studied him. In front of her favorite lilac bush Laurie kissed him sweetly and innocently on the cheek. And then ran away from him toward the school building. Emo –who was last kissed by his dead mother years ago, began to obsess on the young girl Laurie.
He began to see her as his little " girl friend ". In his fantasy he "romanced " her in the old fashioned chivalrous way. He began to spruce himself up before going to the coffee shop, always hoping to run into sweet Laurie. Money formerly spent on booze and gambling was now spent on hair cuts and second hand but clean clothes.
Emo found employment in the coin laundry, "The Soap Opera". He noticed that Laurie was not around lately and found out that she was on vacation with her parents -Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Having shaped up a little, he was no longer banned from the public library. He checked out books like "The Story of Philosophy ".
One morning he woke up to find himself "famous". On the front page of the "Warwick Beacon" was featured Laurie's portrait of him with the caption: "First Prize Winner in New England Regional Contest."
Life became easier and more pleasant for derelict Emo after achieving local " celebrity " status.
But he never saw his Sweet Laurie again. In early September she was again on the front page of the morning papers: "Promising Girl Artist Killed by Drunken Driver." After that sad day Emo never drank another drop of booze- in honor of Laurie's kindness to him. Within a year he was managing the "Soap Opera". Laurie's picture of him- in a beautiful wooden frame, decorates his desk.
He was a filthy creature who reeked of the twenty cats with whom he shared his delapidated shack of a house- his share of a once prominent family's estate.
Rag doll of a man that he was, he had penetrating, sensitive, " artist " eyes . And Laurie, a talented, young pencil portrait painter, noticed this. Where everybody else in the quaint neighborhood saw a loathsome creature, Laurie saw a misunderstood, persecuted ET. "Poor Emo!" she would often say to unsympathetic locals.
One morning she sat across from him at the coffee shop and boldly started a conversation with the pariah : " Hi Emo! My name is Laurie and I think you have an INTERESTING FACE. I want to sketch it before I go to school."
Emo looked a little shocked, almost embarrassed by the pretty 12 year old's kind tone of voice and interest in him as a Person. In ten minutes she completed her " miracle " sketch and handed it to Emo. He studied this " portrait " with an intense expression for a while. Tears formed in his bloodshot eyes and he quickly handed the pencil portrait back to Laurie.
" I must be going. Food stamp day today ". Just as he was getting up from his counter seat, Laurie said: "Walk me to school Emo. I take the short cut through the woods."
In the woods on a sun lit pathway, Emo was silent while the girl studied him. In front of her favorite lilac bush Laurie kissed him sweetly and innocently on the cheek. And then ran away from him toward the school building. Emo –who was last kissed by his dead mother years ago, began to obsess on the young girl Laurie.
He began to see her as his little " girl friend ". In his fantasy he "romanced " her in the old fashioned chivalrous way. He began to spruce himself up before going to the coffee shop, always hoping to run into sweet Laurie. Money formerly spent on booze and gambling was now spent on hair cuts and second hand but clean clothes.
Emo found employment in the coin laundry, "The Soap Opera". He noticed that Laurie was not around lately and found out that she was on vacation with her parents -Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Having shaped up a little, he was no longer banned from the public library. He checked out books like "The Story of Philosophy ".
One morning he woke up to find himself "famous". On the front page of the "Warwick Beacon" was featured Laurie's portrait of him with the caption: "First Prize Winner in New England Regional Contest."
Life became easier and more pleasant for derelict Emo after achieving local " celebrity " status.
But he never saw his Sweet Laurie again. In early September she was again on the front page of the morning papers: "Promising Girl Artist Killed by Drunken Driver." After that sad day Emo never drank another drop of booze- in honor of Laurie's kindness to him. Within a year he was managing the "Soap Opera". Laurie's picture of him- in a beautiful wooden frame, decorates his desk.
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