The Story of Elijah (Eli)

Steven: “Hi, I’m Steven. Do you mind if I interview you?”
Elijah: “Go ahead. As long as you ain’t a cop, we good.”

Steven: “I’m just here to talk. What’s your name?”
Elijah: “Elijah. Most people just call me Eli.”

Steven: “Nice to meet you, Eli. How’s your day been?”
Elijah: “Same as every other. Woke up and I’m just happy that I’m still breathing.”

Steven: “We shouldn’t take every day for granted… that’s the right mindset…How long have you been out here?”
Elijah: “Since I was 14. So… damn, almost eight years now. It’s been way too long.”

Steven: “Fourteen? That’s young. What happened if you don’t mind me asking.”
Elijah: “My old man liked his beer more than he liked having a son. My mom, she wasn’t in the picture. One night, he came home pissed off about something and threw a bottle at my head. After that, it went crazy and a bunch of police had to come and I didn’t have anyone to go to, so maybe like a few months, I went to be by myself.”

Steven: “I’m sorry to hear that. Did you have anywhere to go?”
Elijah: “Nah. I slept in an abandoned house for a while, then met some guys who taught me how to survive, and he did a pretty good job. I’m still alive today, but the number one thing I learned is that you have to be quick with knowing…who to avoid, where to sleep, because there are technically rules out here.”

Steven: “What do you mean by rules?”
Elijah: “Like, if a spot looks too good to be true, it probably is. If someone’s too friendly, they probably want something. And never, ever sleep too deep. You wake up missing something…shoes, money, maybe even a kidney if you’re real unlucky.”

Steven: “Wow, that is scary to even think about… a kidney… Have you ever had something stolen from you?”
Elijah: “Yeah. A few years ago, I had a backpack once with everything I owned like some clothes, a picture of my mom, a little pocket knife my uncle gave me. Then, I woke up one morning, and it was just gone. That one hurt because it was the only picture of my mom I had.”

Steven: “Do you ever think about trying to find your mom?”
Elijah: “She’s dead. OD’d when I was ten. I barely remember her, except for the smell of vanilla lotion. She used to put that on before she left for work.”

Steven: “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Elijah: “It is what it is, man. Ain’t no point in dwelling.”

Steven: “Is there anything weird you’ve seen out here?”
Elijah: “Weird? Man, I seen it all. Saw a dude argue with a pigeon for like ten minutes, dead serious. Pigeon won (laughs). Then there was this one guy who walked around in a full tuxedo, but he was barefoot. Told me he was an undercover billionaire doing research”

Steven: “That’s a new one and must’ve been a very interesting experience. Did you believe him?”
Elijah: “Hell no. But he was nice enough to buy me a sandwich after I asked, so whatever he was, worked for me.”

Steven: “That’s cool man. Is there something you wish people understood about being homeless?”
Elijah: “That it’s not always about bad choices. People love that narrative that goes something like: Oh, he must’ve done drugs, he must be lazy, he must’ve screwed up. Nah, sometimes life just overwhelms you and there’s no one to support you.”

Steven: “That is the most common response I’ve seen in my comment section…how anything can happen to anyone…do you ever see yourself getting out of this situation?”
Elijah: “Some days, yeah. Some days, no. It’s hard to plan for the future when you’re just tryna make it to tomorrow. People say get a job like that’s easy. Try getting hired when you don’t have a phone, address, clean clothes, or a way to shower. They see your ID got no address, that’s it. Game over.”

Steven: “Fair enough. What’s something about you people wouldn’t expect?”
Elijah: “I used to be real good at math. Like, weird good. Back in middle school, they wanted me to skip a grade. Now, I use it to figure out how long I can make five bucks last.”

Steven: ” If things were different, what do you think you’d be doing?”
Elijah: “Probably an accountant or something boring like that. But boring sounds kinda nice, don’t it?”

Steven: “Yeah, sometimes it’s nice to just have the luxury of being bored. I do wish people give homeless individuals another, especially based on the interviews I’ve done. They really can use a second chance, and I just know they’ll make the most out of it… Do you have any hidden talent?”
Elijah: “No not really. I gotta go soon.”

Steven: “Okay, one last question. If you could have three wishes right now, what would they be?”
Elijah: “One, a fresh pair of socks. Two, a steak dinner. I could really use a steak these past few months. I haven’t had much at all. My third would being able to sleep in like in a bed, without worrying about someone robbing me or the cops telling me that I have to move. Sleep’s important and it’s nice. Man, I wish I can be under the blanket on a nice cozy bed. That’d be nice.”

Steven: “No big wishes like a house or money?”
Elijah: “Those ain’t happening. Gotta wish for what’s possible.”

Steven: “Alright, thank you for your time and I wish you the best of luck.”