Andy Andrews - The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective

H IS NAME WAS J ONES. A T LEAST, THAT'S WHAT I CALLED him. Not Mr. Jones just Jones. He called me young man or son. And I rarely heard him call anyone else by name either. It was always young man or young lady, child or son.

He was old, but the kind of old that is difficult to quantify. Was he sixty-five or eighty or a hundred and eighty? And every single time I ever laid eyes on him, he had an old, brown suitcase close at hand.

Me? I was twenty-three when I saw him for the first time. He held out his hand, and for some reason, I took it. Looking back on the moment, I think that act in itself was a small miracle. Any other time, and with any other person, considering my circumstances, I might have cowered in fear or come out with my fists flying.

I had been crying, and he heard me, I guess. My cries were not the muffled sobs of loneliness or the whimpering of discomfort though certainly I was lonely and uncomfortable but the anguished wail that a guy will let loose only when he is sure there is no one around to hear him. And I was sure. Wrong, obviously, but sure. At least as sure as one spending another night under a pier can be.

My mother had succumbed to cancer several years earlier, a tragic event in my life that was compounded shortly thereafter by my father, who, neglecting to wear his seat belt, managed to chase my mother into the afterlife by way of an otherwise survivable automobile accident.

One questionable decision followed another during the confused aftermath of what I saw as my abandonment, and within a couple of years, I found myself on the Gulf Coast, without a home, a vehicle, or the financial means to obtain either. I did odd jobs mostly cleaning fish on the piers or selling bait to the tourists and showered at the beach or swam myself clean in a pool at one of the hotels.

If it was cold, there was always a garage left open in one of the many empty vacation homes that dotted the beach. Rich people (anyone who owned a vacation home), I soon learned, often had an extra refrigerator or freezer hooked up in their garages. Not only were these excellent sources of old lunch meat and drinks, but they also worked almost as well as a heater if I lay close to the warm air that blew from the fan at the bottom.

Most nights, though, I much preferred my home underneath the Gulf State Park Pier. I had a large hole dug in and smoothed out right where the concrete met the sand. Visualize a monstrous lean-to: it was roomy, absolutely hidden from view, and as dry as anything ever is at the beach. I left my few belongings there mostly fishing tackle, T-shirts, and shorts often for days at a time, and never had anything stolen. Honestly, I didn't think anyone knew I slept there which is why I was so surprised when I looked up and saw Jones.

Come here, son, he said, with his hand outstretched. Move into the light. I shuffled forward, taking his right hand with my own, and eased into the soft glow cast from the sodium vapor bulbs above the pier.

Jones was not a large man nowhere near six feet but neither was he small. His white hair was worn straight back over his head. It was too long, but had been carefully brushed and smoothed with his fingertips. His eyes, even in the dim light, seemed to shine. They were a clear, crystal blue, framed by a deeply wrinkled face. Though he wore jeans, a white T-shirt, and leather flip-flops, the old man seemed stately though even now I admit that is hardly a word one would use to describe a five-foot-nine-or-so old man under a pier at night.

As I describe Jones, I might as well go ahead and tell you that I never knew whether he was black or white. I'm not sure it matters beyond trying to paint a mental picture for you, but I never asked and never decided if his caf au lait-colored skin was the result of genetics or a life lived mostly outdoors. In any case, he was brown. Sort of.

You crying about something in particular? he asked. Maybe somebody in particular?

Yeah, I thought. Me. I am the somebody in particular. Are you going to rob me? I asked aloud. It was an odd question. More evidence, I suppose, of the level of distrust I had in everyone and everything at that time.

The old man's eyebrows rose. Peering beyond me into the darkness from which I had emerged moments before, he chuckled. Rob you? I don't know you got some furniture or a TV in there I didn't see?

I didn't respond. I might have hung my head. Somehow, his attempt at humor made me feel worse. Not that he seemed to care.

He punched me playfully on the arm. Lighten up, young man, he said. First of all, you're about a foot and a half taller than me, so, no, I'm not about to rob you. Second there is a benefit to not owning a bunch of stuff. I looked at him blankly, so he went on: You're safe. Not only am I not gonna rob you; neither is anybody else. You got nothing to take! He paused, aware that I was still not smiling. In fact, quite the opposite I was becoming angry.

The old man changed tack. Hey, Andy, if I promise not to ever rob you, can I have one of the Cokes you have stashed back in there? He gestured behind me. I stared back at him. Yes? No? he said. Please?

How did you know my name? I asked.

You can call me Jones, by the way.

Okay. So how did you know my name? And how do you know whether or not I have any Cokes under here?

No big deal, really. He shrugged. I been watching you for a long time. I been around. And the Cokes are bound to be a product of your late-night forays into the garages of the local rich and famous. So can I have one?

I watched him for a moment, considering his answer, then slowly nodded and retreated into the darkness for his Coke. Returning with two cans, I handed one to the old man.

Didn't shake it up, did ya? He grinned. Then, seeing once again that I refused even the slightest smile, he sighed and said, Lord, Lord. You are a tough one. Popping the top on the Coke, Jones shifted in the sand and crossed his legs. All right, he said, taking a long pull from the red can, let's get started.

Get started at what? I asked flatly.

Jones set his drink can down and said, We need to start noticing a few things. We need to check your heart. We need to gather a little perspective.