Tangerine

We gathered around a table in the cafeteria of the men’s shelter. There were a dozen homeless men, some volunteers and a few college students. I brought tangerines and passed them around. I saw the college kid throw the tangerine. It arced across the room, hit the far wall near the trashcan and fell to the floor. Tangerines are a luxury anywhere, the more so at the shelter. Eyes followed the boy as he crossed the room, stooped, retrieved the smashed tangerine and mimicked a trashcan jump shot. The boy raised his arms in victory but the cafeteria was silent.