I remember one particular morning when I was coming home from church. I had gone alone to 7am mass. Normally, I went straight home after church but this day it was a rainy, cold morning. As I drove the couple of blocks to 7-11 to buy myself a nice hot cup of coffee, I noticed him. He was behind the 7-11, asleep. I felt bad, said a prayer for him and then went ahead to get my coffee as planned. As I stood there, pouring my nice hot cup of coffee, I remembered him laying on the wet, cold pavement, and felt a little guilty about being so warm and cozy and comfortable. I grabbed another cup and poured. As I walked passed the donuts, I picked one of those up as well. After paying, I got into my car and drove around to the back of the store. I parked and walked over to this stranger and put the coffee and donut down next to him and announced that it was for him. I didn't want to bother him. He was wrapped tightly in his blankets and mumbled something that was barely audible.
A few days later, I was at 7-11 again (I was addicted to Dr. Pepper and visited almost daily for a Big Gulp lol!) and noticed the same man outside sweeping the parking lot area. I said hello and he responded with a cheery hello! I began to notice him more and more. One of the things that caught my attention was that he resembled my dad who had passed away a few years earlier.
One day after taking the girls to school, I was talking to another mom who lives in the area. Somehow we started talking about the homeless shelter and I mentioned the gentleman I had been seeing around alot. She said, "Oh you mean Boman?" Since I didn't know his name, I wasn't sure of who she was talking about. Over time, I got to know him and so did my family. Whenever we were at 7-11, we would pick up a hot dog and a soda for him. He loved the hot dogs!
Easter was coming and I had mentioned to my friend Ana that I wanted to put a basket together for Boman. Just some goodies that I thought he could use like socks, razors, deodorant etc. She mentioned that he would always ask her if she had a small battery operated TV that he could use. We put our monies together and we bought him one and put that in his big basket of goodies. A couple of days before Easter, Ana and I took our kids and presented him with the basket. He was so happy and grateful.
Whenever we had an event at home, we would make him a plate and take it to him. He was always so happy to see us and the kids. Because of him, my kids and I would go to the shelter and help serve food to the homeless. It was such a great feeling.
One night Robert and Alyssa were coming home from softball practice. They stopped at 7-11, probably to get me a soda or something. It was about 7pm when the phone rang. It was Robert asking me to come to 7-11 to pick up Alyssa. He said that Boman had just been hit by a car and Alyssa was really upset. Immediately, me and the kids drove down to the store a couple of blocks away.
Apparently, there was a homeless lady in a wheelchair that Boman was trying to help across the street to the Armory. Alyssa saw him as she got out of the truck. She said he had been drinking and seemed to be irritated about something. As he pushed the lady in her wheelchair across Brookhurst St., cars came close to hitting him. Once he got her to the Armory side of the street, he crossed Brookhurst again to get his shopping cart. Alyssa watched him as he crossed, reached his cart to go back across, and stepped in the way of an oncoming car.
I arrived a few minutes later and as we all stood there watching him lay in the street, my heart sank. I thought of this man who had called these streets his home and wondered if he had someone out there who loved and missed him or perhaps was looking for him. Was he someones father, husband or brother? I wondered what the circumstances were that brought him to where he was.
Sadly, Boman passed away that night, January 12, 2005. Our hearts were broken. We cried like we had lost a family member. He touched us in a way I never thought possible. I still think of him when I drive past 7-11. I'm glad I stopped for coffee that cold, rainy morning. We were blessed to know him and I know that wherever Boman is right now, he's not cold, wet and alone anymore.
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