The Paperboy
It had been a bitterly cold Christmas Eve. After weeks of frantic shopping, wild advertising, lights, and noise, the city was quiet. The streets were covered with slush from snow melted by hurried last-minute shoppers.
Dawn approached, and no one noticed the homeless youth sleeping on a makeshift bed of rags, newspapers, and old tattered blankets just beneath the overpass near the edge of the city.
The boy’s name was Sean. Sean's only friend in the world was a pigeon that slept in the support structure of the overpass. Several pigeons made their home there and Sean had affectionately named the bird he most liked, Whistler. Sean often shared crumbs from his small portion of food with Whistler and his friends. He appreciated their cooing and company.




