MARVIN & CLARENCE

I didn't go home for Thanksgiving this year due to what happened in September. My roommate Sid and I decided to join Little Brothers: Friends of the Elderly and deliver Thanksgiving meals to those who weren't fortunate enough to have a Thanksgiving dinner with family. We picked up the meals and the addresses of two gentlemen from the Temple De Emanuel in San Francisco. The first was a man by the name of Marvin. His profile described him as 78-year-old male smoker. We got to the apartment and were buzzed in. We rode the elevator up to the fifth floor. His door was standing open at the end of the hall, and he was at the door with a walker. As we entered the apartment there was a strong odor of urine, and Marvin didn't look in the best shape. He hadn't been dressed properly. His pants were around his hips with his backside hanging out, and he had pieces of food on his face. But he warmly welcomed us into his apartment. We set up his dinner for him and took a seat. He began to speak as if he'd known the two of us for years. Marvin is a religious man and his wife died a long time ago. He has two children, but he doesn't speak to either of them now. He told us how proud he was the day his baby girl was born, and how he passed out cigars at the hospital. He had a smile on his face as he told the story, but you could see the sadness in his eyes. By the looks of his apartment you could tell that no one had ever stopped by to help him clean. By the loneliness in his voice you could tell that no one came to visit either. He was alone on Thanksgiving, and probably every other day of the year. It was sad to see someone so neglected. As we said goodbye, I couldn't help but think that he was going to just go back into his apartment, turn on the TV for company and eat his Thanksgiving dinner alone. Our next stop was to see a man named Clarence. His apartment building was much newer and there was a fresh smell of fruit. Clarence welcomed us at his door in a wheelchair. He seemed to be in the best of spirits. His apartment was a completely different environment than Marvin's. It was well kept, and we later found out that he has someone there five days a week, helping him out. Clarence was also 78, but he had the attitude and spirit of a 28-year-old. He showed us pictures of him as a young man with his five brothers and sisters. He was originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He too has two children, but hasn't spoken to them in over 50 years. He divorced a while back and has lived on his own ever since. He is a movie buff and has stacks of movies that he got from Columbia House through the mail. He told us the secret of signing up, getting the free movies, canceling and signing up again. He was a little pip, that Clarence. But he was still alone. No matter what either of their apartments looked like, or how much more one talked than the other, they were both going to eat Thanksgiving dinner alone. At dinner that night, Sid and I made a toast to the happiness of Marvin and Clarence. Happy Holidays to everyone.