I Don't Miss The Snow

He was just standing there, about a foot taller than me including his old top hat.  It was so old that no one else would have wanted the hat, which is probably why it was given to him.  The scarf he had around his neck was torn and it had holes in it.  There were footprints in the snow by him.  He had a big smile on his face.  He always wore that same smile.  His body was round but his arms were skinny, practically bony, which seemed weird and disproportionate. I couldn’t understand why anyone put up with him.  I knew that he was freezing cold, and that I should probably just leave him alone, but he was just so irritating.  His black eyes stared as if tempting me to take my best shot.  One well placed swing of my mitten covered fist would probably break his crooked nose, and I wouldn’t even feel bad about it.  I wouldn't.  I knew that he wouldn’t fight back.  He'd probably just stand there and take it like a man.  I imagined him falling over and laying there while I kicked him with my snow boots.  I almost wished that he'd try to defend himself. That way, I wouldn't give my plan a second thought.  As annoying as he was, I still had a slight twinge of compassion for him.  After all it wasn't really his fault, everyone around him had made him the way he was.  Every day he would just stand in that same spot.  The same thing day after day.  And I was sick of it!  The cold stung my face as I walked up to him, my sweaty fingers clinched into fists and ready.  I'd have to be quick so no one saw that it was me.  I looked to my left, to my right, and glanced over my shoulder just to be sure no one was around.  I didn't see anyone.  I was almost there, just a couple more steps when the doors behind him slid open.  There was a burst of warm air as an old woman walked out.  She looked right at me and I slid to a stop.  Then she turned to the grinning man who raised his skinny arm to ring the bell he held between his fingers.  She reached out and dropped a few coins through the slot into the red bucket that was hanging next to the cold fat man.  He tipped his tattered top hat to her and thanked her for her generosity.  Then he looked down at me and smiled, again ringing his bell.  "Welcome to Wal-Mart... and Merry Christmas."