The Fisher King

He sat there again. On the pavement with a stone in his right hand and hit it to the ground. His clothes were pieces of cloth he had tied around him. Even the shoes were made of strips of cloth. He wore a huge gray coat. The hair was also like rags and inside all the beard there was a big warm smile. He had a playful boyish look. Most people never noticed that as they walked right by and pretended he did not exist at all. On the sidewalk in front of him he had a dirty old single-use cup which must have contained coffee a long time ago. There were some coins in the cup.

Over the years I have heard many stories about who he was back in the days. One of the stories told the tale of a young skilled sea captain who lost his beloved and chose a life on the streets. Another told that he once was a very promising student and that his huge intellect had eventually played with his marbles.

Lately he’s been sitting outside my house. At first, I was a little annoyed by his constant banging noise. But I missed him when I did not hear it. I occasionally went out to see where he had gone.

My girlfriend and I were on our way home from the cinema, walking down the street and there he was! He sat on the pavement with his cup and roared with his stone while shouting something like Oh-Hoh! In the brightest voice I had ever heard he shouted at me as I passed him – Oh-Hoh! I looked at him and through his beard and hairy face I caught a glimpse of his big smile and boyish eyes. He looked exactly like Robin Williams in the movie The Fisher King. Oh-Hoh! I had walked a few meters past but decided to go back to give him a crumpled note. Oh-Oh-Hoh; you found that one!

For many years I have heard the stories about him. For many years I have seen him around and lately right outside my house. This is where the good old professor Henry Sagan ended up! I hope he eventually finds his Lydia.