Charles.

I feel like I am in a modern day psychological torture system. Where my body is drained of any energy it could possess, but my mind is racing behind eyes that are trying to close. Note to self: do not down 4 cups of coffee 4 shots of espresso at night ever again. So, in my sleepless state, I will write some more...

At work we have a customer. His name is Charles. He 70+ and a firecracker. He loves to talk, and talk, and talk... and mostly about a new project he has involving his farm (smiles). He will ask a question about you, to see how you are doing, but then revert the conversation back to himself out of nowhere haha. But I have never met someone who has a bigger heart than this man. I see him every day, and he has become such a major roll in my life. He saunters in the front door, always with his black buret and his Bible in tow. I immediately start steaming some breve' to top off his tall coffee, and when he reaches the counter I always greet him with a "hello there handsome!" He chuckles and starts right in on a new idea on how to lend out his farm for the good of others. Not only has this man tried to convince me to call his friend who is a modeling agent, but he has also tried to set me up with his grandson. THAT was probably one of the most awkward days of. my. life! Sure he always talked about how I needed to meet this lad, Connor. and he would always call Connor when I was working and see if there was anyway he could stop by and get a cup of coffee and meet "someone" (being me). This had gone on for about a month, but then one night, low and behold, in walked Connor, and up to the counter walked Charles with the biggest smile on his face. And there I stood behind the counter with a face as red as a lobster from Maine (roommate metaphor for Allison). Needless to say, it did not go well. Connor and I both looked like someone kicked us in the ribs and yet demanded us to plaster grins on our faces. We mustered up enough strength to talk for five minutes, just to please Charles. After that night I never saw Connor again.... thank God! Charles never held my dis-interest in his grandson against me though. When i was struggling recently, trying to find a place to move, he offered me a 6 bedroom house in West Meade for 300 dollars a month, no joke! Unfortunately it was too far away from where I was looking to relocate, and I really don't think I could have felt at ease paying him so little for something so wonderful. But every day he would come in and ask me if I found a place yet, and would always tell me "you have a lot of credit with me, if you ever are struggling, let me know!" It was like he know, even though I never told him, I was almost always struggling with bills. I was living out in east nashville, driving 30 minutes to work every day, and paying all my bills and a huge school loan, all on the salary of a starbucks barista. But the fact that he even offered or cared enough to take notice of me was all I could ask for (smiles). In February I went to Disney World for my birthday with my best friend. When we got back we stopped at my work to pick up my tips I had earned the week before. Charles was there as always, and I introduced him to my best friend. He asked about my trip and asked if I had enough money while I was there, haha, shocker. I told him it was great to see him, but that I needed to pick up my tips and head out. When I was waiting in line for our drinks before we left, Charles walked up to me and said he had a question to ask me. So I stepped out of line and asked him what was up. He shook my hand and said "here is the rest of that money you're picking up today" and slipped me a hundred dollars! My mind was literally boggled. Everyone kept asking for the next 15 minutes if I was okay, but I just stood there with eyes glazed over haha. The next day a co worker of mine accidentally dropped my phone in a bucket of Chai syrup, thinking it was just a timer he left it in the syrup while he was finishing his conversation with a friend, and by the time he was done talking and my phone was retrieved... well, I just didn't have a phone anymore. That one hundred dollars Charles gave me the day before bought me a new phone, praise God! All I do for this man, is make him a cup of coffee every day, and what his graciousness has done to me every day, has changed my life.