chicken

The human spirit is an amazing thing. These guys live existences and hardships I'll never know. Day in and day out, they struggle with absolutely no end in sight. I've talked about Ralph before; he's like the homeless Energizer Bunny. The other dude is Roy. One night last week I was hanging out talking to Roy about food. He appreciates the free food we serve every day and is genuinely thankful. He explained though, food is about taste, about preparation and spices and love. He told me about his method for grilling chicken, a true masterpiece in the eating experience. "I'll bring you some" he said as I walked away from the corner where he hangs out with the boys.
Two nights later I was serving dinner in the dining room. It was a Friday night and I had spent a few hours earlier enjoying happy hour at the bar down the street so I was hungry for something, not necessarily the homemade macaroni and cheese out of a big kettle. About 7:00 I saw Roy strolling through the door with a smile on his face and a plate in his hand. I'll be damned if he didn't bring me five pieces of his finest chicken. I tried to send it back with him knowing the boys on the corner needed it way more than me. He would have no part of that nonsense and walked back out the door with a satisfied groove in his step. I had a piece and shared the rest with my coworkers and a few lucky residents. And I'll be honest, it wasn't the greatest tasting chicken I've eaten, not really even close. It was though, hands down the best chicken I've ever had.