A little lapel pin cross wrapped up in a paper package and then walked away. I looked down at it and noticed some text on the front of the package. It read, “The Light of this Cross will Keep Jesus With You Always.” It had a tiny little fake diamond where the two parts of the cross meet. I thought, how nice, that guy just gives little crosses away to people. I flipped it over in my hand and noticed more text on the back of the package. I read it, “Sorry to bother you. I’m selling these crosses for a dollar each. I’m deaf so I can’t hear you speak. God be with you.” I looked up and he was back, gesturing for a dollar. I handed him back his cross.

Later, I saw a man riding a western saddled horse along the tracks just outside of Watts like some throwback from the itinerant old west. He had a bed roll, a canteen, a wide brim hat and I noticed he was squinting against the blood red setting sun as we passed. I craned my neck to make sure I was really seeing him and I caught one last glimpse of him, slouched in his saddle, silhouetted against a giant silver and orange graffiti bomb…and then he was gone.