The Man with the Brown Blanket

Photo credit: Matt Talbot

“Peaches, sir?” I ask, holding a slotted metal spoon over the vat of canned fruit.

He doesn’t talk, just nods a quick yes. The plastic tray shakes in his hand. I spoon the fruit into a square partition, careful not to drip the juice onto the chicken breast and green beans. We make eye contact only once, his grey-blue eyes piercing mine before they dart away. A ragged brown blanket is stuffed under one arm.

The boys and I are serving dinner at Matt Talbot, the local kitc...