The old man in the purple robe looked out of place on the busy sidewalk.
He was there all day. He didn’t seem to be bothering anybody, just strolling back and forth, summing people up. It looked as though he had a question and was trying to make up his mind who to ask. Most of the time he stood in front of a doorway to a small shop that appeared to be vacant. The door behind him seemed to glimmer slightly, looking as though it was once the entrance to a night club. The rest of it was boarded up. The old man kept watch. He just randomly wandered away for a while now and then, checking people out.
The young man, dressed in an office suit and carrying a briefcase came into view and the man in the coloured robe stepped forward. He held up a hand and smiled. “Excuse me, may I have a word?” he said, his tone soft and polite to the point of being mesmerising.
The young man paused, trying not to make it too obvious that he was checking the time. He said, “How can I help you?”
The old man’s smile widened. “Well, now, that’s very nice of you to ask, but I was in fact thinking that I could help you.”
Slightly confused the other said, “Erm, I’m on my way to work right now. What’s it all about?”
“Yes, I can see that. I wanted to make you an offer.”
With eyebrows raised, the other said, “As I say, I am on my way into the office.”
“It really is something quite special,” the old man said.
“I’m sure it is, but…”
The old man, quickly said, “This offer only comes once in a person’s lifetime!”
Checking the time again, the young office-worker said, “Look, will you be here after five?”
“Yes, I’ll be here.”
“OK. I’ll look for you when I leave the office, I promise.”
The old man saw the younger man’s good nature and honesty. He bowed gracefully, saying, “That will be perfectly fine.” He stepped back, gracefully waving him on.
The man’s day moved slowly at first. He was continually thinking about the morning’s incident. However, these thoughts were dismissed abruptly when he was called into the boss’s office. He was told yet again that his calculations on one of the estimates he’d prepared was wrong. He was further told that if it happened once more he’d find himself out of a job. Needless to say, the rest of the day was miserable. He couldn’t wait to get out of the place.
He was making his way back to the train station. He hadn’t forgotten his commitment to the strange old man, but it nevertheless took him by surprise when the robed figure stepped out of the shimmering cavern of the doorway to greet him. With a kindly smile, he said, “Do you have time now?”
Feeling awkward, he replied. “Yes, of course I have. Thank you for your patience. Can we start again?”
“Most certainly,” came the reply, “as I said earlier, I would like to make you an offer.”
The man nodded. “Go on.”
He turned and pointed at the mysteriously flickering curtain that was obviously an entrance of some kind. “Would you like to enter paradise?”
The young man brought his case up to his chest and hugged it. He just stood still for a while, before realising the old man had placed his hand on his arm. “It is entirely up to you.” He stepped to one side. “Your choice alone,” he said.
The young man said nothing, but walked slowly into the portal.
