Diamonds in the Rough

Diamonds, she called them.

Nobody knew.

They didn't even know.

She smiled softly to herself. They had wanted to help her. Even though they hadn't had the courage yet to follow through, she knew they'd find it one day.

Other cars had passed her that morning, driving on their way past her vantage point on the bridge. They must have had things to do, she supposed.

Why were people so busy all the time? They never stopped to notice the beautiful.

She chuckled. They thought she was empty?

Oh no. She had her thoughts. She hadn't ever been a normal person. Never one to say much, she had always faded into the background, not wanting to be noticed, but noticing more than they thought she'd understand.

But she understood.

As a child understands when someone is afraid, wounded, or lonely, she saw and understood. She understood gentleness and love. She knew beauty when she saw it, and evil too.

Those two had been beautiful. Diamonds.

They had passed her once, then turned their car back to check on her. She hadn't expected them to notice her, but suddenly the window on the passenger side was down.

The girl in the passenger seat glanced nervously at the man beside her, then turned to query, "Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

She chuckled again, remembering. She'd been so startled that they had stopped, she couldn't get her mouth to move. Finally she had managed a reply, gazing deeply into the girl's eyes.

They were a startling green, she noted, kind, but frightened. There was no reason to look away. The girl would not harm her.

The girl had offered to help once more. "Do you need a ride somewhere? Is there anything we can do?"

Absently, she had refused, caught in the beauty of those green eyes. She heard the man offer help, heard herself absently refushing. She didn't need help.

There were depths in the girl's eyes. She saw fear, gentleness, awkwardness. She saw concern--real concern, not the condescending, know-it-all attiduted she received so often from people who thought they knew more about the world than she did.

The girl, caught in her gaze, had not been able to break eye contact. She looked as though she wanted to, but as long as she did not look away, she would not. Finally, the movement of their car tore their gazes apart.

She knew the girl had seen her--really seen her.

For a long time, she sat quietly on her bridge, staring after them.

Yes, they were diamonds. They would find life, real life, the kind that wouldn't leave them empty and uncaring.

She smiled again. How beautiful.

"Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto Me..."

"If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead..."