I had been in Portland for about a month looking for a place to sell my Street Roots. I was on the MAX when I noticed Trader Joe’s in the Hollywood District. I decided to try my luck. Standing in front of Trader Joe’s, my sales were going great. Then one of the workers from Trader Joe’s told me I couldn’t sell in front of the building. But I could sell on the sidewalk by the main road, just not in front of the store. I looked toward the sidewalk, there wasn’t very much foot traffic. On the other side there were a lot more people walking. So I went over to sell by Panera Bread, coming to an agreement with another vendor to share the turf. I took the mornings.
Days went by and it started to rain. Panera Bread has an over hang with tables and chairs under it. When the rain got too bad I would get some coffee and wait until it stopped or slowed down. If it were warm enough I would stand in the rain.
A few people said I was crazy. “Why don’t you get out of the rain?” Others would ask if I had an umbrella, and some would even offer me one, saying they would bring me one next time they came by. The next time I saw them they would tell me they forgot the umbrella.
One day a guy came up to me and we got to talking. At the end of our conversation he said, “I have an umbrella for you if you want it.” I said sure, I’ll take it.
“It’s a small one,” he said, “Do you still want it?” I looked him in the eye and said, “Yes, I’ll take it. Hey, every little bit helps.” He looked at me, smiled and shook his head a little, then said, “OK, remember you asked for it.”
I looked at him, puzzled, and then thought, “Aw man, what’s he going to bring me?” A few days later he walked up to me with a big smile on his face. Excited, he said, “I brought your umbrella.” I watched him as he grabbed it out of his bag. The first thing I noticed was a duck’s head. Smiling, he gave me the umbrella. It was a little kid’s umbrella. I was shocked. I guess it showed on my face, because he immediately said, “Well, if you don’t want it.” With a sad look on his face he tried to grab the umbrella out of my hand. I pulled the umbrella close to my chest and told him, I want it.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Yes.” I replied. He looked at my face for a while. I repeated, “Yes I’ll take it.” He started smiling again. Then he told me the umbrella was his daughter’s. She was happy to give it to me. He started laughing telling me his daughter is in college and outgrew this umbrella.
Some people smiled at me, others laughed at me. Still others made the comment, “That’s a small umbrella. I have a bigger one if you want it.” So I ended up with four different umbrellas, one bigger than the next. Months later the guy that gave me the little umbrella came by. Disappointed, he said, “Where’s my umbrella that I gave you? You gave it away?” I pointed to my bags and said, “It’s over there.” He got happy and stayed a while to talk. He asked if I still use the little umbrella. I told him, “Yes, I use it to protect my bags.” By the look on his face I knew he didn’t understand so I showed him. He said, “Wow, that’s cool.”
The years have gone by and I’ve had many umbrellas. Since 2009, I’ve had the little umbrella. It kinda became my security blanket. Hell, it was with me when the rent-a-cop told me I couldn’t sleep in a doorway. It was with me when I was walking in the rain in the freezing cold and in the hot summer days and nights. I started to call the little umbrella, my Little Ducky. Then I shortened it to Ducky. During the rough and hard times I would say to Ducky, “One of these days we’ll have a place and we’ll be inside.”
I was staying at a friend’s place, when I noticed Ducky was gone. I panicked and started looking for Ducky. I didn’t find him. Sadly I went to sell my papers at Whole Foods in the Hollywood District. I felt like I had lost my best friend. My regular customers noticed I was sad. They asked, “What’s wrong?” I didn’t tell them, I felt they wouldn’t understand. After a while I thought to myself, what are you doing. Ducky was only a little umbrella, stop acting like this. I started laughing at myself. Another thought went through my mind, the movie “Cast Away” with Tom Hanks, and how he felt when he lost his friend Wilson, the volleyball. Sometime later I found Ducky, and now, just like I promised we’re inside.
I and other homeless and formerly homeless people make documentaries about homelessness. The project is called, “Empowered Voices Media Project.” EVMP is through Sisters of the Road, with support from Portland Community Media. The name of my operation: Ducky Productions.