New Flat Mate

Today I got a flat mate. Yes, for those who knew I was thinking of this, I finally made a decision. I said yes he could stay until he gets on his feet and can get his own place. Having a flat mate is not what I had planned to happen, but I couldn't turn him away with no place to stay and the weather getting colder each day.

For those who don't know the story, I have been stopping into a local restaurant at least twice a week for dinner while my man is in Africa. There was one waiter who always seemed to be there when I stopped in. At first we didn't make much small talk, I would just give my order, he would take it, I would pay for the food and leave. But after awhile we both overcame our shyness and struck up conversations about our lives and our days while I waited for my food. Before long I was actually looking forward to stopping into the eatery not for the food, but to have a conversation with him. One evening I stopped in and two girls were flirting with him, teasing him that he looked like that guy that played Ryan on the OC. When he told me this, I had to agree. He does resemble him. He laughed and said he has been told that numerous times since that show started. That was the usual routine where he was concerned in my life.

This past week, he was not in to work when I stopped during the week. On Friday I stopped in and he was at work, but had a swollen, black eye. I found out he was still living at home while he put himself through college. His father is an alcoholic and almost burned the house down falling asleep with a cigarette in his hand. He got mad at his father, poured his drink down the kitchen sink. When his Dad found out, he lit into him, they had a fight and his father beat him and threw him out of the house. I asked where he was staying and he told me he had no where to go. That his boss was letting him stay in the office at night.

After leaving on Friday night, I kept thinking of him all weekend and after analyzing it all, I offered for him to stay at my place until he can get on his feet. After much back and forth, he came home with me last night. He is still sleeping on the couch right now as I get ready for work.

Part of me is saying what did you do this for, you shouldn't have gotten involved with other people's problems. But then another part of me is saying I am doing the right thing. People come into each others life for a reason. What kind of person would I be if I didn't help him? What kind of person would he become if he felt he had no one and no place in this world? Sometimes its only when we are really lost that we can truly be found.