“Some people are just born nice.”<br/><br/>That was how Elijah's mother often described the sweet boy that was her son. A heart of gold and always interested in helping others, he was the perfect child. Sometimes his mother would joke about that fact when they would sit together on the couch and watch a movie. He was her whole world and she his, since his father left before Elijah was even born. The two of the struggled to make ends meet, his mother working as much as she could without killing herself and little Elijah doing his best to not be a bothersome child.<br/><br/>When he was old enough he collected the cans and bottles on the street on the way to school to turn in for his own lunch money. The money that his mother gave him to buy lunch he would save to use on those few occasions when they just did not have enough for groceries. The smile on her face at those moments was enough to make the young boy know that even with their lives being hard, it was better than most because they had one another.<br/><br/>Then she died.<br/><br/>It hurt Elijah more than words could ever say, to lose the one person in his life that meant the most to him. For a long time he did not speak, lost to the world around him as he internalized his pain. Without a living relative to be found he was placed into Foster care where the nice people there did their best to bring the young boy out of his shell. But with several other children to care for, those that demanded their attention more. It was a silent and sad year for Elijah, until his grandmother was discovered and he was sent to live with her instead.<br/><br/>The kind older woman explained about the falling out she and his mother suffered over his father. Young love and hot tempers left the two of them at odds with pride and shame walls between the two. A bond formed over time and Elijah found his voice once more, together they shared in the memories of his mother and he found an outlet in the desire to help others. Volunteer work became a focal point of his life, that continued through his life. With the help of a life insurance policy his grandmother had on his mother, he was able to attend college where he got a degree in computer engineering.<br/><br/>Life now for him was as simple as it could get. A modest apartment, basic nine to five job and sunday night dinners with his grandmother. On most nights he was either on the computer working, or out on the streets helping those who were on a streak of bad luck. Which is what he was at this evening, on the streets helping those in need.<br/><br/>The strap of the duffle bag cut into his shoulder, weighted down with the blankets and food that he planned to hand out this night. The hood of his jacket was up to brace against the chill of the night air, breath a misty reminder of the temperature that continued to drop as the evening wore on.<br/><br/>“Here you go, Frank” he spoke to one of the regulars. “A thermal space blanket, thermist with some hot soup and a sandwich. Try to find a place that is safe and warm tonight, ok?”<br/><br/>“Thanks, E. I'll try, I promise,” the older gentlemen said as he held the items as if they were gold.<br/><br/>“That's all that I ask. I'll try and be out and again tomorrow night, ok? You have my pager number, right?”<br/><br/>“Um...yeah...I think....”<br/>With only a smirk he reached into his pocket and took out one of his business cards as well as a handful of change, “Here. Page me your location tomorrow and I will swing by to check on you.”<br/><br/>“Alright, E. Thanks again!”<br/><br/>“Have a good night, Frank” he waved and was on his way to continue handing out the items in his bag. At the moment his goal was an overpass he knew held a small tent city. There were whole family under there and he wanted to make sure that the kids had enough food and blankets for the coming cold nights.