Praying for the Soul of an Addict

He walked into the coffee shop and went to the counter. He looked familiar, but at the same time, he looked different. His face was drawn, his body skeletal…and his eyes were “dead”. He looked at me, I looked at him. When I heard his voice talking to the clerk, I knew it was him. He brushed right past me and went to sit down. I thought I should go over and say hi so he wouldn’t think I was rude. He didn’t care. I said “Hey M, how are you?” He looked straight ahead, not even acknowledging I was there. The person with him just gave me an icy stare. I said “Aren’t you M?” He still didn’t look at me. I asked his “friend”..Isn’t that M? The guy said no. I said “Yes it is!”. He just shook his head and you could tell he wanted me to go away. Poor M..he looked so sickly and all alone. Sure, he had a friend with him, but what kind of friend lets you continue to shoot drugs into your body and does it right along with you? I watched him go out the door and get into his car. As he drove away, I said a silent prayer…for his family, and for his soul…..