Two men, two nuns, and one confused cop

The last post, "The Lab. In the Drink. With the Chevy," reminded me of a story from my childhood that still makes me laugh every time I picture it.

Wintertime. Upper Marlboro, Maryland. My dad's mother was visiting us and happened to look out the window at our Volvo station wagon on this cold, overcast December day. She noticed an elderly black man sitting in the car. Of course she called to my father, who promptly went outside to check it out, only to find that the man had exited the car, realizing he'd been spotted.

By the time, my dad got outside, the old man was halfway up our street. My dad followed him, around the corner and halfway around the block, where he saw him go up to the front door of another home, knock on the door and enter. I don't know if it was curiosity or concern that prompted my father to follow suit, but he too went up to this neighbor's door, knocked and was admitted.

Once inside, he found the old man seated, enjoying a bowl of hot soup, along with two nuns who were also being hosted. The homeowner, a woman, was serving them and told my dad that the elderly man was homeless. He had been trying to keep warm in our station wagon when my grandmother spotted him.

While my dad was standing in the living room chatting, out walked the woman's husband, a police officer, who worked the night shift and had been napping when he heard a commotion. He was wearing nothing but his underwear, was half asleep and walked out into his living room to find - a very tall stranger (my dad), two nuns and an elderly black man eating soup at his kitchen table.