Loretta

Hello, listeners. Come sit with me by the fire I’m sorry it smells so bad we are burning garbage after all. Let me tell you a story about one of the kindest people I have ever seen. My intent is to tell you her story so at least her name lives on. The story of Lorretta Joplin.

Now Loretta was not like you and me. She had a soft life with a soft bed and never had to even think about sleeping on the curb. Her father and mother had a handsome amount of dollars and they spoiled their two daughters Loretta and Jean heavily. Though as Jean began to be blinded by daddy’s dollar, yachts, and, celebrities she turned into a real unfriendly figure. Loretta was her opposite. Loretta instead of using daddy’s dollar for herself often gave to others in need. 

Loretta was one of those rare people who were beautiful inside and out. She gave every one of her friends as much as she could find and went out to find her own way in this world instead of living off her family’s money with her sister. Her long red hair and warm smile would melt the heart of the most savage beast. Her voice matched it. She sang like the sweetest dark honey low to the ground while enchanting. Luckily for her, I was not the only one enchanted by her voice. It seemed the whole world was for a while and that’s how she made her way in this world. 

Loretta loved to give money to charity most of her money went that way. Though she did not even like to get her hands dirty. So as lovely as she was she never volunteered or did anything but give out of her wallet. She always figured as long as she gave the money she didn’t have to do the work.

In a world where ratings and approval were everything, Lorretta had a problem. She was like a cute little goldfish in a sea of sharks that would love her spot on top. Loretta couldn’t help but be kind and friendly even to the people that saw her as an opponent. She couldn’t help giving to even the lowest of human beings. People coming around asking her for money became normal. which Loretta happily gave to them.

One day a handsome man with hair like a ravens feather came to Lorretta and she fell head over heels over his kind words. They went out often and spent nights talking and growing extremely close. He was a singer too and he was almost as good as Lorretta. When they sang together it was as if the moon and all the stars had come together for the first time and it was breathtaking. The man was named Thomas Schwit and he fell head over heels for Loretta. Loretta had another problem though her father did not like him. He told her that he was too soft and Loretta needed a more manly man. For the first time in Loretta’s life, she denied her father and in no less than a few short years a ring appeared on her finger. In no less then a few short years Loretta was cut out from her family’s wallet.

Thomas and Loretta became an iconic duo they went everywhere together hand in hand. Even in closed doors unlike most celebrity couples they truly loved each other and every day felt like a dream to Loretta and her Thomas. As the years went by they both grew older just like the rest of us. Thomas and Loretta were both on top but as they grew older and there was no celebrity drama in their lives they both began to falter and they had money issues. Loretta for the first time her life had to stop giving and start asking. Thomas tried and tried to get spots for them to sing but could only find coffee houses and opening acts that no one really cared about.

Loretta first went to the people she had been giving money to for most of her life. One of her friends Lilly Green sticks out because of how nasty she was to Loretta. Lilly Green was a mess she had ruined her life when she was young and had been leaning and “borrowing” on kind-hearted people like Loretta and Thomas her whole life. When Loretta came knocking on her door she opened the door blowing smoke into her face and holding a baby on her hip. Loretta gagged at the stench. Lilly was not very pretty on the outside because of all the abuse she had done to her body.

“Hello, Lilly I am here to ask a favor of you.” She said timidly. This whole concept of asking and not giving was new to her.

“Well dont keep me in suspense. What favor can I do for you?” She said in a fake cheery voice.

“I and Thomas are having some money trouble and you have been owing me for a little-”

“Are you serious Loretta??? You are expecting me to give you money what do you think I do with the money you give me? Do you think I use it for fun? get out of here.”

Lilly then slammed the door in her face and Lorretta crossed her off the list of people she could as for help. With her white dress flowing around her knees she turned and walked towards her car which was nothing like the old one she had. She had to sell it to keep food on the table.

Loretta now discouraged went to her old friend Walters’s house. She and Walter had been friends since she was a little girl. He was well off and received a job as a lawyer. Loretta had given him a good chunk of the money for his law school payments. Loretta knocked on his door and he opened the door with a much kinder aura then Lilly. He was a tall man that towered over Loretta and his hair already began to grey at a younger age than most.

“Oh, Loretta what a surprise do come in.”

She stepped into his mansion and walked to his living room. She had been in his house so many times she probably could draw everything about it from memory. To the high pillars and to the outdoor pool. She had a good time at this house. Walter came in with a glass in his hand and sat down across from Loretta.

“Is something wrong? You are always a lot more bubbly then this.” He said concerned 

“It’s I and Thomas we are having troubles.”

“Are they financial?”

Loretta looked around the room wondering why she was here and if she should even really say yes. She felt dirty asking people for money. She reminded herself that everything was about to be taken away if she didn't start asking for help. Walter got up from his seat as she stayed silent and looked like she was going to cry. He put an arm around her shoulders.

“You dont have to say it, but I’ll be honest I’m not sure how much we can help you both my kids are in college. I can definitely help a little.”

Loretta put her face in her hands and began to weep. Walter pulled her into a hug. It broke his heart to see her this way and he wanted so much to make her troubles go away but he knew he couldn’t. When his wife came in and saw the two she quickly came and sat on the other side of Loretta equally broken-hearted. Loretta kept trying to leave but they insisted on comforting her. Eventually, they let Loretta go and she went home to Thomas who equally was unlucky.

They both got jobs that didn’t pay much and had to sell their beautiful house for an apartment they could afford. For a while, they were okay not as good as before but afloat all until Thomas’s health began to decline. He had developed cancer and it got to the point where only Loretta was working. She couldn’t keep them afloat for long and tried to call her parents but they wouldn’t even pick up the phone to see if their daughter was okay. Eventually, she tracked down her sister who also wouldn’t pick up the phone.

She marched down to the dock and looked for her sister’s yacht and climbed aboard without asking. Thomas being sick had changed her rapidly and she refused to let her sister say no to talking to her. She found her sister out sunbathing by herself and not even acknowledging her sister being there. 

“Jean?”

Jean jumped with a startle even as the years have gone by she would never forget Loretta’s voice. She drank her whole martini the minutes her eyes confirmed her ears.

“Loretta your not suppose to be here? Father will cut me off if he knows.”

“I need your help, Jean.”

“Did you not just hear me get off of this boat at once”

Instead of getting off, Loretta came closer to Jean which made Jean extremely uncomfortable, she was not used to not being listened to.

“Thomas is sick and I dont have the money to help him please Jean. I know you have cut me out of your life because of our father but I have no else to turn to. Please, Jean.”

“Under no circumstances can I help or else I’ll be cut off too. Then we’ll both sink.”

Jean marched over to her sister throwing her sunglasses off and grabbing her arm to toss her off the boat herself. Loretta removed her hand from her grip and scared Jean. Jean had always been able to bully her sister into submission but she had never seen that face of determination on her sister. Jean began to ponder the idea of helping her little sister.

“How bad is Thomas?”

“Bad enough I came to you for help”

“Have you tried father?”

“He won’t pick up the phone”

“I can help you but you have to swear up and down you will tell no one not even Thomas who helped you.”

“I swear”

Jean ended up selling her yacht to make the money to give to her sister. After a few more years Thomas recovered. Jean and Loretta never spoke again and never saw each other again for the rest of their lives. For Loretta and Thomas, the money problems continued and they stayed that way for the rest of their lives.

 It broke Loretta’s heart that she couldn’t help the charities anymore. She felt as though she lost a part of herself when she could no longer help others. She despised asking other people for money it was the whole reason she left home in the first place. Her whole life was centered on helping others. With no money for herself or her husband, she felt lost.

One night when she was deep in her sorrow over how far she was falling. She walked the streets outside her apartment. As she walked in the December cold she noticed a heap shaking in the shadows. Curious was her nature so she walked over to the heap only to find the heap was a man who was barely clothed. The man looked at her weakly and with a bony finger pointed to a cup with some quarters in it. She shook her head and the man curled back into a ball and she took off her coat and put it around his shoulders. She then ran back to her apartment as quickly as she could.  

Thomas sat at the table jumping up when his wife rushed in. Without saying hello she quickly grabbed a can of soup from the cupboard and went to heat it up. She filled in Thomas on what she was doing and he let her be. Once the soup was done she put it in a Tupperware bowl and brought a spoon. She rushed out of her apartment again and ran down the street gaining curious looks. She had not even stopped to put on another coat.  She found the man now wearing her jacket and this time didn’t look up at her. She tapped his shoulder and then looked at the container. His eyes met hers and he looked so thankful even if he didn’t say it and he took the container and ate hungrily. She smiled at him as he ate and for the first time in a long time she felt like she had a part of herself back.

Now your probably wondering what is this story for. I’ll go ahead and answer your question no Loretta never ended up on the streets with us, but I’m telling you this because she helped this street even when she had nothing.

Loretta spent the remainder of her life not just throwing money at charities but getting into the streets. She volunteered everywhere she could after that cold night. She started up fundraisers and toy drives for us and other places even when she could have just asked for things for only herself. She truly became a saint and she lived to a happy old age. She learned a powerful lesson when she helped that man on the street. Knowing the power of her hands over her money. That no matter where or how she could always lend a helping hand to those around her.