Light and Darkness; a hollow chocolate shell that should melt in your mouth, but only dirties the hand.

"Pick up that broom you pastey middle-age man!" a random, yet usual student screams at Bob.  Other students support the attempt of childish character assassination  with empty caws and yells resembling laughter.  

"Hmm...that wasn't that funny," Bob thought to himself.  See here's the thing with Bob.  Bob isn't necessarily the shy, quiet type, or one to be identified as a strong "chooses his words carefully" type. Nah.  Bob simply waits.  And Bob's favorite time to talk is, where else? 

The dinner table with his guest. 

Bob's knees slowly mobilized with the grace of a transformer brimming with joint pain sound effects to a 90 degree angle so his palm can firmly grip the broom handle.  Bob had a good mind to exchange the handle for a hand full of dirt; and catapult it in the eye of an idiot, puberty stricken 7th grader.  Instead of his hand completing the journey to reach the broom, a literal dress shoe heel challenged him on the path. 

"Oh I'm sorry man," some Black math teacher walking and texting apologized. "I didn't see you there."

"Mr. Black!"  A student stiff arms and spin moves through the crowd to get Mr. Black's attention. "Mr. Black the kids were making fun of the janitor you just walked on by accident." 

A blank expression overcomes Mr. Blacks face. He looks at Bob caring for his hand in pain  and looks back at the student. He repeats this process three times until his head nods horizontally permitting him to return to his text messaging activities and ignore his rude social behavior.

Bob was undeterred by Mr. Blacks dismission.  Irrelevance was a part of Bob's job description as senior and only janitor.  

"Mister! He just stepped on your hand and walked away!" the young student said.  

Silence zipped Bob's lips together, but his eyes articulated to the young student well his feelings and reactions.  And what the young lad saw was the spirit of a man who embraces social isolation and enjoyed stranger danger.   

"Mister are you okay?" the young student ask.

Bob's knees transforms back into straight legs while his hand grips the broom handle with renewed purpose. His hand loss strength as he just had the weight of the world crush down on it.  Bob uses his broom to dust off the dirt from his giant navy blue khaki onesie that appeared to grow with Bob since childhood.   

Bob looks down at the young student, his mouth entering emotional retirement before he does while his full, empty eyes reassures the youth, "I never felt better."