Junkie

At the train station late last night, a middle-aged man hiding two beer bottles, with bloodshot eyes and dirty clothes asked me which direction to take the U-Bahn to get to Kurfürstendamm. I directed him, and he asked me whether I knew my way around the city. I replied yes, and he asked me where I was from because of my accent. I told him from Australia, and he nodded and began to speak in English. He was disappointed in himself because although his English was quite alright for conversation, he didn't have a very large vocabulary.
He told me about his dreams of travelling, of seeing New York one time. He said that little by little he was collecting money in a bank account to go there, he felt that it was perhaps impossible, even though it doesn't cost so much to travel there from Germany. I told him that I was sure he would make it there one day, and a hopeful smile came across his face, "Oh, you think so, do you?" "Ja, es wäre bestimmt ein Abenteuer, aber trotzdem ist es möglich." I replied.
He boarded the train with a cheery expression on his face, and it made me wonder why people avoided these kinds of persons, they're harmless after all. Sometimes it's nice just have a little chat with a stranger.