MISSION:SEATTLE

By Jeremy McDonald

It’s a gloomy, cloudy Friday afternoon at the Medford Gospel homeless shelter, located off of West Jackson Street in downtown Medford.

Walking up to the shelter, there’s a fenced-off area about 20 yards away from the front door of the building. The fenced off area holds a gravel area where the residences of the shelter hang-out, smoke cigarettes and talk.

At one of the two wooden tables, with a black beanie, a white hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, is sitting a guy name Te.

Te is a slender 27-year-old and is originally from Seattle, Washington. He’s stands about 5’6 and is of Asian descent.  Te’s personality can be best described to be laid-back and low key.  But Te had said that he’s trying to stay under the radar as well to go along with the low key aspect.

He came down from Seattle about four or five days earlier. He’s spent the better part of that stay at the Medford Gospel.

So what’s the problem here for Te?

The Medford Gospel, besides providing meals and clothing to the homeless and those in need, they also provide shelter for 10 days.

10 days. Just 10 days.

“I don’t know why I came down here,” he said, “to clear my head I guess. I’m just having a bad stroke of luck.  I’m just trying to get back to Seattle.”

That’s the goal. To get back to Seattle. But for what?

Te has been unemployed for a year after being laid off from his last job and has been couch surfing at his parent’s place for the better part of his unemployment.

“I got a job lined up at a hotel back home,” said Te, “I’m supposed to be starting there this time next week.”

It’s Friday and Te is about five days into his stay at the Medford Gospel.

Who is Te?

Te went to the same high school as Nate Robinson and Doug Christie, both whom played in the NBA, the National Basketball Association, at one point or another. The high school is Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, Washington.  Te said that he likes to brag about it because the fact they went on to play “pro-ball” or professional basketball in this text of the phrase.

Te has spent sometime in the San Francisco Bay Area, with his now ex-girlfriend and 6-year-old son, the son is living with the ex-girlfriend.  They lived in San Francisco and in San Jose.

For a three month stint in San Jose back in 2008, Te worked security at the HP Pavillion, where the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks and the Arena Football League’s San Jose Sabercats play at. He had worked the midnight to eight a.m. shift.

“I quit after three months to move to Anchorage, Alaska,” Te started on his job at the HP Pavilion,” I was making $450 every two weeks. Looking back, it wasn’t the best idea in the world.”

He had tried contacting his old boss again for his old position at the arena after sometime in Alaska. But Te has never heard back from his old boss.

He and his ex-girlfriend broke up during his time up in Alaska.

After sometime, Te made his way back to Seattle and after coming back to Seattle, to his parent’s house.

He tried going back to school. But he dropped out a short time later.

“I wasn’t focused enough to stay there.” Te stated, he was interested in doing something with Architecture.

He stated that living back at home and he doesn’t like all the rules and he doesn’t get along with his younger brother.

Te has an older sister who has graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Accounting. She’s living down in the Bay Area, trying to get her career going.

While couch surfing at his parent’s house, Te’s father suffered a stroke back in May of 2010 that eventually cost Te’s father his job.

“He’s still feeling numb on his left side,” he said, “I remember helping him out with his unemployment like on March 30th, before I came down here because he didn’t know how to do it.”

Te’s an avid sports fan. He’s a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners and the former Seattle Supersonics. The Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.

“I remember when they [the Supersonics] drafted Kevin Durant,” he said, “I knew he was gonna be good. Too bad management moved them to Oklahoma City. They’re great now.”

As he got up from the table outside, he put out his cigarette and walked inside the shelter for dinner.

Saturday

A day later, Te is sitting at the same table but instead of being upbeat and talkative, he is upset.

“I’m depressed,” he said. He’s out of money, just about out of time at the Mission, and running out of time on his job offer. He can’t pay for a way home.

Hasn’t he asked his parents for help? Is there hope there?

“I’ve thought about that,” Te said, “But I’m worried they’ll say no, and I don’t know if this place can help me [get home].”

His depressed, upset mindset plaque him head into day six of his stay.

Sunday. 

It’s sunny outside, but Te is inside. He is still wearing the same black beanie, white hoodie and blue jeans. He is standing near three blue, plastic chairs near the Gospel Mission’s stage.

These have been his bed.

“It’s difficult to sleep,” Te said about sleeping on the chairs, “it’s uncomfortable.”

Walking outside, outside of the parking lot and the general hangout area, Te sat against a wall on the side of the shelter.

He started talking about Seattle and how he talked to his sister about helping him out to get him back to Seattle.

“She wouldn’t help me.” he said, “She doesn’t have the money,”.

How about his parents? They barely got enough money for them he said, so he didn’t really bother with them.

Then a guy with a Safeway bag full of food walks by Te.

“Hey!” he yells, “Can I have a piece of chicken?”

The guy kept on walking, not bothering to respond to Te, as he went across the street to the Christ Community Church.

“Oh…he’s going to the church, haha. Well, we got 15 minutes before dinner,” Te said grinning a bit.

The first sign of positivity from Te during in the past two days.

Dinner that night offered of hamburgers, salad and water downed juice. Te was relatively quiet the whole meal.  Afterwards he went back outside,  took a few steps into the parking lot, and stop.

“Well I’m going to talk to them tomorrow and see what happens,” Te said sternly. “I’m not going to be here that much longer.”

He’s referring to the people with some power at the shelter. It’s plausible. The Medford Gospel does whatever is necessary in order to give everyone an equal opportunity to get a leg up and get going in the right direction.

Off and on during the past few days, Te has shown signs of determination to get back home and his job going so he can make some money.

“I’m trying to get some money,” he said on his current situation, “it’s a tough way to live.”

Monday

It’s a cool, sunny afternoon.

Te is sitting outside on one of the wooden tables in the gravel “bullpen” area, smoking. He’s looking down, quiet. He has his backpack with him. Everyone else around him is talking and laughing.

Te looks up, and smiles. Something is up.

“They’re willing to help me,” he said. “I’m leaving tonight.”

He describes how he went into the office and told them that he’s trying to go home for his new job in Seattle. They agreed to help him out.

“I’m just happy to be going home and to get out of here,” he says. “I didn’t really pay attention who it was I was talking to.”

Te said that he’s taking a Greyhound bus that leaves at 2:30 a.m. He’s reorganized his orange, black and white-colored backpack for the journey. It looks a bit fuller, but at least he’ll be able to pull out his ticket in the morning.

He says his mom and dad will be waiting for him at the station. How will it feel to be home? “I’m going to be excited and happy,” he says.

Tuesday

Te is gone, presumably on a bus, heading north. In his place in the gravel courtyard are a few more men, smoking and counting the days.