Article December 22, 2008 Issue

A HOLY MOMENT IN THE BIG CITY

BY KWADJO BOAITEY

One of my favorite Christmas memories takes me back to a New York City street, far away from the sweet-smelling, familial Christmas celebrations of my youth.

I was in my mid-20s, living in New York and making good on a dream to become an actor. I met and became friends with a teenager called Josh (not his real name) in Manhattan's West Village. We worked together at a local restaurant. Josh's parents had passed away a number of years earlier. At just 14 years of age, he lived in his own apartment next door to his grandmother, and the two of them were barely making ends meet.

Josh was a bright, energetic young man with a great sense of humor. We shared an affinity for heavy-metal rock music. As grown up as his life appeared to be, I could tell he desperately needed someone he could talk to. I enjoyed being around him and did my best to be like a thoughtful big brother.

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