Maine arrived at the office very early the next day. Her car was coded so she tried to avoid the rush. This had been her routine once a week. Tong wasn't on his cardboard "bed". Maine thought that maybe he had scavenged for food or scraps elsewhere. She left a note for him on her car windshield. She knew that he had this habit of going around the cars, checking and making sure they were locked. She'd seen him do this often. This was one way he earned a few coins.
At around 7pm, Maine went to the park across the street from her office building. Maine spent many late afternoons, weekends and evenings in this park. She liked it for its happy vibe and open space amidst the urban jungle. She would sit on a blue bench by the fountain at the far end of the park. It was a bit secluded from the rest of the area so it was relatively quiet there. On the other side of that spot was a boarded up area. Maine always wondered what was behind that wall. There were no workers or noise coming from that side either. She didn't also ask about it from the guards who patrolled the park.
The park was busy with people exercising or relaxing after a day of work. Maine bought some food from a nearby kiosk and walked over to the blue bench. She put the bag of food on the bench and walked behind the bushes just behind the bench. A few minutes later, Tong casually walked toward the bench. He looked around first before picking up the bag and walking casually away, dropping a piece of paper near the bench.
Once he was out of sight, Maine went to pick up the crumpled paper. She opened it. It was her note for him that morning. She sat down on the bench as she saw Tong turn the corner and exit the park. She almost didn't notice a leaf that was on the bench.