Jax was welcomed in the room, set up for failure but things took a different turn when he started mixing up the drinks from the refreshments cupboard behind him and made a thick orange liquid that resembled paint.
Next, he painted like he had never painted before. The subject was completely off his imagination, a bedroom of some sort, the one he dreamt about sleeping in when, not if, he became successful. A timer, hovering his head kept ticking. Until a loud buzz and a clacking sound welcomed two men dressed like SWAT officers.
“I thought you searched him! How could you have missed paint from him?” one of them asked the other. “I stripped him naked, it must be something else” he replied, while examining the painting. “It’s some sort of orange based cocktail, what the heck?” he added.
“Yes, I was given orange juice and I made paint, with that I made a painting, with that I made it” Jax replied confidently.
The camera moved onto the presenter who proclaimed Jax winner of the homeless to something challenge. The reality show where able bodied homeless people are given the opportunity to show that they are capable of in order to win the keys to a comfortable home.
“What’s next for you now, Jax? Tell us” she asked him
“I am going to give the house to my parents, they are more in need than myself, I’ll stay homeless but I won’t beg anymore. I’ll kindly ask for opportunities and I won’t disappoint. I don’t deserve charity. I thought I did and because of that I ended up using that money to drink myself to sleep. That part of me is gone now, I have to thank you guys and all the people that didn’t give me money but instead dropped a book or a phone number of somebody offering work. ”
– Jax was welcomed into the room, seemingly set up for failure. However, things took a different turn when he started mixing drinks from the refreshments cupboard behind him, concocting a thick orange liquid that resembled paint.
Next, he painted as if inspired. The subject was purely from his imagination: a bedroom, the one he dreamed of sleeping in when—not if—he ended up succeeding. Above him, a timer ticked away until a loud buzz and a clacking sound introduced the arrival of two men dressed like SWAT officers.
“I thought you searched him! How could you have missed the paint?” one of them demanded.
“I stripped him naked; it must be something else,” the other replied, examining the painting.
“It’s some sort of orange-based cocktail, what the heck?” he added, puzzled.
“Yes, I was given orange juice, and I made paint. With that, I made a painting. With that, I made it,” Jax replied confidently.
The camera then cut to the presenter who announced Jax as the winner of the 'From Homeless to Something' challenge—a reality show where able-bodied homeless people are given the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities to win a comfortable home.
“What’s next for you now, Jax? Tell us,” she asked.
“I am going to give the house to my parents; they need it more than I do. I'll stay homeless, but I won't beg anymore. I’ll kindly ask for opportunities and I won’t disappoint. I don’t deserve charity. I thought I did, and because of that, I used the money to drink myself to sleep. I had ruined my parent’s life but they never stopped loving me. I was a despicable fool. That part of me is gone now. I have to thank you guys and all the people who didn’t give me money but instead dropped off a book, a healthy sandwich or a phone number of someone offering work.”
Tough love is the best love.