ticket to ride

I got taken for a ride last night. A man came to our door with a story.
AAA is popping the lock, won't take a his card, wife screaming at him...he was from Canada. He needs $40 and he will bring it right back.
He even offered to leave a kid as collateral.
Sounded like a huge load of bullpucky in many ways. I let him know by savoring his details "Ooh you have a story! Tow truck that won't take a card huh? Canada I love Canadians" I was having fun because I didn't know myself what I was gonna do. This guy sucks at scams. Even so, my body steered me to our little cash stash. I pulled the money out.
Not much left, we don't have much money. Luckily we also don't spend much.
I gave it to him and he vanished into the night.
Under normal circumstances he would have just made a deal with the devil. He would have become the paid actor in my new documentary, lets follow this dude and make sure whatever he is pulling blows up gloriously (then write about it on the net).
Many options in a clownarchist toolbag.
But I couldn't. I was even wondering to myself what I was doing.
I thought "You are literally a Carny, why are you going for the ride? You could get in this man's head in two seconds and have him doing all kinds of goofy stuff for $40"
From the other side of the wall, Olive was monitoring everything She was thinking the same thing. We held hands and talked about it. She would have given him the dough too. We had the same reasons.
He looks like he should be managing an upper scale tire shop.
Behind his sad, plastered smile he was freaking out. He was having a different night than I was. I had just fed my wife and son, rent is paid. so is child support. We both thought, if this dude had to come to the door with a clumsy crackhead ruse, he must have needed it. Maybe it's his first day as a scam artist. Maybe his real sad story is too embarrassing for him to tell us. We are lucky that people take care of us. We have a sea of guardian angels and we owe it to them to be worth supporting. Not everyone has that luxury. I'm hoping that guy finds peace and safety.
I'm gonna call the encounter an expensive one act play I took my wife to. Credit where do, he had props like the AAA book, money, keys and pacifier.
That isn't nothing.