Kev and Alice

Kev’s last wish is to speak with Alice. He finds her at their old park, passing the time with a book. On seeing him, Alice’s mood immediately drops. She really doesn’t want to see Kev.

But Kev doesn’t immediately insult her, as she might have been expecting. Instead, he starts to break into tears.

He tries to cry on her shoulder, but Alice pushes him away. Comfort and acceptance is a little too much to ask of her by this point.

But I do see a lot of subtle emotion in their animations. As Kev hides his face and his tears, I see pity in Alice’s eyes, and she gingerly reaches her hand toward his arm, as if she’s no longer sure she made the right decision. But before she touches him, she recoils again, and Kev sobs alone.

It feels like two lifetimes of regret being played out in that short moment.

After some more uncomfortable interaction between them, Kev curls up on the bench. Alice sits with him through the night.

Before the morning, Kev has passed away.

Next: Alice

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If you’ve found this tale of homelessness affecting, you might want to consider helping a real-world charity.

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Charity Spotlight: Jimmy’s Night Shelter

When I first began Alice and Kev, it was just me playing around and then talking about how my game had been going with my friends. I didn’t have any connection to homelessness aside from purchasing a weekly Big Issue and an occasional chat with their vendors. But I’ve learned a lot about it in the months since starting this blog, from the comments here, from emails I’ve had, and from the charities and organisations that have contacted me.

One charity that has been particularly helpful to me is Jimmy’s Night Shelter, located near me in Cambridge, UK. But more importantly, they are a huge help to the homeless people of Cambridge.

Jane Heeney from Jimmy’s Night Shelter recently wrote a new introduction for our charity page, and this is what she has to say about the work her charity does.

Jimmy’s Night Shelter in Cambridge is open every night of the year welcoming 25 men and six women who would otherwise be forced to sleep rough outdoors or in inappropriate or inadequate accommodation. What’s unique about Jimmy’s is that we are the only facility in the city where the homeless can come straight in and have a meal and a bed – no waiting lists, no referrals, no interviews.

We were set up in 1995, named after Jim, who spent much of his life sleeping beneath a bridge on the M11 motorway. His story was the inspiration behind the founding of Jimmy’s, and today we continue this work with the tireless efforts of our volunteers and supporters.

Please help us to continue making a difference to the lives of the homeless: please visit www.jimmyscambridge.org.uk to find out more about how you can support our work.

-Jane Heeney

If you visit their donation page, they give a breakdown of exactly how the money donated to them is used.

If you do give to Jimmy’s Night Shelter or any other charity as a result of Alice and Kev, let me know by email, and if you want it, I will send you a personalised unpublished tiny story snippet from the lives of Alice and Kev, unique for you.