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Gretchen Heyer’s essay “Hokum” makes me think of something angelic and magical.
I think of the mythological story of Jupiter and Mercury. The gods come to Earth dressed as paupers to test mankind’s morality and observe how people respond to poverty. Disguised as humans, Jupiter and Mercury are turned away by thousands of unkind people. Finally, an elderly couple offers them rest and dinner in their tiny, humble cottage. The couple prepares a meal for them from the very best they have. In this act of kindness, they develop a “guest-friendship,” the ancient Greek ideal of extending hospitality to a visitor.
Following the warm welcome, the gods reveal their true identity and bestow upon the couple rewards both spiritual and material. This popular theme in Greek mythology suggests that humans should extend hospitality to all strangers, regardless of outward appearance.
Likewise, in “Hokum,” Jim and Gretchen form a “guest-friendship.” Jim nourishes Gretchen in body and soul, providing unexpected hospitality and safety in an alienating world. She in turn treats him with respect and care, finding in him a supportive and benevolent friend who is selfless and inspiring. His nobility emerges when he becomes ill and refuses her entry into his ailing world. In sacrificing his own comfort, he pushes her away to find her own authenticity.