Kicked To The Curb

Kicked To The Curb

I see you on the corner out on some city street. It makes me wonder why, you’re there instead of home. There is a hint of sadness on your face. Hope seems to have vanished from your face. Your face looks tired, your body looks thin, and the clothes you are wearing appear well worn. Why are you dressed like this on a cold, winter day? You have a sweater that covers your shirt and barely covers the top of your ears. Your hands are red from the cold. Why don’t you put them in your pockets? You’re also wearing tattered jeans. It’s a miracle to me that you’re not shivering. You reach out one hand as your lips ask for just a dollar or some change. Those passerbys seem to look the other way and choose to ignore your asking hand. I cannot see the pain in your eyes and not give something. I pull up beside you and pull out a ten, and from my car I give you a pair of gloves.

I’m moved to ask if you’ve eaten today. Your lips speak a simple "No!". I can’t expect you to trust a total stranger, so I suggest going across to the street. Across the street, there is a diner where, the food is cheap but filling. You meet there eager to eat. You place you’re order and I gladly pay your meager bill. Then, I try to pull from you, your story of how you came to be out on these cold streets. Much to my surprise, you speak of a family who couldn’t love you just because of who you are. You tried to hide the pain inside until it grew beyond your soul’s capacity to hold it all inside . With heavy heart, you set out to escape the torment found at home. From day to day, you’re not sure of where you’ll find a scrape to eat or where at night you’ll sleep till morning’s light. I thought perhaps, that you might be through with our little chat, but then you made a wish outloud; a desire to go home and leave all this behind. Instantly, I knew what must be done.

I pulled out my phone. I asked if I might call your parents, so that they would know that, he was safe. At first the numbers would not come out but then they came out slowlt so that, I couldn’t miss a digit. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught you crossing your fingers. For as much as you cried out for luck, fear was visible on your face. Within three rings, the phone came alive with the voice of woman. I asked if she might be a your mom to which she answered "Yes!". I told her that you were fine and how I came to know her son. I handed you the phone, and sat quietly as you spoke. Your eyes were clearly welling up and soon came the tears. I heard a soft, male voice escape your mouth as you asked "Mom, can I come home?". There was just a brief pause before a smile was came across your face, and your mouth exclaimed "I love you too mom!". Once more, I knew what must be done.

I asked for my phone back and spoke with this young man’s mom. I asked, if I might be allowed to send this child home. At first, she thought it strange, that someone who didn’t know the family would ever ask this of her. I told her it was small thing for me to do, and I that would need a day to get this plan in motion. With that said, I let the teen say good-bye before, we left to hatch my plan. We went shopping to buy him new clothes. From there we pulled up to a motel room. I told him to stay long enough to shower and to change into just on of the outfits. I sat in my car while he did his thing, and called a friend to aid me in my quest. You see between me and my friend, we snagged a ticket for tomorrow at 7:00 in the morning. I told him, as he came back to my car to go back inside and have a good sleep. I then went and got me a room, so that I might have a good night’s sleep too. In the morning at first light, I went to his room and woke him up. We got to the airport and he boarded no problem. In a few hours, he answered the phone and said that all was well with him.