It was the middle of winter and a strong eddy blew at my face. Most people were at home spending Christmas break with their family, but for me I was on the streets all alone. I looked inside a stranger’s window and could see a family. They were giggling and drinking hot chocolate by the fire, just like my family once did. I had to turn away as the memories of my family and the happiness we shared came flooding back. Tears started rolling down my cheeks as I continued down the boardwalk.
After my dad died, I prayed every night for things in my house to return to normal, but my mom started drinking and blamed me for my dad’s death, thus nothing was the same. We used to be the perfect family, but now I was on my own. I ran away before, but I came back because I didn’t have food or shelter, then my mom taught me a “lesson” or so she called it. This “lesson” involved my drunken mother throwing her empty vodka bottles at me calling me a horrible child and hitting me until she passed out on the couch. Right now, I was debating whether to go back to her. While I was thinking, I bumped into a man. Of course, he noticed that I was all alone and started a conversation.
“Hey there little man my name is Jasper, and I work over at Sarah’s Café, I’m the delivery guy. May I ask why you are out here all alone so late?” He asked with curiosity.
“Just looking, my name is Emmett by the way.” I said shaking his hand; at least my mom taught me some manners before she went crazy.
“Well you look like you could use some food. Would you like to come to Sarah’s Café and have some of her famous cookies and milk?” Jasper asked after noticing my tattered clothes and gaunt figure.
“Sure! Thank you so much.” I knew he realized that I was homeless. I usually didn’t go with strangers, but I had only eaten a paltry amount of food in the past few days so I decided to go with him.
Once in the café, I saw an old lady around seventy years old, who I figured, was Sarah. She took one look at me and retired to the backroom; once I got to the front she had a plate of the most delicious looking chocolate-chip cookies and a tall glass of milk. She put them in front of me and I dove in. In a few seconds, I was done eating and she started asking me questions.
“I heard from Jasper that your name is Emmett, do you have a last name?” Sarah asked.
“My last name is Longbottom. Emmett Longbottom. Nice to meet you,” I answered.
“Nice to meet you too, where is your mother?” Sarah questioned.
“Um… well I don’t really know probably at home,” I replied.
“I see that you have a few bruises on your face and what looks to me like a hand print on you arm. I am starting to get the feeling that you’re not telling the whole truth, but if you talk to me maybe I can help you get out of this quagmire.” She said.
“You are going to help me?” I asked with tears filling my eyes.
“Sure sweetie, tell me and I promise I will get you help,” Sarah answered back with a benign look.
I don’t know why I told her but I did. I told her about my dad and about my mother’s malignant behavior. While I talked, she held my hand while Jasper put a comforting arm around me.
“Well I am going to get some more cookies for you and we can talk some more,” she said getting up and running to the back, asking Jasper to come along.
“Okay,” I said a little confused.
She was gone for a long time. I heard a fracas, the sound of pages turning, and a dial tone. That’s when I figured she was calling my mother telling her where I was. I couldn’t believe she was doing this after I told her what happened. I knew in a few minutes my mother would come staggering in to pick me up and bring me home to smack me and say awful things to me. I was getting up from my chair, about to walk out of the restaurant, when Sarah called my name.
“Wait Emmett, don’t go!’ She screamed.
I looked at her with petulant disgust and asked, “Why would you do this to me? After what I told you I thought you were going to help me, but you don’t care about me! You don’t care if I live or die.”
“You got it all wrong. Sarah is just trying to help you. She helped me and she is helping you.” Jasper said with pleading eyes.
Before I could respond I heard my mother’s shrill voice. “Emmett come with me now!” she yelled in her authoritarian tone. I followed her command and went outside. I turned around to see Sarah jogging behind me, with a grave face. As I rounded the corner I saw red and blue flashing lights. There were ten police cars surrounding the street. One police officer was holding a gun at my mother. I wished he would fire but he at least he arrested her. First, he read her the legal rights, and he told her to lie prostrate on the ground. The officer put handcuffs on my mother and escorted her to the cruiser. At that moment, I knew I wouldn’t be hurt again by her.
I ran to Sarah throwing my arms around her. “Sorry I didn’t believe you, but thank you so much. I’m free! I’m free!”
After that night my life turned around. I lived with Jasper in his apartment, and I worked in Sarah’s Café after school. Also, my mother got sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison, so she could never hurt me again.
