Gus

House of Sidney

I was never given the "stay away from strangers" talk. I thought everybody I would encounter would be nice. That's why I allowed myself to be dragged away by this one. I thought he was actually going to take me to school.

Where Sidney actually took me was nowhere near school. He took me to an alley, though it wasn't dark as you would expect it to be. There was a lamppost in the alley, for whatever reason. He led me to his cardboard box, then instructed me to sit in it and not move.
At this point, I was confused. I told this man where my school was, why was he not taking me there? Who was this guy really, anyway? I was beginning to think to myself how big of a mistake I had made. Without thinking, I made a break for it, and began racing backwards in the direction Sidney had taken. As I had expected, I saw him chasing after me.
Sidney was surprisingly fast, and he caught up to me and grabbed me. I screamed for help, but he covered my mouth before anyone could notice; there weren't that many people around us. Sidney then carried me back to the alley and threw me into the box, threatening that if I ran off again, I'd be killed. When he left, I made the decision that all outsiders I didn't know were evil.

Apparently, Sidney spent his days finding spare bottles and taking them to stores for a couple of cents. I saw plastic bags full of bottles sitting outside the box. I came to the conclusion then that he was homeless and broke.
When Sidney came back with a couple of quarters, I told him I needed to get to school. He told me to shut up and pulled me close. He put the quarters in my hand and told me to go buy him some food. I asked him why he couldn't do it himself, and he said because the delis are always 'throwing him out.' I plead with him to let me go, but he refused. With no other choice, I found the nearest deli and bought a loaf of bread.
When I came back with the bread, Sidney smiled at me. He tore open the package, ripped off a piece and began eating it. He then handed me the loaf. I gave him a surprised look, but then took the bread and tore a piece.

We sat down in our alley and he told me how he ended up the way he did; he lost his job and couldn't pay the rent. I told him about my mother and my grandparents. He comforted me and told me not to worry, that someone I'll love will come for me soon. I then asked him why he was so mean to me before and why he wanted to kill me. He replied that he didn't really want to hurt me, but it was the only way to get me to stay with him. I wondered in my head if he was more desperate for someone than I was.

By dusk, I was too distracted to plead anymore for Sidney to take me home. I wanted to stay with him a little more. I felt like he understood me--- we were both shut away from the world, having to hide from it all. I knew I was crazy for thinking that, but I finally felt like a had a friend to talk to.

I spent the night in my cardboard box and Sidney slept on the ground. I offered him the box, but he insisted I sleep in it; apparently he's been used to sleeping on the ground.

The next morning, I woke up to see a worried-looking woman standing over me. She shook me awake.
"Aren't you Gus? What are you doing here?" the lady asked me. I then recognized her as fellow classmate Jessie Cornwell's mom. She worked around the location of our alley and must have been on her way to work. I told her I was here with my new friend, but Mrs. Cornwell gave a disgusted glance at Sidney and kicked him awake.
"How shameful of you!" she screamed when he woke up, "kidnapping young boys and hiding them away from home! I'll report this and have you arrested!"
Mrs. Cornwell grabbed me by the hand and began leading me out of the alley. I looked back at Sidney, who was sitting up in a crouched position looking at me. He smiled lightly and nodded. I didn't really know what that meant, but whatever it meant, it left a tear streaming down my cheek.

I was brought home and Mrs. Cornwell demanded from my grandmother to know why she hadn't kept track of me better. She simply shrugged. In disgust, Mrs. Cornwell left and I went into the main room, where my grandmother was watching TV.
"Where were you?" she asked me in a grumbly voice, not looking away from the TV.
"With a friend," I said.
"Then what's that bitch's problem?" she snapped, getting off the couch, "ugh. They're all like that. Too overprotective of their children. No freedom whatsoever. When I was a kid I wouldn't come home until dusk and no other parent ever tried to drag me home!"
"I guess this world is just different now," I said softly, "just a lot worse because people seem more isolated than usual... I dunno."
My grandmother looked down at me, then parted to her room. I took over her spot on the couch and changed the channel on the TV.

I never told her who I was really with, and quite frankly, I didn't think it was too necessary.