What's the Worst That Could Happen? - Awareness Story

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑

     

     Esme didn't feel like getting her camera and going back out again, like she originally planned. She just wanted to go back home, fall on her bed and sleep until December (at least). She hoped no one would talk to her in the process either. This day had been awful and her mind felt like it could explode from everything. As she headed further down the street, she recognised this part of her city as the part that most people avoided because this is where most homeless people stay. And naturally, even people such as her dad didn't really want to be around them much. He'd always, since she and Evi were younger, turn the other way instead of just walking through them. Or help. She didn't really care anymore though - couldn't really think straight. She just went ahead and walked in, barely having a conscience of where she was actually going. Not that she had ever minded homeless people, unlike her dad. As she entered the street, there were tons of people around her. More than she had anticipated to see. There were a couple of men, distanced from one another, motionless, laying down against the wall almost as if they had no energy to do anything anymore. Their hands were either placed next to or holding a sign that was asking for money or anything they could be offered. There were some women too, much less than the men, they had cups instead in front of them, others held their hands out simply. The most heartbreaking view that Esme didn't really expect to see was that there were also 3 babies and 2 kids, or at least that's how many were in front of her right now. One of the kids was alone with its baby sibling, holding it and standing up as he tried to find anything they could use around them. Shelter, food, water, clothing. The other 2 babies and 1 kid were with their mom, but she was on the floor. Either asleep or dead. All of them wore clothes that were very simple and barely kept them warm from the cold. T-shirts that were muddy or had an odor to them, some wore jackets, gripping them around them tightly, sweatpants, some shorts. Worst part was the shoes. None of them had a pair that would make walking... Bearable. They were either entirely torn, were cut off and uncomfortable to wear, extremely dirty, some were wet, some just looked like they didn't fit the person's feet. And the blankets. Or rather 'blankets', because all they really were was rags that you could barely cover yourself with, used up clothes, filthy mattresses and sheets that were thrown in the trash, or cardboard. But who can blame them? That's all they have. This wasn't about what they wanted but what they needed. Esme noticed a lot of them as she stepped in the alley or neighborhood, looked at her. It wasn't a pleading gaze or begging, but rather just having given up hope on anyone else and prayed she would see what everyone else turned their backs to.

     She recognized one or two of them. Some have had cameras shoved in their faces when they just wanted to be left alone before for interviews, TV programs. Another person she could recognize was this little kid that used to go to her school a year back. The other kids would question the small lunches and the fact that she wore the same 5 fits over and over. She had opened up once, had told them that since her mom got divorced she was facing issues with money and that they had decided to settle for the bare minimum. Paying for the school must've already been hard enough. And now here she was with her mother on the side of the road. She would've been in grade 6, but it seems like money had gotten very tight for them. Esme recalled how she had told her that she wanted to be a pilot when she grew up. Now, she was sitting down next to her mom, and her face was buried in one of the four books she had next to them that she had kept. Esme tried to keep her eyes off her as much as she could. She wasn't alone with them on the alley right now, there were a few other people walking down, surprisingly. She counted 6. One of them bent down to give some money to the mother with the 3 kids. The eldest kid thanked her quietly as he put the money in the cup in front of them. The other 5 people kept walking on, a few of them giving out a nasty glare as well. As if it was their fault for being homeless and like they had a choice. Esme was nearly out the alley now. It seemed like a big walk before to get out of it but now that she was almost out she felt relief washing over her. Nothing else could go wrong. In a span of seconds that was impossible. Until... a woman behind Esme shrieked. "Don't stop." Esme told herself in her head. "Just keep walking. Keep. Walking.". But she couldn't, she was frozen in place, feeling like something was holding her there. Perhaps guilt?

"I'm just asking for a few dollars, ma'am. Please." one lady holding a baby asked, looking up expectantly at the woman that had shrieked before.

"You just tried grabbing my leg!" she replied.

"No I didn't, ma'am. You just tripped over my leg."

The woman huffed.

"Lies. You grabbed my leg to get my attention."

"Please. Anything helps, I just want some money to feed my baby." the lady added, pleading.

"Then go get a job if you want to feed your baby instead of being lazy."

Classic response.