After our petty theft , Tom and I retreated to the park and enjoyed our stolen goods.
" liking you tea ?"
"Yeah ...." I said with hesitation.
Tom looked form his beer and looked at me with true concern. " what's the matter old girl ?" He asked. Huh. How sweet of him to ask. " nothing just .. Man that crime was so petty and so easy."
Tom laughed a hearty one that ran throughout the park. " yeah I guess so!"
" you do this all the time?"
" only here and there. The Great thing about living is a crappy city is that it's full of crappy people too busy with their crappy lives. No one notices us poor folk."
" do you take donations from people? Like wave around a sign and all?"
" no. I don't need pity. It's pathetic. And humiliating. I have my pride as a U.S. Army soldier. "
I thought about my next question. It wasn't a nice one but..
" how'd you you up homeless?" Tom looked at me with a blank space. He set down his beer and shifted in the Bench till body was facing me. I was kind of freaking out. What was he doing?"
" sigh.. I wonder about that sometimes too." He started and stared at the ground." How'd u screw up so badly? Why did this happen to me? How! "
I nodded. I had the same thoughts . Why was I born alone? Why me? Why wasn't I born in a loving family. Or be a princess in the medieval times or something?
" I'm happened to be a drinker...." He admitted. I snorted and looked at his empty bottle. " not hard to figure THAT one out."
" yes." He said flatly," however the woman I loved couldn't care less. I was a *ahem* handsome able bodied man. She was a plain looking , but a sweet woman who I happened came across. We shared a drink one night and talked of our differences and similarities. Our family past and future goals. It was then that we both decided that it was time to take to the .."next level"."
I sighed happily. What a lovely love story, no matter how corny it sounded.
" so we were wed, and had a family..." The old man's eyes watered a bit when he told his tale." She gave birth to 2 boys and a girl, but died soon after."
I was silent.
"Jody was one of the boys, a cute kid with a sunny smile and sand hair. Martin was the odd one, but still stuck up for those who are in trouble. Sarah was a quite girl but had a sunny side and great grades. I miss them so much now..."
Now tom had big tears in his eyes. He rummaged into his pocket to pull out a filthy rag. He blew his nose and began talking..
" Her loss was too great for me. I went in mourning for a few years and neglected my kids. I had more achohol than my body and temper could handle. I feel behind on practically all my bills. Soon after i ...abused my kids and failed to look after them. Someone must have heard something or saw their bruises and they called police on me. My kids were taken into foster care and my life was ruined. No money, no job. I soon lost the right to own a home and was pushed onto the streets. I've been fighting for survival ever since"
" I'm sorry." Was all I could mutter out. His story wasn't all that special. Thousands of men across the country and the world faced same situations.
I looked up at the sky is was already dark. Crickets sang from every corner and the street lamps turned on. A ghostly full moon shine above us.
" so," Tom said with a smile," it's your turn." I was dumbstruck.
" oh..um ..its um. My story is..."
I was interrupted when a snarly voice behind me said,
" Found you."
YOU ARE READING
Psycho\\ Discontinued
Short StoryI don't really have a name. I never got one. Simple as that. I don't even know if I have parents or not. Your supposed to have parents to have a name right? Otherwise, what kind of parent doesn't give their child, their own baby, a name? It's hard...
