How To Save A Life

Seven Years

Like that one incident seven years ago….  Mike was just ten years old. He was a mischievous little one, always getting into trouble.

                He was new to the home, and not used to the routine of things. Maci was so young, it made things harder on him.

                One night in particular, Mike had wandered during the night, with a bad feeling in his gut. He just couldn’t sleep. It was the first time he had seen the door at the end of the hall that led to the roof.

                As he emerged onto the roof in the midnight light, a timid little boy in a place he didn’t want to be, he looked up. Slowly, he came to a realization. No matter where he was, or what he was happening to me going through, one thing would always remain the same; the stars.

                So that night was also the first night since being in the home that he got a good night’s sleep.

                That morning he woke, not knowing where he was. Being so young, he got scared very fast. He looked all around and once he remembered, his shoulders slouched. Mike wished he was anywhere but there.

                Quickly, he was in a frantic state. What time was it? Would he get in trouble? He didn’t really know Mrs. Turner and what she would do and what she was capable of doing.

                He fumbled to get the door open with sweating hands. The sun was pretty high in the sky and beating on his exposed neck.

                It took him about ten minutes to finally through it open. When he was inside, many of the kids it was hard to tell if the kids were up and already in the bathrooms getting ready, or still sleeping, or eating, or off to school. He was afraid someone would jump out of know where, see him and tell on him because he was the “new kid”.

                He ran down to his room. Once in, he frantically looked for the clock. 8:30. Breakfast. He had never been late yet. His heart was beating so fast it echoed in his ears.

                He threw on anything lying around, neglecting to get clean or do his hair, not that it really made a difference.

                He rushed back out of the room into the hallway. He took the stairs to the first floor two at a time, almost stumbling.

                The house was still unfamiliar to Mike, not to mention very big and intimidating to any seven year old. He took a wrong turn once out of the stairs and found himself in front of Mrs. Turner’s private door. He looked up at it as it looked back at him. It was like his feet her glued to the ground.

                Suddenly the dirty lock started to turn. It must be time for her to make her round through the dining room.

                He dashed off and finally found the huge dining room followed with the kids. He spotted an empty seat, saved by his little sister, who looked like a lost puppy. She was so young and Mike had left her all alone.

                He quickly went to sit with her and jumped into the seat. He turned to his sister, who gave him a trying smile.

                Mike was very hungry and as he reached for the food he accidently hit some kid in the head, sending the kid into hot oatmeal. And it wasn’t just any kid; it was Russell, the oldest, biggest kid in the home.

                The rest is pretty bad, but Mike definitely got it from Russell and it wasn’t too long after that he left the home. No one knew nor cared, for that matter, where he had gone. An almost 18 year old gave a 10 year old a black eye. 

                For a while Mike went from the “new kid” to the “hero” because all the kids felt bad for what had happened.  That was until Mrs. Turner had blamed Mike for it and gave assigned seats in the dining room.  Then he was back to being the little kid who only talked to his sister.