Lights Will Guide You Home

Michael

"I've been living with my uncle ever since I was a baby. My parents died in a car crash and he took me in since then. He'd be busy most of the time, and away from home. When I was really small, I remember there was a woman who'd take care of me – give me a bath, make sure I was fed. She was one of my uncle's friends, I think. I don't remember much about her... she didn't speak much. She stopped coming after a while though – once I turned four, I think.

I was really bored at home all day, so my uncle decided to send me to school. I liked school. My teachers were nice, and I liked learning new things. The best part of my week was art class – drawing makes me happier than anything. I began making new friends, and we'd meet up in the park and play every evening, and in the holidays. I liked all my friends a lot but Carlo was the one I liked best. He'd make silly jokes all the time which no one else got but I found really quite funny." I paused for a bit, as happy images of Carlo flashed through my mind. Claire was holding my hand, listening carefully.

"I had always wondered what my uncle did for a living. One day, I mustered up enough courage to ask him. He was in a good mood that day; he generally didn't like too many questions. He said he made medicines – medicines that make people who are really, really sad happy." Claire made a weird, disgusted face.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Continue, dear."

"Time passed by and my 9th birthday came around. My uncle always seemed worried around then – he was always in a bad mood and he'd get worked up for the tiniest of things. Every night I'd hear him yelling at people – either over the phone or at men who dropped by at times. I never understood much of it, or bothered to pay any attention, but from what I picked up I understood my uncle didn't have enough money and somehow the police were to blame.

On the morning of my 9th birthday..." I paused, my throat feeling funny... but I went on, "on the morning of my birthday, my uncle came into my room. He began by saying that, now that I was 9 years old, it was time I started taking up a few responsibilities. He asked me if I'd like to help him distribute the medicines he made. "What about school?" I asked. He said I could still go, but not as regularly as I used to – the job ought to be most important. "But my teacher said there's nothing more important than studying now," I said. I really enjoyed my lessons, and I wasn't too keen on working with my uncle's scary looking friends. "Your teacher isn't the one who gave you a home, you ungrateful thing!" he yelled suddenly, smacking me across my face. "After everything I've done for you, you still refuse to work for me?!" He hit me again and I started crying. "Now don't cry there like a fool. Get dressed. I want you downstairs in 5 minutes – you're going to begin work today." " I paused, noticing Claire looked really angry. She was clutching my hand really tight, but I don't think she realized it.

"As I brushed my teeth I thought to myself maybe my uncle was right. He had fed me, given me a bed to sleep in and clothes to wear. I should do something for him in return too. So I quickly got dressed and joined him at his work.

My job was quite simple. I was a delivery boy. I'd hand over the medicines to the people themselves."

"You... you went alone to these people? When you gave them the dru – medicines?" Claire asked me, her voice so soft. She seemed horrified by everything I was telling her.

"No one of my uncle's buddies always went with me... but they'd stay hidden at a distance to make sure nothing went wrong." I explained.

I could see my story was really upsetting her.

"I never understood why everything was such a big secret, and why my uncle trained me to hand over the medicines as subtly as possible. I didn't understand why I was made to swear I would never, ever tell anybody about what I did. It somehow felt like I was doing something wrong...but I didn't know who to talk to about it. Claire I really didn't want to do any of it anymore and I tried...but...but..."

I closed my eyes, trying so hard not to cry. I could feel tears filling up my eyes again and again, even though I kept blinking them away. "That night... that night – it was past 12, I think. I was in bed, doing sums. I'd borrowed Carlo's book so I could catch up with the math class I'd missed. My uncle..." my voice went funny, and I swallowed. "My uncle stormed into my room. His face was red and..." I could barely talk anymore. The tears had begun streaming down my face and my voice became a whisper. "...He was really very, very angry. He yanked my covers off... and the books fell to the floor. He grabbed me by the arm and..." I choked. "... and dragged me down the stairs and out to the road... he shoved me in a car and drove a bit. I was scared...really scared..."

I stopped. I just couldn't go on. I kept crying and crying, my body trembling as the images came flooding back. Claire moved on to my bed from the couch and put her arm around me, pulling me close to her. She was crying too.

I buried my face against her tummy and gulped, trying to make the tears stop so I could finish it off.

"... I'd messed up. I was supposed to have delivered the medicine to a man named Lee at 10 that night but I'd been so busy with homework and I just... I forgot. My uncle yelled at me... he'd been a really important man and... when I hadn't shown up he thought he was being cheated so he... he... wanted to get back at my uncle and he sent men after my uncle's crew and there was a huge fight... and it was all my fault," I choked over a huge sob as Claire's arms tightened around me. I could hear her crying too, although not as noisily as I was. "...and then... and then... they..." as I remembered the blinding pain, words failed me. I held on to Claire really tight and cried, and cried.

She didn't say anything. She sat there, holding me close to her and patting my head, waiting for me to finish. But the tears just wouldn't stop.

A/N: Hey guys, I know we haven't updated in well... 2 years (wow), we sincerely apologize, especially since we actually finished the book before publishing any chapters here. We actually lost the edited copy and life had us wrapped around its fingers. But I found the copy recently tucked away somewhere amongst the million spam messages in my mail. So here it finally is. I'm going to upload everything right now. Hope you guys enjoy reading it.

Also here's a new characters' POV for you guys. Michael is a sweetheart. 

What do you guys think? Please feel free to comment and it'd be cool if you vote!