When We Slumber

8 | Not Quite Divergent

I gave in to the plea to not call the police. Even though it was the right thing to do, I knew splitting up would hurt them too much since people rarely adopt two children.  After Lunch, I commissioned the twins to tell me their story. I wanted to know how they ended up homeless and if I could, I would help them find their family. 

Shaunae sat by her brother on the couch. She was ready to tell me everything I needed to know as long as I didn't send them to an orphanage. "It happened two days before our birthday, last year," She began.  

I occupied the red accent chair a few feet to her left. "okay, I'm listening."

"Our mom and dad went out to buy our birthday presents, but they didn't come back." Shaunae grasped her brother's hand. "The next morning the police came to tell us..." her eyes became wet and she squinted to hold the tears back.

"They met in an accident with a drunk driver," Shaun added. 

I knew exactly how they felt since I was just about the same age when my parents suffered a similar fate. It devastated me. They didn't leave me homeless nor broke, but I was broken, and it was Timothy and his family who stayed with me and fixed me. 

Shaunae let out a sigh then she began to pick at the hem of her dress. "We ran away when they told us we would have to live in an orphanage. We don't want to live in an orphanage because the kids at our old school said it is terrible there."

"Well, you have to go somewhere. You're too young to be on your own and you also need to go to school." They reminded me so much of myself except they had it worse than I did. There was no one to take care of them. "When you get adopted, you can always write to each other-"

"Please, mister," Shaun begged. He rushed before me and knelt. "Please, allow us to go to Arther Street."

"We can take care of ourselves," Shaunae added. "We prefer to be homeless than to live without each other." 

I didn't know what to say. It was obvious they truly loved each other and I would feel bad to be the one who caused them to separate. But in the same instance, I couldn't allow them to go back on the streets. "Kids, Arther street is a very dangerous place." I covered my face with my palms and shook my head. "You shouldn't go there."

"But mister, my sister and I don't have anywhere else to go."

Something was running through my head and I had a hard time figuring out if it was a good idea or not. Then it came to me what I was missing all along. "Timothy."

"What, mister?" Shaunae asked. 

I held Shaun by his arms and hauled him up to his feet. " Go watch some cartoon and ease your minds," I told them and handed him the remote. I called Timothy over and he agreed to watch them until I returned from the office. It was a hard decision and although I made up my mind before I consented to my best friend, I still needed his advice. 

I decided to take in the twins. I had nothing to lose and it would be a win-win situation since I was lonely and they needed a home. The house would no longer be the last place I wanted to be when I wasn't working. I wasn't sure whether I was good with kids, but I reckon It wouldn't be the hardest thing as they didn't seem like the type to give much trouble. 

Timothy thought I was making a mistake by taking strange homeless kids into my home. He thought it would only be a matter of time before they started stealing from me and showing their true colors. I couldn't see any of that happening though, and although they were strangers, I felt somewhat connected to them. Maybe it was because I knew exactly how painful their lives have been and we both lost our parents to the same fate. I told Timothy he wouldn't understand the way I did. If the tables were turned I would do the same thing they were doing to stay with each other. Money could always be made again but in life, you only get one biological family. 

It was up to me to help Shaun and Shaunae the same way I had someone supported me when I needed it.  

"Yeah, bro," I answered into the phone. Timothy had returned to his house but he still wasn't comfortable with me having the twins stay the night. 

"Are you sure about this, man?" He asked. "I still think you're making a big mistake."

"Tim, I have to do this," I sighed. "I know what it's like, plus, they would be good company." They would be great company. I found I was getting addicted to drinking and it was the last thing I wanted to be addicted to. I hated Kandy for driving me to it in the first place. I hated her for breaking me into so many pieces. 

"Fine," He said, and I could tell he was rolling his eyes like he always would when I won an argument. "But count me out of it. I'm not babysitting them again." 

"Whatever, you don't have to."

"Don't listen to him, Lucas," Britanya said. "We'll watch them whenever you want." 

I smiled knowing she was probably right. If she could get him to apologize to me for being harsh, she could get him to do anything. "Thanks." 

"It's nothing." 

"It's something," Timothy mumbled. They seemed to have had the phone on handsfree mode.  "I love you bro, but I don't agree, so goodnight."

"Night, bro. Goodnight Britanya." After she said goodnight we ended the call and I headed next door to see the twins before bed.

Since there was only one guestroom, they had to share. The smiles I saw on their faces as their backs hit the mattress, stole my breath for a second. It was as if their faces hadn't relaxed like that in a long time. It felt good to be the reason for someone else's smile.

"Mister, thank you so so much." They said in unison when they noticed me leaning against the doorpost.

"I feel so fresh," Shaunae giggled. 

"Get some sleep," I told them before switching the light off and closing the door. I still couldn't sleep in my bedroom because it still felt dirty, so I ended up sleeping on the couch, and I didn't mind. 

I awoke in the middle of the night from the strangest nightmare. I couldn't understand what it meant nor who the man was. The thing that scared me was what he said, 'I know what you did.' I didn't know what he meant or what it was that I did that this stranger in my dream didn't like.