I felt so sorry for him
— a seven-year-old boy.
I gave him a glass of water and a seat as I led him inside.
I saw the tiredness in his eyes and the dirt on his face as he drank.
«Tommy, where do you live? Do you know your address?» I asked gently.
He shook his head. «I was with my uncle,
but he said he could no longer take care of me. He’s abandoning me on the street.
It turned out to be worse than I imagined.
Although I had a million questions,
my main concern was making sure Tommy was safe.
I refrained from contacting the police so as not to scare him further.
I consoled Tommy:
«We’ll figure this out.» «Let’s get you fed and cleaned up first.»
Tommy seemed to feel better after a nice dinner and a bath.
He even managed a half smile.
My friend from the social services took my call and promised to come over and help.
I politely inquired further while I waited.
Tommy shared some information about his life before hitting the road,
including his mother’s name, Lisa, and a painful history of abuse and desertion.
My friend came and started talking to Tommy in a friendly manner.
She reappeared after hours, her eyes full of determination.
«Tommy needs to be taken to a safe place tonight, Laura,» she remarked.
“I will temporarily place him in foster care and look for his family.”
However, we need to manage this carefully.
I nodded with a sense of relief and regret.
Tommy had become a part of my heart, but it was time for him to go.
I stayed in touch with my buddy over the next few days and got updates.
They found Lisa, his mother, who had been looking for him for a long time.
Now that she had overcome her own struggles,
she was ready to welcome him home.
It was an emotional day of reunion.
With tears streaming down my cheeks,
I watched mother and son embrace.
Lisa thanked me and we agreed to stay in touch by exchanging contact details.
After a few months, Lisa kept me updated on her progress.
Lisa rebuilt their life together and Tommy was doing well.
Lisa contacted me one fine afternoon and asked me to come to Tommy’s birthday party.
Tommy greeted me with infectious joy as soon as I arrived.
Lisa hugged me again and thanked me again.
There was a lot of celebration and laughter that day.
As I watched Tommy play with his buddies,
I felt a deep sense of contentment and serenity.
For Tommy, Lisa and me, what had started as a chance
meeting had become a transformative experience.
