Yearning For Home
@puppy-lovve
The tiny office of the ‘temp to hire’ caseworker seemed exceptionally cramped as every available space was taken up with stacks of folders. The elderly woman struck Joey as perhaps a little overworked as her curly hair was up in a hastily done messy bun and was sporting not only two pencils, and a pair of magenta reading glasses but the ballpoint pen she was searching for as she spoke. “You see Mr. Wheeler we have been fortunate to have received a great number of new jobs. As you caseworker, I have kept your special needs in mind. Where in the hell is that pen? Why is nothing where I left it?”
Lifting up his folder and checked under it while opening her desk drawer, Mrs. Carly Rae frantically searching for the pen. With a sigh, she grabbed a fresh one out of her pen jar. “Fiddlesticks! That pen was my favorite. Anyway… Where was I …. OH! Yes.. I think I found you a job that suits your special needs. Now let me make sure that I have everything. You are attending medical classes at DCC. Between that and the lab work plus you need to study that leaves you very little time. I think I found a job that will work for you. The pay is amazing and it isn’t a call center. I remember that you were not quite the right fit for that kind of job. Ok… that file is here somewhere…”
Realizing the file was right in front of her she gave Joey a smile and a nervous giggle. “Yes… It is a job for a Gal Friday. Well.. that was what it was called in my day. It is a personal assistant position. It says flexible hours that you set. Must be willing to do anything asked. The pay is quite high. More than…” Leaning in close to the report she squinted, then put on the teal reading glasses hanging from her neck by a beaded chain. “OH, my stars and garters… If I was younger I would take this job. It is offering more than four times the minimum wage. $65 an hour to start. Jeepers that’s high. Hope they are not expecting you to be a Gigolo. It says no professional skills required.” Tittering at her own humor, Carly wrote down the address and floor number, tearing off the note and handed Joey her notepad. Realizing her mistake she let out a snort and handed him the note in exchange for her pad. “Understand this is just an interview. But night now I don’t have anything else that meets your needs unless you want to try another call center or that packaging plant. But they don't pay that much. Good luck deary. Let me know how it goes. Your interview is later today.”
Arriving back at his apartment building, Joey saw that fire trucks were just pulling away. The apartment building had been condemned years ago but there were so many families that had nowhere else to go, so everyone refused to leave. The utilities turned a blind eye as long as the bills were paid and the police didn’t harass them since the families kept the place from becoming a crack den. However, gangs had moved into the surrounding neighborhood and they wanted the apartment complex for themselves. Mysterious fires and random violence kept everyone on their toes. Families and business in the surrounding area would disappear in the middle of the night. It was a bit nerve-wracking to live with the constant threat lurking but it was better than living with his dad. But now part of his home was a burnt down husk. He had lost the first place that felt safe.
Joey remembered that night he had gone home having finished his after-school shift at Java Addiction to find his dad was out of control. His dad was always an angry drunk but this was something more. Joseph jumped him the moment Joey walked in the door, beating into unconsciousness. For what seemed like days Joey would wake to his father kicking him or pouring water on his face, barking an order to make some food or fetch him a fresh beer. Barely able to move, his dad would yell and start beating him again. Over and over an endless cycle of brutality. Waking to find his father passed out with a needle sticking out of his arm, Joey knew he had to get away. He threw the few things he cared about and grabbed the overnight bag he always had packed.
Delirious for the pain of the constant beating, Joey got lost in the slums. Too exhausted to walk further, Joey slumped against a wall and fell asleep. Waking he thought for a moment his whole life had been a dream. He could feel Serenity cuddled up to the side of him, keeping him warm. Nuzzling her head, Joey realized this wasn’t his sister. A tiny, bald boy of about five or six years old, with huge green eyes looked up at him while rubbing his eyes to wake up. They were both huddled under a threadbare flannel jacket. Shyly smiling, the boy jumped to his feet and gave Joey his hand, pulling the hurt blonde to his feet. It hurt Joey’s heart to see the boy was as thin and boney as a skeleton. His oversized clothes just emphasized that he was not being taken care of.
Keeping ahold of the child, Joey followed him to a building that had seen better days. The place was run down but surprisingly clean. As they entered a huge black man stepped out of the first door. He glared at Joey but when he saw the child his craggy face broke into a grin that showed many missing teeth. Gesturing the boys to come inside the man looked Joey over. “Who’s been beating you, boy? Don’t be givin me that look. I’ve been in a few fist fights in my hay day and I know what I know. These bruises are not from one fight so that says it’s personal. That knuckle print is too big to be a woman so I am knowin’ it be your pappy. My misses with fill ya up with a hearty meal and tend to your hurts. You can stay here tonight if ya like or find yourself a nice hidey hole with Mouse. Them runaways have taken most of the top floor. Like rats they are. Skittering around at all hours when decent folks are trying to sleep.” The little boy looked sheepish and ran for an open window but a small plump woman intercepted him and pulled him into a hug as she glared at the big man. “None of that from you, Mister. Shame on you. You know how skittish Mouse is.” she admonished the man next to Joey then bent over and have the small boy a kiss on the cheek. “I see you found a lost soul. Please stay and sup with us. There is plenty to go around. Hope both of you boys are hungry. I got pot pies and corn. Even a little cobbler for dessert Now you and Mister go clear and set the table while I tend to this one’s hurts.”
The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Kitty and her husband was John Tate as she treated Joey’s cuts and let Joey take a shower while food cooked. Over dinner, they explained how the building was full of lost souls. Good people but too poor to find a better place to live. They took care of each other and helped where they could. While they set up the spare bed for him the little boy managed to slip out unnoticed. Quiet as his namesake. The next day they helped Joey find a nice little studio that hadn’t been gutted. It reeked of cigars but the blonde was used to the smell. Even with sleeping on the bare floor and the sounds of the gangs and shootings, Joey slept better than at his pop’s place. The other families gave Joey blankets and stuff to make the apartment more comfortable. A sofa and a mattress showed up the next day. Over the next few months, Joey settled in. Used his medical learning to help the small community that took him in. Joey loved having a place of his own but it was lonely. Mouse would show up with Duel Monster cards or bottles of pills he found. In exchange, Joey fed the boy and taught him how to read a little. It was almost like having his little sister back. Mouse would never stay even when Joey offered. And never spoke a word. Now he stood staring at the hole where his apartment used to be. All his things were gone. His photos of Serenity and the gang. His deck. His clothes. He would have to see if his pop… No, he would sleep on the street before he went back. Clenching his hand he felt the paper. The interview! If he got the job he have some money! He could get a real place! A tiny hand grasped his finger. Looking down, Joey saw it was Mouse. The boy was trembling and wouldn’t look up at Joey, but the blonde could see the tears running down his splotchy red and obviously burned face. Glancing over the boy for other injuries, Joey noticed that in his other hand was his bag! The boy had braved the fire to save his stuff. Tears welled in the blonde’s eyes, as he held the little hand. Didn’t the child know that his life was more important than stuff? Together they looked at the ruin that used to be both of their homes. The loud, shrill ring of his phone caused the both of them to jump. Answering quickly, Joey expected Yugi or Tristan but instead, it was a very frantic female voice. “Mr Wheeler. I am Ms. Regina Clayton. You and I have a meeting this afternoon. So we don’t waste each other’s time I thought I would give you a call. It came to my attention that the employer changed some of the job requirements that disqualified many of the other applicants. You would have to start right away, today in fact and be available at any hour of the day or night excluding your class schedule and your one day off. Since this requires you to be on hand, you will be given a company accommodations. Are you still interested in the job Mr. Wheeler? If you can meet these requirements consider yourself hired and come to my office so we can work out the other formalities.”
