Todd's Story - Part Two

Todd was on the train to Boston. At the train station, he got off in search of food. He never got back on. He decided to settle in Boston. Fear kept him from boarding the train to complete his journey.

What if Uncle Peter and Aunt Barbara didn't like him? He had never been his mother's favorite. He felt unworthy and unloved.

*Let them wonder about me,* he was thinking. *I will be alright. I can take care of myself. I have done it before. I have done it ALL my life.*

And so it was, Todd stayed in Boston. He found work for a vendor, selling apples and oranges from a cart. He worked long hours and didn't get much pay, but it was a job. He made enough to eat, yet the nights were dark and so cold. He had to wear three layers of clothing just to stay warm.

Todd slept in the park, under a bridge. Other nights he slept under the shelter of a tree or anywhere else he could find that was safe and dry. Sadly, he wasn't alone. There were many other children out, wandering the streets of Boston. So many were homeless, with no parents to love them.

*I have parents,* Todd thought with a shattered heart. *They just don't love me.*

Todd was doing reasonably well... until the day he lost his job. Without work, he'd have to resort to stealing and begging. Todd didn't like to have to beg.

On the streets, Todd spent his days begging for money. Even a few coins would be helpful. Every little penny mattered. He needed something to put in his stomach.

He would walk up and down the streets as people passed by. Sometimes they were dressed in fancy clothes. Others just wore regular clothes. But there was one thing they all had in common; all of the people who passed were better off than him.

"Spare coins please?" he would ask.

Some of the people nearly knocked him over in their rush to get by.

"Please? Just a few coins?" he would plead.

Todd begged repeatedly for some coins, so he could buy himself some food. He would hold out the pockets of his trousers to show that they were empty. Finally, after a couple of long hours of begging, someone took pity on him.

"Poor little buggar," said an old lady as she tossed him some coins. They went every which way on the sidewalk, rolling into the cracks as they hit the stone. Todd got down on his hands and knees to scramble for them, gathering them up like one possessed. Other children were going after his coins, because they too were hungry. Todd frantically reached for as many as he could. Those smooth little coins would mean the difference between life and death for him.

As Todd was trying to gather as much change as he could, a tiny hand intersected his. It was a little girl. She was pale and thin with tattered clothes. As Todd looked at her, those eyes of hers appeared haunted. They told a sad tale of her existence. Todd noticed that her small foot was bleeding. She had a makeshift bandage wrapped around it.

Realizing she needed the coins far more than he did, Todd handed about half of them over to her. "Hey, what happened to your foot?" he asked.

"I cut it on the rocks," she said sadly. "I don't have any shoes."

"My foot hurts real bad," said the little girl. "I don't have anyone to take care of me."

The child stood up, but she could barely walk. She was limping. Todd stood up as well, stuffing the coins he had gathered into his pockets. "Let me help you," he said as he rushed over to the little girl. He put his arm around her as she struggled to walk. He saw that her foot was swollen and discolored. It was probably infected.

"Where are your parents?" he asked.

"They died. A few months ago," the little girl stated. "I am all alone."

"I can help you," Todd said. "I know these people... and they can help you. You shouldn't be all alone. You're too young to be alone."

The little girl was hurt. She was probably only three or four years of age. She needed help and Todd was determined to take her to a place of safety. He had heard about the Children's Home near the church. He'd take the little girl to the home for orphans. They'd fix her foot. Todd would be her protector ... and he knew she'd be alright.

"You'll help me?" the child asked as she looked trustingly up at Todd.

"Yeah, but I can't stay. I need to be on my own," he said. "I take care of myself."

"Thank you," the little girl said. She gave him a dirty smile. Her face was covered with smudges and her hair was matted. She really was a mess. Todd would look after her, just little while longer until she was safe. When her foot ached and she couldn't walk anymore, he picked her up and carried her in his arms.

"What's your name?" she asked as they were standing outside the church. She seemed thankful that Todd had taken her to a place of safety.

"It's Todd," he told her. "And what's yours?"

"My name is Michelle," she replied.

Todd gave her a tender smile. "You'll be safe here now, Michelle. The people will help you," he promised. "But I must go now." He didn't need anyone at the church or the orphanage to see him. They would probably insist he stay or send him back to his mother, and that was the last thing Todd wanted.

He waved goodbye to Michelle. She waved back at him as she stood on the steps of the church. He hurried off to see if he could get himself some food with what little coins he had; he was starving.

Todd rushed down the street, feeling happy that at least Michelle would be safe. He arrived downtown at the bakery. He went inside to ask for some bread. "Get out of here," snapped the man. "We don't want your kind here."

"But... I have money," said Todd. He held up a coin.

"Please... could I just buy a small loaf of bread? I am so hungry." As if on cue, Todd stomach rumbled.

The old man behind the counter let out a deep, heavy sigh. "Alright. I have some stale bread in the back that I could sell you for five pennies. Do you have that much?"

Todd nodded. He was so hungry, he couldn't be choosy. He just wanted to eat. It had been so long.

The old man went into the back of the bakery. He retrieved the small loaf of bread and brought it back out front to the counter.

Todd had never been so grateful for food before - even just bread. He handed over the five pennies after counting them out exactly. The bread wasn't much, but it would fill his stomach. Hopefully it would keep him from going hungry, until he could beg for more coins or find some other option. He just didn't know how he was going to continue, not having a job. When he had work, he could at least get food and take care of himself. Despite his current circumstances and all it's challenges, he was determined to make it on his own.

"Hey, could I have a job here?" Todd asked hopefully. "Sweeping floors ... and stuff like that?"

"No, now get on out of here," the old man growled. "I told you we don't like your kind here. Get OUT!"

Todd had no choice but to leave. As he walked down the street, he gobbled up the bread. He was tired, so he had to find a place to sleep. He needed somewhere warm and safe.

His stomach wasn't empty anymore, so he could think about sleeping. Tomorrow he would think about food again... but at that moment, he just wanted a good night's sleep.