Oct. 10, 2024 is World Homelessness Day.
Globally, people will observe this day and hopefully bring more awareness to the plight of those who experience homelessness.
Everyone deserves a home, a place to feel safe, a place to be with family, a place to relax at the end of a long day. What does home mean to you?
I wrote this short story based on an experience I had. I hope you take the time to read it, and maybe the next time you see someone in need, you will think twice before passing them by.
The Homeless Boy
He hung on to the side of the tent. The wind rocked it back and forth, back and forth. There wasn’t much to anchor that tent to, as it was sitting on a concrete parking lot. A ripped tarp flapped menacingly, threatening to fly off at any minute, exposing the flimsy tent to the elements.
“Maybe the wind will just pick me up and fly me away,” he thought. “I’ll sail through the sky towards a brighter tomorrow.”
On cue, the rain started to come down in sheets, pelting the side of the tent. Each was angrier than the other. He looked at his faithful companion, sound asleep and not bothered by the violence of the early evening storm. It had been a long day. The scorching +30-degree temperatures and blinding sun in the prairie city did not make it easy. There wasn’t a lot of shade to take shelter in. The few trees were already offering sweet coolness to other people who were seeking respite from the heat.
Danny considered himself lucky to have found this little corner of solitude in an out-of-the-way church parking lot. Sure, it was on the corner of two busy streets, but that was fine. The noise from the traffic helped to drown out the thoughts chattering in his head. They weren’t kind. They kept telling him he was a failure and that he had no right to be here. They told him he should just die and make the world a better place. The only thing that kept him from taking his own life was his dog. The dog was his life, and he was determined to do everything he could to look after him. Without a job and without a home, money was hard to come by. He spent his days gratefully accepting coins tossed at him by those hoping to appease their guilt. When he had enough, he spent it on food for Ike.
Even today with the hot sun beating down and his throat
aching for something cool, he put Ike first. When a woman in the Starbucks drive-thru handed him a cup of ice-cold water, he poured it into the makeshift bowl he had picked up along the road. Ike lapped it up, the light in his deep brown eyes, coming back. He enjoyed doing things for his furry friend. It was nice to care for someone. It made him feel human.
Today he thought that setting up his tarp in the lot near the trendy coffee shop would be a good idea. Maybe someone would buy him a coffee or a cool drink. Maybe someone would take pity on him, the boy, and his dog, fending for themselves in the hot summer heat. But no. Only the woman with the water took pity on him. Others were probably scared to go near him. He hadn’t looked in a mirror in a couple weeks, not since he managed to use the restroom at a service station down the road. He even scared himself. His once shiny blonde hair was now unruly, matted, and tied in a messy bun on the top of his head. His face was permanently scarred from a run-in with a broken bottle and a drug dealer. He was so dirty. The dirt and grime had become part of his skin. And his clothes! He used to take pride in his appearance and was admired for his fashion savvy. Now he was dressed in ripped, baggy khaki pants with lots of pockets so he could carry his few meagre possessions and a t-shirt that once fit but now hung loosely off his shoulders. There were rips and stains everywhere. It was embarrassing. No wonder people didn’t want to stop or approach him.
“They probably think I’m going to stick a knife in their side or beat them with a stick. They don’t know me. They don’t know that I once was like them, drinking fancy coffee, wearing clean and trendy clothing, and going to the nicest cafes and movie theatres. I used to have a life. I used to be a person with a home, a purpose, and dreams. Now my dreams are nightmares. I am lost.”
Only Ike, his Golden Retriever, who had been with him for almost three years, saw past his dishevelled appearance. Ike was his shining light, his hope, and his only companion. Ike’s love was unconditional, and they were family. Not family like the one that deserted him when he was in his darkest hour, but real family. One that loves and values him despite his shortcomings and failures.
A soft growl broke through the clouds of his dreams. Danny opened his eyes warily, taking a minute to remember where he was. Ike’s growl grew louder, sending out a soft warning. Danny calmed his breathing and listened. He heard voices outside his shelter.
“This must be it,” said a masculine voice.
“Must be. There’s nothing else in this parking lot,” replied a feminine version of the first voice. Both seemed full of authority. Cops! Danny quaked under his old blanket. What would they do?
Suddenly, the front of the tent shook. “Anybody in there?” boomed the male voice. “Wake up! Anybody there?” With that, Ike let out a full-throated growl and stood, his hair rising on his back.
“He’s got a dog!” shouted the female. “Shit. What do we do now?” A flurry of movement meant that weapons had been pulled out.
Ike ignored the growing tension that had seeped into the tent. His growl turned into a warning bark. “Hey, bud, it’s okay,” said Danny, trying to calm him as he knew full well what would happen if the officers felt threatened. He couldn’t have his dog, his best friend, hurt or worse. He couldn’t lose him.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Danny said loudly. “It’s just me and my dog. He’s scared. We are coming out.” Danny slowly unzipped the tent’s door. It was already a bit ripped, so he was careful not to make it worse. It also gave the officers time to process what was happening.
“Come out slowly with your hands where we can see them. Get a grip on that dog!” commanded the male officer.
Danny’s bones creaked from sleeping on the hard surface of the paved parking lot. An air mattress was a luxury he did not have. His back stiffened as he managed to crawl out of the tent and then froze as he tried to straighten up. All he could see was the shiny black of boots. That, and puddles of water on the ground around him. He managed to crawl up on his knees, turned, and gently called to Ike. “Come on, boy, it’s okay. Come to me.” Ike stuck his golden nose out the tent flap. His deep brown eyes glanced nervously from side to side. Then his gaze locked on Danny. Like moth to a flame, Ike crept over to his person. He put his beautiful head on the boy’s thighs and sighed. “That’s a good dog. That’s a good boy. It’s okay, bud. It’s going to be okay,” Danny crooned as he stroked Ike’s head. Ike licked Danny’s hand in reply. His mournful eyes looked up. Suddenly, he stood up, shook off the night’s shadows, and lunged towards the officers. Weapons already drawn, they shifted and pointed their guns at Ike.
“No!” cried Danny. “No, please! Ike! Come back!” But Ike did not listen. He continued forward, his only thought being to protect his human from this new threat. His once soft and friendly demeanour suddenly turned menacing and forceful. The officers backed up a step, furtively looking at each other while keeping their guns trained in the direction of the charging dog. “Ike, nooooooo!”
Time stopped. Danny’s heart raced erratically as he frantically tried to think of a way to save his dog. “Oh god, no, Ike! Stop! Come back! Ike! No!” A sharp crack split the air. “Oh my god, Ike, no!” It was over in a matter of seconds. Danny’s life would never be the same again.
“Hey buddy,” said one of the police officers, as he stepped over Ike’s body. “You can’t stay here. You need to move on.”
Through his tears, Danny asked, “Where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do now?”
“I don’t know. But you can’t stay here. The church folks won’t like it. Try going to a shelter. There’s one close to here,” said the other cop. “What’s up with your dog?”
“He’s terrified of storms,” Danny explained. “I don’t know. Something must have happened to him when he was a pup because he either lies down or hides when there is a thunderstorm.” On cue, another crack of thunder shook the sky. Ike jumped up, found Danny, and ran over to him, curling up on the ground around his feet.
“Well, you need to find cover. I don’t know if there are any shelters in this city that take animals,” the officer said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Probably not,” Danny agreed. “There aren’t many that do. We’ll find someplace to go and keep moving. It’s what we do. I may not have much, but I have my dog, and I will do whatever it takes to look after him. He’s my life.”
And with that, Danny started to pack up his tent and meagre belongings. Thunder continued to roll across the sky, but the rain stayed away. People went about their business. The police went on their way, satisfied that they had done their job. The woman from the car, who yesterday, in a moment of compassion, had shoved her fears aside and handed the homeless boy a cup of ice-cold water for his dog, sat and sipped her morning coffee and stared out the window at another approaching summer storm. She wondered where that young, homeless boy was. Was he okay? Did he find his way? The answers were lost, like the rolling of thunder in the darkening morning sky.
It was going to be a long day.
Interesting Reads & Things
Helping the homeless: a mission of love – Wanderings Art
A review of Canadian homelessness data, 2023 (statcan.gc.ca)
Homelessness in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia
It’s like to be homeless in Toronto – YouTube
Finland Solved Homelessness: Here’s How (Spoiler: It’s More Than Housing First) – YouTube
Wanderings Art 