HOME - Conclusion

Street life had been hard and I had to fend off many such assaults. Setting up home in this quiet alley, next to the self-talking man and a sad Golden Retriever had been heavenly compared to events past. My room was tattered, leaky, musty, but it was home and it was mine.  No more houses that many called a safe place.

My three new friends left, leaving behind a set of brand new clothes, blanket and toiletries. A week later, the daughter returned alone, dressed in jeans and t-shirt. She wanted to take me to her home for dinner, to thank me for helping her. Her home was warm with a soft sofa and cozy kitchen. The running water in the bathroom was heavenly and when I asked if I could take a shower, she smiled and nodded. I let the warm shower run through my hair, my bare back down through my toes over the foamy, slippery lather that smelled of spring and flowers.

Fresh and clean I sat at the dining table across from my host, taking in the aroma of a hearty meal. After a delicious fill, we sat and watched some TV and she told me about growing up with an ill father who taught her many things. I felt like talking about my parents and shared some of my childhood memories. We talked and talked and pretty soon it was too late to go back to my home. She invited me to stay in her spare room. The bed was soft, warm, dry and smelled of fresh rain.

I slept all the way till lunch time and the nice girl didn’t mind. We ate and went to some stores where she bought me more new clothes. I didn’t want any, but she forced me to try them on. Next she took me to her friend’s home where we had tea and talked some more. The friends were nice and reminded me of my parents. They asked if I wanted to stay the night and even showed me their spare room with its colorful walls and large bed with hundreds of pillows. I said okay, but only for one night. Soon it was seven nights, then 30 until finally I lost count. They asked a kind old lady to come home every morning who helped me with books. I read stories, learned my numbers and lots of new things. Soon my new room was surrounded by so many books and I read them all, sometimes even more than once.

My new home had a lot of things new to me. My bed was big where my new puppy, a golden retriever and I slept. The walls were surrounded by bookshelves filled with so many books which took me to so many places. I even had a closet with so many new clothes that were clean and sweet smelling. Most of all, in my new home, I had a new mom and dad and they were very nice to me and loved me very much.

THE END