Hope

It was a dreary cold day, a little wind in the air and very damp. The young woman woke up sore and drained. She was covered in drenched clothing and dirt. She didn’t remember what happened, again, this wasn’t the first time waking up like this. She semi recognized her location, however it was the same as she had been used to in the last year. She slowly got up, coughed heavily and tried to adjust herself to as much comfort as she could given her state. She looked around and saw the needle that knocked her out, the band that assisted. She hung her head down in shame, she never wanted this, it was her only way to fix her pain, that she knew. After a few minutes she got up and stretched her body. She was wearing no laced running shoes, baggy jeans that were very well worn, a black teeshirt and a huge over sized jacket to keep her warm. All in which she found donated in a local dumpster. She tried walking around leaving her trash behind her and stretching her body. She heard a little comotion ahead and decided to start her travels for the day. 

Every day was new to her, she didn’t know where life would take her, hopefully up soon. She remembered once being a lovely young girl who lived with her loving family, which she felt wasn’t lovely at the time. She was going through her rebellious stage of life and her parents just didn’t get it. Her father gave up on her long ago, her mother held her strength as long as she could. In the end she understood her mother just couldn’t take it anymore and let her daughter live the life she wanted, which ended up on the street. She was given the name Lilian at birth everyone who loved her called her Lily, however now on the streets she liked to be known as Sage. 

Sage was fifteen, not educated she dropped out because the teachers didn’t understand her. She met people outside all the time that were similar to her personality and had also made bad choices. She knew that if she stayed home she wouldn’t be able to get what she waneted or express herself the way she wanted, she was missing home daily. At least then she would know she would have a warm bed to sleep in and hot meals thru the day. Especially the way her mom cooked, she missed cooking with her mom in the kitchen. It was there time to share the day’s events and reflect on life. She missed being loved.

As she walked the streets in the early morning the vendors of the market were setting up. She loved to people watch and smell the good fresh foods cooking, hopefully able to snag something that was unwanted from the garbage. She would usually do her morning walk as long as she could before finding a rest spot. She was living on the streets for some time now, don’t know if her parents were looking for her or just stopped caring. No longer did she have a cell phone either, funny how when it’s not paid it does’t work, she was really lucky living at home, she came to realize that more and more the longer she stayed “on her own”. 

As she was searching through the stands at the market she came upon an antique stand. When she was young she used to go with her mom through different markets looking an antiques to put in the house. Another cherished moment she missed, and still enjoyed. As she was searching thru she found what looked to be gold and shimmering however covered by a white sheet, partially. Sage went to look at the item and the owner of the stand cautioned her “Gentle my dear that is a treasured piece and very special. It’s not an everyday mirror, you wouldn’t believe me if I told her but it shows things that you wouldn’t normally see.” Sage was intrigued and apologized and walked away, couldn’t stop thinking about it. It wasn’t anything she had ever seen before. She kept walking however found herself right back at that spot. The vendor noticed her right away and remembered her. Saw that she was a street kid based on her appearance and smell, but saw a glimmer of hope within her soul. She approached Sage and spoke to her, “you like the mirror, something attracts you to the mirror.” “Yes my mother and I used to shop for antiques when I was young and something like this she would of loved because of its originality and uniqueness.” “Wheres your mother now?” asked the merchant. “On vacation, she took some time off to recoup, I’m staying with my uncle and aunt close by.” quickly she made up a story as to not alert the merchant so she knew she was safe, even though she wasn’t. And technically her mom was on a vacation, away from her. 

Sage obviously didn’t have the money to buy the mirror and kept walking, by end of day she found her spot to sleep and stay as warm and safe as possible. This time in a nice park away from the foot tracks of people around her, in a quiet bush that almost didn’t seem recognizable as a sleeping spot. She fell asleep quickly, unknowingly for the first time not putting a needle into her arm.

Sage woke the next morning to the sounds of bird chirping, she hand’t done that in years, beside her was some loose change and a small golden mirror, similar to that she saw at the market, however much smaller. Astonished she ever so gentled picked it up and touched it with the palm of her fingers, she looked in the reflection of it and saw herself, grungy and dirty with tears coming from her eyes. She went to wipe her tears but there were none. Still looking at the mirror she kept wiping and wiping, but no tears were coming onto her arm. She put the mirror down quickly, she was freaking out. She went to find a fountain and washed her hands and face, dried herself off with her dirty clothes, tonight she would slip into the river and get washed up. She went to find the merchant with the mirror however the market was now closed up for the weekend. She kept the mirror in her pocket clenched by her hand.

That night after she cleaned up and found the secure spot to rest she pulled out the mirror again and looked into it. This time she found herself smiling and a look of hope in her eyes. She spent a good amount of time just looking at her own smile, her own joy and hope, something she hadn’t seen in a long time. She gained some confidence and went to sleep with dreams of the future. 

She found herself within the next few days walking more, and trying more. She made an attempt to get back on the right track, she found herself not in pain anymore, she saw families in the park enjoying life and she wanted that back. She knew it would be a hard battle but she was ready for it. She didn’t know what her steps would be to get there, but she would figure it out, she was a smart girl. The more she took her steps the more her reflection changed in the mirror.

Never would Sage believe that years prior she was homeless. She found programs in the library and found a counselling service that offered walk in help. She got off the streets and was working part time at a food kitchen helping others. She was placed in a group home and had to sign a contract saying she was working on getting better in order to stay. Which she was. She kept building her strengths and overcoming challenges and paying back. She still had her mirror with her and it was still changing in the reflection. It showed a young woman now with a graduation cap on with the biggest smile. She knew only good things would come and kept working toward’s it. One afternoon as she was walking home after work she noticed a vechile stopped at a light with a familiar face behind the wheel. She kept walking and every few seconds would look back up until both her and the driver locked eyes. Sage gasped, and stopped dead in her tracks. The car honked thru traffic and pulled over and got out of the car leaving the door ajar. Tears started pouring from both women and within an instant they were hugging. It was her mother. Over years of not seeing each other they met by fluke over traffic and a walk. There were no words exchanged, only tears. Sage had found her happiness and her comfort again, she would be safe. She would have a home and be able to live as a child should, she had learned a new lesson on life and was happy for it.