The Blizzard and the baby

Yes Carl, meteorologists say that this blizzard, which they are nicknaming Roberta, is going to continuously spread out in all of West Pierre for at least three days. The sheriff’s department has issued for all locals to stay inside and bunker down until the blizzard has passed and to stay calm.  We have seen earlier this week the panic buying that has ensued. Shelves being cleared of almost everything, from toilet paper, to fruits and vegetables. Local conspiracy theorists blogs have been chanting that this is the end of the world.    

I tape up the hole I made breaking the glass as I listen to a pre-taped weather report from yesterday playing on the TV that someone forgot to turn off. I was lucky that the whole glass door of the supermarket didn’t shatter as I broke a hole in it to unlock it. 

I had to break it.

I had no choice. 

The dumpster behind saint benny’s where I was going to ride out this blizzard was stolen from me by another homeless man. It is truly a dog eat dog world and I was sitting in the middle of it. 

I have been homeless for two years and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I used to be on top of my game you know. I was Peter Benton, youngest chef to own a four Michelin star restaurant. I had money, a beautiful woman who was pregnant with my child, and a great home. But it all fell beneath me when I first tried cocaine. And then my reputation started to fall, and the money left because of my now addiction and the women who loved me left after she miscarried, so I switched to heroin. And then fast forward and I am now Peter Benton, street bum who has tried being clean for two years and failing every time and now homeless.  

This time is different though. 

I have been into remission, cold turkey style, for the past eight days, four hours and six minutes. It’s the longest I have been clean for in months and I am going to ride this out.     

I was lucky enough to find this supermarket when I did because the blizzard is starting to ramp up. My hands, my feet, every part of me is cold. But now I have a chance. I have a roof over my head and limited food surrounding me so I should make it through the blizzard with ease. 

I finish taping up the hole and I slide down the door to sit and take a breather. The TV that was playing the news cuts out suddenly making it quite. 

Deep breath in

Deep breath out

I get up from where I am sitting. First order of business, warmth. 

I start inspecting the isles of the supermarket and just like the news lady said, there is barely anything left. I do see a canned soup stand display that says buy three gets the fourth one free. There is no soup left on it however the stand itself can be burned for a fire. 

But before I can even do that I have to check to see if this place has a sprinkler system. I hobble to the door that says manager on it and turn the nob only to find it locked… big surprise there. 

Luckily for me, after two years being homeless, you learn how to do some semi illegal things out of desperation for food or drugs. One of those things for me was lock picking.

I grab the trusty lock pick that I had to give up drugs for to buy but has never let me down, and I unlock this door. I open the door to see a standard set up. A desktop, pictures, small plants and to the corner I see several switches one that says sprinkler. 

As if this was meant to be, the sprinkler system has tape over it that says, under repairs. Glad, I turn to leave when I hear a rustling. The rustling is coming from the direction of the desk. I walk over to the desk to find a blanket on the desk chair with a baby inside. 

A baby? 

A baby!

The baby doesn’t look cold, or sick, it isn’t even crying. It is peacefully sleeping wrapped in a blue blanket, which tells me that it’s a boy. 

Why would someone leave a baby! 

I have done some bad things, but abandoning a baby is a new low. 

I walk out the door and do the only logical thing, I call out. 

“HELLO” I scream hoping that the mother or father was also in here and that I had just not noticed them or haven’t seen them. 

I wait a minute; a full minute but there is no reply. 

What the fuck am I going to do?

I should just check on the baby and then leave it here.

No wait, i can't do that.

Undecided, I walk back in the room and check on the baby again, it is still peacefully asleep. 

I move the chair slowly as to not wake up the baby and so then I can look at the computer. I slam the keys… nothing happens, the power must be out. 

I decided right there and then that I would look after this baby until this blizzard passes over. Then I can find someone better than me to deal with this situation. 

Now back to the first problem, warmth for both the baby and me. 

I work fast because I don’t know how cold it is going to get and I know that we both need to be as warm as possible. I break the soup stand and collect the pieces to light them in isle three. This isle I deemed the best due to the fact there was not much stuff in the isle and there seem to be an open air duct right above isle three so the smoke from the fire should go into there. 

I light it with some matches I found and wait for it to get warm so I can grab the baby. 

I turn to go back into the office only to find the baby already in my arms??

How did that happen? 

And now the baby was awake? 

And the baby looked older then it did five minutes ago?

I am confused? 

Maybe the come down from the drugs is really taking a toll on me?

Maybe the blizzard is making everything hazy?

I can’t question it now; I have a baby to keep alive. 

I can’t help but think about the baby that I was going to have before my love miscarried. I never blamed her for it, never. I just wish that it didn’t happen. 

The baby smiles at me and my whole world changes. I love this unknown child as if it were my own. 

Lets feed you big guy. 

With the baby cradled in my arms smiling at me I… 

Now there is food in front of me. 

What the hell?

The food looks like it took an hour of preparation and cooking and now suddenly I am feeding the baby and myself?

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?

I have lost time before both coming off of and being on drugs, but never like this. Not like now and now I have to look after a baby. 

I can’t let this baby die. 

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Three days later

Carl I am glad too. The meteorologists have said that the blizzard has officially passed. The sheriffs department is still asking for one more day until everyone can go back to there normal lives to see just how much damage needs to be repaired. They are also saying that if you really need to get outside, that the sheriffs department is asking for people to volunteer there time to help clean up falling trees and such labour intensive activities.  

Thank you Katie. Now onto the darker stuff, the missing person’s hotline is now open. They welcome any tips from any people that you think are missing. The sheriffs department is looking on all missing tips. Sadly it has only been a few hours and there have been two bodies found amongst the heavy snow from the blizzard.  

The first is an unnamed homeless man found in saint benny’s dumpster, the coroner is working on identifying the man. The second man, who died, was suspected of trying to crawl to the local supermarket for shelter. This man has been identified as the late great once former chef Peter Benton. Both men died on the first day of the blizzard. 

More news at five.