Dusted Stranger

I remember when the streets were full of kids happily chatting about their plans for the summer, or what they are going to wear for trick-or-treating. Now the streets are full of rocks and ruble. It wasn't long ago when the town had the biggest dust storm of its years. The storm cleared about 15 miles of town, after that this town was known for nothing.

The only people known for walking the streets from here to there are the critters that come by often and take the leftover garden food. From what I've heard off of the radio is quite extraordinary, talking about people being visited in the night and being delivered "Baskets of Joy". I don't believe one bit of it, its not like fairies will appear at your window and drop a basket of all the essentials you need to survive. If these people are telling the truth, there is no way that they could reach to where we are right now, if they can even find anything under this pile of dust.

I've been low on food but not as low as the other people that still live here, I knew this day would come so just in case I couldn't get out I have a stash of Fruits, Vegetables, and bread. It looks like i'll be the only one surviving out of this. No one would be able to drive out into the city and get more food because their cars are rusted with all of the dust that passed through.

At least I still have company here, I've got the company of my books and of my cat Percy (I got it from one of my favorite books, Percy Jackson). Percy is all I have now, my family was either killed in the storm or left. It's OK though, I wasn't that close to them anyways.

(knock knock knock) Standing up carefully and slowly I crept towards the curtains to look out the window, my heart beating out of my chest, "who, what is that? no one has been on that road for weeks" the knocking happened again, I grabbed the door knob in hesitation, I flung it open in curiosity , It was a Mother and her Child. She had dirt all over her face and tears in her eyes with her child sleeping on her shoulder. She mumbled under her breathe, I cold hardly hear what she was saying, I invited her inside so her could at least rest her legs and get something to drink and eat.

After she got well fed, She was talking about how her family had left her when she first gave birth and the government had to take her child away for lack of education and health. She was also talking about how she had her newest child during the storm. I told her that she could stay with me for however long she needed to stay, I had a bed and the couch turned into a pull out so she and her child could sleep there.

The women helped me around the house, with the garden and then cleaning, she was very helpful and was very thoughtful of me. A couple of weeks later she thought it was time for her to go and set off back on her own. I helped her with her packing, I had packed her some extra food and some old clothes that I never wore. She helped me one more time with the garden and then she put her old shoes on and made her way to the front of my yard, she turned around and mouthed something, I didn't see what she had said but I hope it was Positive.

By the time I had gotten back to my room there was a Basket of Food, Water, Books, and cat food. I rubbed my eyes thinking I was in a dream, I ran back to the door and looked out the window. She was gone. Maybe the Baskets of Joy do happen, I walked back to my room and looked down at the Basket, I noticed a little note on the side of the basket, I picked it up and read it, "Thank you for inviting me into your home. My daughter and I were on the verge of dying, running out of food, we were weak. Then you were so kind and took the time to nurse me back to health, We couldn't thank you enough. I know times have been tough lately so I hope you take this gift.

Yours truly Addy and Elvie"

I put the note back down on the bed and went through the stuff. Food that could last me weeks. Cat food for Percy and toys. Percy looked very happy with his new toys. I took out a pan and cracked an egg that Addy had left in the basket, it sizzled under the heat and then popped a bit, I flipped it over and let the other side sizzle and pop, I slid the egg off of the pan and cut and 1/4 of for Percy.

As I ate my egg the thought of how life is mysterious in many ways crossed my mind. Everything is under our noses and we don't know. It brought me back to how this town was once filled with smiling children, and how things can change in a instance. I like to think of it like, you are reading you favorite book and a character that really brings the book together dies and the book is never the same. Its just like life, you can't do anything when someone dies, but just love what you have. You can't go back into time so love and cherish what you have and to always think about how helping someone can effect your life.

Sometimes helping people might not always being your favorite thing to do but it benefits you and the other person in many ways. Next time someone asks you to help them, take time and help the person, it might just do you good.