CHAPTER 49: FLASHBACK

DAMIAN I was fourteen when I became homeless. I was living in the streets, picking up leftover food from the trash can behind restaurants and begging strangers for bottles of water or drinks. I remember getting turned back at the shelter because they had no space to accommodate a boy my age. "But I have nowhere to go, ma'am. I'll take anything you can give me; I'll sleep on the floor in the storage till I…" "It doesn't work that way!" She screamed back at me; I had it coming because I had bugged her for hours. "Look, I'll give you some food and water that can last you for some time, then you would have to leave, or else you leave me no choice but to call the police." She walked to the back room with a brown paper bag and a liter of cold water. I opened the water and took a swig. "You can always check back in a few days or weeks to see if there's a spare bed space. There's another shelter two streets away; check to see if they have any space." She replied with a smile; she handed m