I felt so sorry for him – a seven-year-old boy. I gave him a glass of water and a seat as I led him inside. I saw the tiredness in his eyes and the dirt on his face as he drank. ‘Tommy, where do you live? Do you know your address?’ I asked gently. He shook his head. ‘I was staying with my uncle, but he said he can’t take care of me anymore. I was abandoned by him on the street.’ It turned out to be worse than I thought. Although I had a million questions, my biggest concern was making sure Tommy was safe. I refrained from contacting the police so as not to scare him even more. I consoled Tommy: ‘We’ll figure this out. Let’s eat something and get you cleaned up first.’
Tommy seemed more relaxed after a nice dinner and a bath. He could even manage a half-smile. My friend from social services took my call and promised to come over and help. While I waited, I continued to ask politely. Tommy shared some information about his life before he hit the road, including his mother’s name, Lisa, and a painful history of abuse and abandonment. My friend came over and began to speak kindly to Tommy. After what seemed like hours, she returned with a determined look. ‘Tommy needs to be taken to a safe place tonight, Laura,’ she noted. ‘I’m going to place him in foster care temporarily and look for his family.’ We need to approach this carefully, though.
I nodded with a sense of relief and regret. Tommy had become part of my heart, but it was time for him to go. I kept in touch with my friend over the next few days and received updates. They found Lisa, his mother, who had been searching for him for a long time. Now that she had overcome her own struggles, she was ready to bring him back home. It was an emotional reunion day. With tears in my eyes, I watched mother and son embrace. Lisa expressed her gratitude to me and we agreed to stay in touch by exchanging our contact details. After several months, Lisa kept me updated on her developments. Lisa rebuilt her life together with Tommy, and Tommy was doing well.
One fine afternoon, Lisa contacted me and invited me to Tommy’s birthday party. When I arrived, Tommy greeted me with infectious joy. Lisa hugged me again and thanked me again. There was a lot of celebration and laughter that day. As I watched Tommy play with his friends, I felt a deep sense of contentment and serenity. For Tommy, Lisa and me, what started as a happy coincidence had become a transformative experience.
