99 to Nowhere

by DOMINO

  “My name is Maxx; I used to stay here years ago. Me and a few others would come here when we were trying to stay warm on the street”

  “So what is this, you come back to throw a pity party?” He scoffed and went back to the table.

  “No, it’s not a pity party” I countered. “I got a lot out of this place when I was here and I’m simply here to give back, if that’s alright with you, Conman”

  I dragged my heavy shopping bag to the counter and began taking out cans of soup and placing them in the cabinets. I could hear the silence behind me and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to convince them to trust me.

  “So where did you go?” David asked and began to help me with the cans of soup. “I never laid eyes on you in Millington, and believe me, I would remember you if I ever saw you before”

  “I live in Atlanta now” I answered and placed a few more plastic bowls and plates up in the cabinet. “I finished school and college, and now I live there”

  “You finished school?” I heard one ask behind me.

  “It’s not impossible ya know” I smiled at all of them and turned back to my bag.

  I handed David boxes of plastic forks, knives, and spoons for him to put with the others under the sink.

  “Well I still don’t trust you” Conman sneered.

  I ignored his comment and handed David my car keys. “Can you go in my trunk and get the last two bags out of the trunk for me? It’s the black rental car”

  David paused and looked at the others; I knew what he was thinking. I knew he contemplated getting in it and driving away, but I had to let him know I trusted him and he could trust me. He tossed the keys up in the air and caught them before he walked back out the door.

  I continued putting all the food I brought into the cabinets in silence. I decided I would let them talk to me instead of me being intrusive. It wasn’t until David walked back in with the other two bags of food before a blond haired boy named Trent spoke up.

  “Maxx, you said you finished school and all. How did you do it? How did you get out of the system?”

  I motioned for David to finish putting away the rest of the food. I also purchased fruit and vegetables so another tall dark haired boy named Brandon got up to help him.

  “I didn’t” I answered and leaned casually against the wall”

  “Then how did you? Never mind” He shook his head and put his attention back to his soup.

  “I mean, just because you’re in the system doesn’t mean the system has to stop you from getting what you want out of life” I replied and pulled up a chair. “I actually finished school in the Millington detention facility for girls”

  “You were there?” Conman finally looked interested. “A lot of us did some time in the boy’s detention facility, not too far from there”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I know about the boy’s facility”

  “So you graduated in the facility?” Conman asked curiously. “I didn’t know they did that”

  “Yeah, I didn’t either. I was too much of a bad influence on society, so they told me that I wasn’t able to go to the high school I was in when I lived with my foster family”

  Brandon scoffed. “How was that?”

  I narrowed my eyes at his bowl and then looked him in the eye. “I think you already know or know of someone like me that was, or is in a foster home”

  “Right” He answered and then looked at his bowl. “Hey, I know you can afford more, but do you want me to fix you a bowl?”

  Conman held out his hand and scoffed. “Come on man, she probably hasn’t eaten soup since she left this place. It’s beneath you, right?”

  “Actually I eat soup once a week, every Wednesday, so I don’t forget” I cocked my head to look him intently in the eye. He couldn’t hold my gaze. “Just because somebody gets out of a situation they didn’t care to be in, doesn’t mean they think they’re better than someone that’s now in the same situation they were in. I worked hard and stayed focused and determined to make something of myself, because so many foster parents and the system told me that I would never be anything. I had to prove to them that they were wrong”

  “The system hasn’t exactly improved Maxx. What did you get out in the world and do with yourself? Get married to some rich guy in a business suit and then decide to take some of his money to come and give back to the homeless?” Conman asked with a frown.

  I shook my head and smiled, knowing he was just frustrated with his life and not at me. “No Conman, not at all. I’m single and I have my own business suits and a briefcase that I use diligently on my mission to make sure that teens, such as you, are not mistreated in the system. I’m a social worker in Atlanta and my focus is the juvenile detention facility there. I only take cases there. It’s my job and it’s my life to let teens know that I was in their shoes. It’s my job to keep them hoping and keeping faith that they can be more than what the system has made them out to be” I paused to let what I said sink in before I proceeded. “553742, my file number, and I can say it backwards and forwards. My goal is to let everyone I work with know they are not a number in my book, they are human, and have names, and are respected by me. You are not numbers; you are not some file that’s in drawer in someone’s desk. You’re better than that and you can prove it to them, just like I did”

  The room grew silent and I knew I had their attention. Conman looked me over and then displayed a half smile, but directed it at the table. It was at that moment that I took advantage of the silence and explained my life to them. I bared all the good and bad of what I went through in my life and knew I was making a difference. I knew I was gaining their trust and admiration.

  We talked well in the late hours of the night and I ended up staying the night. I slept in the same spot Rio and I did when we were teens and I wasn’t scared of anything. I slept like a baby.

  FIFTY TWO

  I woke up the next morning and made everyone breakfast before they left. I gave them the hats and gloves I brought and we put the extras away for anyone that came in and needed them. Most of them had managed to steal some form of cellphone, so I gave each of them my number with my card. We promised to keep in touch and I advised them to call if they ever needed me for anything.

  Conman was the last to leave, he pretended to be busy stuffing his belongings into his worn out backpack, and I was mad at myself for not thinking about purchasing a few of them to bring to the chapel. He and I got off on the wrong foot, but by the end of the night, I felt closer to him than any of the others. He was seventeen with jet-black hair and gray blue eyes. He was going to make some girl very happy in the looks department I told him the previous night and I immediately won him over.

  “Hey Maxx” He threw his backpack over his shoulder and pulled his hat down on his head. “You ever think you’ll come back here? I know why you came this time; to try to give back a bit and I’ll admit I admire that about you”

  My cheeks immediately turned pink. “Thank you Conman”

  “Justin, my name” He replied with hesitation. “Justin Taylor”

  “Well, Justin, I’ll try to make it back here once a month at the end of the month. How about that?” He responded with a quick nod and I could tell he didn’t believe me. “Let’s take out the try part of it then. I’ll be back every month, the last weekend of every month” I crossed my fingers over my heart and I knew deep down I was going to keep that promise. “Remember what you said last night? That you had plans to be an architect when you were ten right?”

  He displayed an innocent smile. “I was ten Maxx, things change. Life changes your way of thinking—”

  I held up my hand for him to be silent. “I know all of that and that was part of my problem too. I was letting life change me instead of me changing my life” I was proud that I could remember everything Jo taught me and could pass it along. “Justin, I saw all of your drawings and you are too damn talented to let it go to waste. You’re not a conman. You are Justin Taylor, future architect, and as
set to the world”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s fine for you to think that way Maxx, but let’s be real—”

  “You know what, I still live in a small apartment, but I aspire to buy a house one day” I interrupted. “I want you to design that house Justin, that’s what I want”

  His eyes were wide with surprise. “Design your house Maxx?” He began to chuckle lightly. “I wouldn’t know where to begin. I draw people and the world of Millington, I don’t design houses”

  “Not yet” I countered. “You’re still in school right?”

  “No, got kicked out three months ago. It’s too late to get back in, and if I even tried to go back there, I would be arrested and thrown back in detention. School isn’t for me Maxx” He frowned.

  “Justin, I’m putting you back on track and I mean back on the right track”

  I made him help me clean up the rest of the kitchen and we locked it up for the day.

  “Where are we going?” He asked after I opened the passenger door of my rental car for him. “I have to meet someone later and it’s important”

  “I won’t keep you long, there’s a man in town that helped a friend of mine get on track and he’s going to do the same for you” I slammed my car door and sped off to Mr. Horne’s office.

  We walked into Mr. Horne’s office and I wasn’t surprised that everything still looked the same. Everything except his receptionist. A young girl sat behind the receptionist desk that appeared to look like a college student and she had Justin’s full attention.

  “Hi, my name is Maxine and I was wondering if I could speak with Mr. Horne” I asked.

  “Sure, he’s with someone right now, but I’ll send you in right after his appointment leaves” she answered.

  I noticed her steal a few glances in Justin’s direction. I slapped his thigh and told him to stay focused after I sat down. We waited twenty minutes before a young man walked out beaming at the world and I hoped that Justin and I would feel the same way after we spoke with Mr. Horne.

  We walked into Mr. Horne’s office and his desk was still full of paperwork. Boxes full of books and papers were all over his office floor, the two chairs in front of his desk were barely visible.

  “Mr. Horne nice to see you again” I extended my hand.

  I noticed a cane leaning against his desk and he now had a full head of gray hair, but he still had his spunk. His red reading glasses hung off the tip of his and he took them off quickly when he got a good look at me.

  “I know you” He grinned and stood up to shake my hand. “Maxx, right? I remember you. You were the only person that ever ran out of my office” He chuckled. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing well, but I’m here because I have a friend that I wanted to get back on track” I motioned for Justin to introduce himself.

  “Nice to meet you sir” Justin said timidly and studied him suspiciously.

  I knew living on the street could make you suspicious of anyone but yourself, but I gave him a pat on the back to let him know everything was all right.

  “Nice to meet you Justin, what can I do for the two of you today?” He asked and sat back down.

  “Justin here got kicked out of school a few months ago. He’s in the system of course and I wanted to know what he has to do to get his GED and get back on track?” I swallowed and held my breath, hoping he would say something positive.

  Mr. Horne nodded and began the legal process of everything. I was elated when Justin provided his student ID and found out he turned eighteen the following month. He would be able to take the test for his GED the month after that. I could see the excitement on Justin’s face, and most important, I witnessed hope emerge in his eyes. He was shocked that he had a chance to become something he only dreamed about.

  “This packet will explain everything else that needs to be done son. I want you to know dreams are never out of your grasp as long as you reach for them” Mr. Horne said and shook Justin’s hand.

  “Yes sir, thank you” Justin smiled and looked at me in amazement.

  “This is indeed a great day. I had three young ones in here today that passed the test for their GED and they are well on their way to fulfill all of the dreams they never thought were possible. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be one of them as well. I have no doubt you won’t disappoint me or Maxx” He looked at me and gave me a private wink.

  “Yes sir, I won’t” Justin nodded and gripped the paperwork in his hands.

  “Speaking of people that got their GED’s from here, I see you and Rio are really giving back, and I think it’s a wonderful thing for you to do” Mr. Horne began.

  “What?” I interrupted. “Rio’s been here?” My heart began to beat loudly in my ears.

  “You know Rio?” Justin asked curiously. “I met him earlier this week. I thought he was a cop, but turns out he’s a good guy”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” I was stunned.

  “How was I to know you knew him? I have his card” He pulled his wallet out of his coat pocket. “He came in talking to us just like you did. Grilling us on education and telling us we could get off the streets—” He handed me the card.

  I gripped the card in my hand and almost cried when I read it, Rio Barden, Attorney at Law. “He’s a lawyer, he really is a lawyer” I whispered. “He really is in Atlanta”

  “What’s going on?” Justin asked curiously after I handed him back the card.

  “You actually just missed him Maxx; he walked out like thirty minutes before you got here. He said he had someone to meet and then he was on his way back home” Mr. Horne explained. “I had no idea you two were no longer in contact”

  I stood frozen in time. I thought about all of the plans he had to be a lawyer and give back to teenagers that were on the street and in the system, he kept his promise. He held on tight to his goals and made it a reality.

  “He did it” I whispered and covered my face to stop myself from crying with happiness and disbelief.

  “Maxx, let’s go. Thanks Mr. Horne” Justin pulled me from the past and out the door. “Are you gonna be alright?”

  “I don’t know” I answered softly. “Rio, he, and I were on the street together, both of us trying to get out of Millington. He was my angel”

  We stood in the middle of the parking lot and let the snowfall on us before I opened the door of the car. I was still in shock.

  “Do you know the bridge that goes over the lake?” He asked. “The one that leads to the park?”

  “Yeah” I sniffed. “I slept there a few nights when I was homeless”

  “Then let’s go” He threw his backpack into the car. “Lock the car and come with me”

  He took my hand and we made our way up the snow-filled street to the bridge. The snow was beginning to fall harder than it was before and I was constantly wiping it off my face.

  “Why are we going out there Justin, its freezing?” I frowned at the thought of missing Rio. I planned on going back to Georgia and looking up every single attorney until I found him.

  “I have a few friends out there that I think you can help, talk to, and stuff” He persisted and wrapped his arms over me to try to keep me warm. “You are still helping people out, right?”

  I nudged him playfully and managed a smile. “Yes I am” I chuckled.

  “Good, pick up the pace. We don’t have much time” He made me pick up the pace, and when we were halfway down the bridge, he stopped me. “There” He pointed. “Right over there, on that bench”

  “Huh?” I looked around. “Where are they? You said two or three kids would be here”

  “I think someone more important is here” He shrugged and pointed again to a young man sitting on a bench, his face coveted under a black umbrella. “I was on my way here to meet him. He promised me he would wait, and he did, it’s Rio”

  My body shuddered at his words and I struggled to see clearly through the falling snow. “Rio?”

  “Yeah, that’s
him” Justin confirmed and pushed me lightly to go to him. “I’ll wait over there on that bench, take your time” He chuckled. “I have nowhere to go, so I’ll wait”

  My throat was dry as I began a slow walk toward the man on the bench. I was nervous and scared out of my mind. I wondered if he would look at me the same and I wondered if he still held a special place in his heart for me. I slowed down my pace and stopped. I was scared to find out if he moved on without me, scared to find out if he fell in love with another and forgot about me, but my love for him was so strong, my heart didn’t give me a choice.

  “Rio?” I almost yelled and took a step back when he stood up and looked at me. “Rio!” I cried through my tears. “Rio!”