"Amie, wait for me here. I'll go out first to search for food for both of us."
I ignored the fact that my stomach was already making a sound as a sign of hunger. What was important for me at that time was to find food for my 5-year-old sister. Since our parents died and we became orphans it was I who took care of my younger sister. She didn't understand the world now because of her younger age. As her brother, even though I was just 12 years old I could manage to find food for us.
"Please don't go, big brother. I don't need food, all I need is you."
I hugged her while tears fell along but I stopped to create a sound or else she'd be sad for me. I hugged her tightly and said,
"Don't worry, big brother will never go away. I promise I'll be back and will bring you delicious food."
I smiled at her even though I was unsure how to find food. All I thought was that for her I could do everything. I wore her thick clothes since it was December just to make sure she would not feel so cold while I was away.
She stopped crying and I took my leave and could no longer reach her sight. I went immediately into different houses to beg for food. It has been 3 days since we didn't have enough food. We only ate 1 piece of small bread every meal and just drank more water to ease our hungry stomachs.
Unfortunately, no one was kind enough to share their spare food. I went to restaurants to collect their garbage hoping there would be leftovers there. Unexpectedly, a man suddenly kicked me and I fell down.
"Go away trash, filthy kid!!"
"All I want is just leftovers, sir. My sister is waiting for me, very hungry."
I begged that guy to let me be but he wouldn't let me. He kicked me again so I had no choice but to leave, crawling, feeling the pain where I was hit.
I left my sister in the morning but sadly it's already going too dark and there's no single food I could find. Another tear slowly fell, one by one as I could think how unfair the world was to see other children so happy with their parents together. Even though I was not old enough I fully understood how the world has forsaken us.
The rain suddenly fell, enduring the coldness, and continuing searching for food in the garbage. I kept crying while searching for food but thankfully a nice old man handed me food.
"Hey kid"
I thought I would be kicked or hit again when I heard someone. Fortunately, he handed me food, a burger, spaghetti, fried chicken, and a small amount of money.
"Thank you very much, Mister."
I cried my heart out receiving so much food from the old man. I left the tears flooding my eyes but I smiled. I was so happy to receive delicious food while thinking of my younger sister.
"Thank you again, Mister."
I said to the old man and he smiled. I ran as fast as I could to give this food to my sister. We were staying at the bridge for the time and it would be an hour before I reached it when running. I was so excited to give it to her and because of it, I was imagining her facial expressions having this food. I was thinking that she'd enjoy eating a lot of food while eating it together.
I caught my breath when I stopped running. I finally arrived at the bridge and started shouting, calling her name.
"Amie—-! Amie—???"
I thought she was sleeping since it was already evening. That's why I was thinking of her waking up instead.
"Amie….Amie, wake up. I brought delicious food for you."
I held her arm and shook it to wake her up while smiling.
"Hey Amie, come on, wake up big brother is here."
I kept waking her up over and over again but she wouldn't open her eyes. I woke her up desperately but still, nothing had changed.
"AMIE—-!!"
I shouted desperately because when my tears started to fall my conscience realized that Amie was dead. I just kept calling her because I refused to accept it.
"Amie…please don't leave me."
I hugged her tightly and continued weeping. I never stopped and I didn't know until when I'd stop.
END….
mrnightmare
This is just too sad, and too real, @mrnightmare.net. There are homeless people, homeless children all around us. We think we care, but day after day they remain homeless.
This is a very hard ending. Finally he finds food, but it is too late.
Not every ending can be satisfying, some are given a heavier task. Here you show us an unrelenting path that is an everyday reality for some. It would have been nice to have some sort of foreshadowing or reason for the young girl's death, however we can see that perhaps it is a representation of the maddening lack of logic in real life. This was a tough story to read, but we thank you for it regardless!
your story is very good. I have mixed feelings.
You really touched my heart with this raw true life story. Lots of mixed emotions in your lyrics. Few stories can make the reader feel so many emotions together. Very well done.
Thanks for sharing a great story.
Good day.
Sad, gut-wrenching short story @mrnightmare! But amazingly you delivered it well with the narrative and conversations. This may be fictional but out there millions of children starve to death. 💔
You wrote such a heartbreaking story. I feel sad reading it
Not quite the end I was expecting, but then we know that life is unfair and we have to make peace with whatever it throughs at us. I just can't imagine what the elder brother must be going through