Part I
It was 8:00 PM when the clock struck with a disturbingly loud bell sound. Peep was wandering the streets of a city so big that she never imagined she could be there by herself.
What could a small girl of 11 years old be doing here?
She didn’t have any answers, and as she desperately tried to remember where home is or who she is, her mind felt empty like a rusty plastic bottle.
She knew that once the bottle was full. She had this hunch she couldn’t shake. And sometimes, she could almost catch a thought that felt was hers. Almost…
It was always almost…
She passed by an old church whose bell sound was so loud she rushed her pace to leave it behind her raunchy flowery dress. She liked that dress and felt a strong connection to it. She had a few more clean clothes in her backpack.
A self-cleaning on 8th Avenue between 17th and 19th Street taught her how to wash her clothes. She was concerned about hygiene and aware of so many things that an 11-year-old shouldn’t be concerned about.
Heading towards the shelter she’d sleep in every night, she looked at the people who passed her by and wondered why no one asked her anything, ever.
Was she invisible?
Sometimes she realized it was so much better this way and tried to force herself into thinking she was the luckiest girl alive.
Sure, the cashiers would ask her where her parents were whenever she bought some chocolate biscuits and fruits, but given the fact that she took care of her aspect, she’d always say that they were in the car waiting or come up with some excuse.
She imagined what happened to kids in orphanages and didn’t even want to grasp the thought of her being locked in there.
The walk to her humble abode was too long, and she couldn’t contain the tears coming out of her eyes anymore. That old garage that a girl called Val put at her disposal was more than she could ask for. She’d bring her a plate with cooked food every night around 9, when her parents would free the area, so she’d sneak out through the back door.
On a sunny Sunday, she met Val at the supermarket while she was looking for Cheetos. She said that Cheetos Puffs were her favorite, and they talked a little bit. Then Val took her to aisle 4, where she pointed to her favorite ice creams.
They met again after 2 weeks, and Peeps asked her if she happened to know a quiet place where she could spend a few nights, because she doesn’t get along with her family that much.
Val totally understood, as kids often do, and offered their garage that was never used. She knew they had a mattress and heaters there.
They didn’t have phones, so she gave her the address, and Peeps had to search for it by herself. She asked a few people on her way, then she caught on and was there in no time. When she saw Val step inside the garage, for the first time, she knew what relief felt like.
Val didn’t know how much Peeps appreciated what she did for her, because she couldn’t ever get it. She simply felt a warming feeling doing it, and was content every time she thought there was Peeps at home waiting for her.
All the exhaustion she had accumulated in the last couple of weeks came through now, and Peeps fell asleep immediately after seeing her. Val left her plate there, thinking she’d wake up and feel hungry.
And she did eat it, in the middle of the night, while reading some old car magazines they had scattered around that rusty old garage.
The garage had a tiny grilled window right above the door, and the moonlight rays spread an enchanting white light all over the wooden floors. That and a small lamp she found on a wooden desk were enough for her to see.
It was a dump, but Peeps felt warm, and her stomach was full. She didn’t feel any pain, and no one was disturbing her peace.
She was as content as she could be right then and there.
Originally posted on Substack
