Forgotten

Why, What, Who

They finally took him away. He was put in the ambulance truck. But something about him intrigued my seven year old brain to keep going. I wasn't sure whether to go back to my little prison or to follow the ambulance. But I didn't know better. I followed the ambulance.

It was a long run. Still no one questioned me in my shitty city. I saw the hospital he was brought to. He was being taken out of the ambulance and I followed. The clerks and workers tried to chase me and kept telling me to stop but I was determined.

"WHY DOES IT MATTER TO YOU?!"

I didn't stop my tiny marathon until I finally got there. I was tired and I saw him on the hospital bed. Sleeping. Most likely from blood loss or something of that matter. The clerks busted through the door and asked me what was going on. I lied to them.

"He's my daddy! I love him!"

I kept repeating it. He was of Spanish ethnicity. I was white. I didn't know how they let me off the hook. I'm not a single bit Spanish at all. I kept tugging at his arm. The doctors told me to stop. I had to sit outside. My thoughts ingrained with the thought of the man I had saved.

The wait of his status was long. I was about to nap right on the spot until the door opened and I looked up.

"He'll be fine, it'll take some time for his recovery though. We still need someone to pay off his medical bills though."

"Maybe I can!"

"No, you're just a LITTLE KID."

Those words stuck with me forever. For the rest of my life. Everyone always underestimated me. Told me I wasn't good enough to help or do something for someone. This was only the first time it was said to me. Even now it's still said to me.

I was found, put back in my cell. Never adopted anyway. Better off homeless. I kept visiting his bed side night after night. One night will stick to my brain forever.

"Hey kid, I didn't know you could pull it off for me."

"Yessir, I had to go and do my tinkle. Then after I saw you."

"Thank god you had to go and take a piss kid. What's your name?"

"My name is Austin."

"Listen here, Austin. Listen very carefully and never tell this to anyone. Ever."

"Okay, I pinky promise."

"Haha, alright pinky promise on it."

He barely rose his arm to do a pinky promise with me.

"I'm from El Salvador. I'm an underground drug dealer. Do you know what that is?"

My innocent child look already showed that it was a no, but then shook my head no.

"Okay, good. Well, my friends and I had to escape a week ago. The cops were really on our case. I tried to keep up with my friend and jump off the boat but then my leg was shot up. I thought I was dead, because I was unconscious after falling into the water. You follow?"

"Mhm"

"I was trying to swim to shore, but then I was tired. Then that's when you came up. You saved my life, kid."

My mind couldn't grasp the gravity of the situation.

"What?"

"If you didn't have to go and take a piss, then went to the beach, I would have been dead."

I was completely stopped. Dead silent. Not even breathing.

"Thank you so much kid."

"Oh- um... yo- your wel- come?"