If you are underage, this is illegal in your area or if this offends you----time for you to leave. E-mail me, I would like to hear from you. joecollins7420@yahoo.com
Chapter 1
It had been a year since I had been laid off from my high paying job as accountant for a large firm. I am accustomed to living way beyond my means. Therefore, very little was put away for when times were lean. My bank account is nil, my cupboards bare and I will be evicted from my luxury condo tomorrow. On top of all of this, I have not eaten for three days and didn't know where or how I would get my next meal. I have hocked and sold everything of value that I had. Nothing was left. I am at my wits end.
I came from a middle class family and always had plenty. I didn't know poverty, much less how to survive below the poverty level. Life looks very bleak and I don't know how much longer I could go on living at this level.
My father had disowned me and had kicked me out of the house, never to return. He caught a friend with me in bed and that was it. Therefore, I couldn't go home and all of my close friends had moved and I had lost tract of all of them. In fact, I did not even dare to go back to my home town. I think my father would just like to shoot me , even, if he saw me.
I lay down on the floor and tried to think my way out of my predicament. One thought kept running through my mind, Rob a store or bank, buy some camping gear and food. and head for the mountains and live off the land., That I knew very well. My family spent all of their leisure time in the out-of doors. So many things to think about. Finally, I fell asleep.
Morning came and I ached all over from sleeping on the hard floor, cold and hungry. I must put my plan into action but first I had to get out of the condo before they came to evict me. For some strange reason, I had not sold my pistol and had several boxes of ammunition. I filled my backpack with what few clothes I had, placed the gun and ammo in with the clothes put my old hiking boots on and left. The condo was now completely bare except for some trash and I would leave that for someone else to clean it up.
I walked several blocks and came to a park and decided to take a break and formulate my plans. A man and a woman came and sat down at picnic table next to me. They had a bag from McDonald's. They decided to use the restroom and wash their hands and left their breakfast on the table. I grabbed the bag and ran. Later I ate the whole thing in about 30 seconds. In fact, to much food, to fast I got sick to my stomach but fortunately I didn't lose the food that I had stolen.
Now. I had to put my plan into action and find me a store to rob and make my get away. I walked several more blocks, finally I saw a 7-11, just the type of store that I was looking for. I started walking toward it,
I was just about ready to lose my nerve and back off my plan. I slowly approached the back door which was open. I noticed a big new Mercedes-Benz parked behind the store. I heard two people talking inside and I could tell that they were both young adults. I paused by the door and listened. It became clear that one man was the owner and the other an employee and they were planning the days activities. I just stayed there and listening.
Soon it became evident that the owner was getting ready to leave and the employee was going to the front and open the store. Very quickly, I changed my plans and decided to hijack the owner. I dug my gun out and hid behind a trash dumpster and waited.
"See you tomorrow. Be sure to lock the door behind me." The owner stepped out and headed for his car.
"Don't make a sound! If you do I will scatter your brains all over the parking lot! Now, unlock the car and step back and don't move!" I said pointing the gun at his head. What he didn't know that it was not loaded. I reached over and opened the driver's door. "Now stand there and don't move, unless you want to take a couple of bullets!"
I quickly ran around the car and climbed in. "Get in and do it slowly!"
He did as he was told and got in the car. I started shaking like a leaf. I felt like I was going to pass out. Then I completely lost it. I laid the gun on the seat beside me and put my head in my hands and started sobbing.
"I can't do it." I reached for the door handle so I could get out. The man pushed the lock button and locked all the doors. He reached over and grabbed the gun. I just knew that he was going to try to shoot me but instead he just threw the gun into the back seat.
"You are in very bad shape and I can't let you go in the condition that you are in. Do you want me to take you to a hospital or call someone for you.?"
"No, just let me out. I will be ok."
"I don't think so. You must be very desperate to try such outrageous stunt like you just tried to pull. How long has it been since you have eaten?' "3 maybe 4 days. I don't remember! I stole a couple of breakfast burritos this morning but that is all. Please let me out. I am so sorry that I tried to kidnap you. Are you going to call the cops?"
"No, I am not going to call the police even though I should. No, I am not going to let you out. I think I am going to take you home with me, feed you and get you cleaned up."
"Even after all that I have done to you, you still want to help me. What are you going to get for helping me. Are you some kind of nut or sexual predator?"
"I think that regardless of how bad your life seems at the moment, there is always a way to get out.. All you have to do is exhaust all the possibilities and landing up in jail is not an option . All that does is screw you up for the rest of your life. I am sure that you don't want that!"
" Why, don't you sit back and relax. I will call my housekeeper/cook and have her have some good old fashion homemade soup ready when we get there. I am afraid that heavy solid food may be too much for you to handle and you would probably end up in the hospital. By the way, I am Tony and you are?"
" Dave"
"Hello, Martha. I am on my way home and should be there in about half an hour. I have a young man with me and he hasn't eaten for several day. Do you still have any of that delicious soup left. Good, we will see you soon. Bye and love you."
"I know you are doing things that you normally wouldn't do. I think you are not a criminal just someone who is down on their luck and going through some hard times. I know you are desperate and that you are taking extreme measures. We might as well relax and head for my house.. You need help and I just may be the person to give it to you. Deal?"
"I don't know. This is all new to me and I don't know what I am doing. One side of me is saying, get out and send you on your way. The other side of me is telling me `No way. Thanks, Tony. I think that a higher power led me to you. I shudder when I think what might have been. Maybe I could just borrow some money from you and then be on my way."
"Not going to happen. You would be right back in the same situation when your money was exhausted. The next time it might be a thousand times worse. So smile and thank your lucky stars that you found me instead of a nasty old SOB that would have kicked your butt, snuffed out you life, or had you arrested. Maybe combination of all three."
"With both of us working together, we should be able to recycle you. I see a person of quality and worth every effort we put into your recovery. You are not just some old shoe to throw away. Once I turn Martha loose. You won't stand a chance. She will just smother you in love and you won't even know what hit you. You have been warned so be prepared.
"Why don't you tell me your story while we travel. Don't leave out any details. I want to know every thing. When we get to my house, we can spend the rest of the evening discussing a new plan for you. I think you have a real nice person bottled up inside of that dirty body. It may take some time to get you back so you can join the world of the living."
After several minutes of travel , "Dave, we are getting ready to turn into my drive way, or you absolutely sure you are ok with all of this. I don't want to force you into anything."
"Tony, you mean this is your house and just you and you cook/housekeeper is all that live here. Wow! It sure is big."
"Sure is Buddy! That is correct. No one else, not even a live in `friend'. Let's go in and have you meet Martha. You will love her at first sight. She was my Nanny some twenty-seven years ago. She has been looking after me all these years. Love her, Man. No one could ever take her place! "She has been the mother that I never had. My mother will killed in an automobile accident when I was 7 months old. Dad hired Martha and she has been around all that time."
We were met at the door by Martha, a large woman about 5foot 10 and 300 pounds. She grabbed Tony and gave his a big hug. I thought she was going to squeeze him to death. Finally, she released her death hold on him.
"Martha, I want you to meet Dave. Dave, this is Martha."
Martha said Hi and grabbed me and gave me a big hug. This was more than just a Hello Hug. She made me feel wanted and warm all over and to think I almost threw all those feeling away.
After we finished eating, Tony and I spent the evening in the den, packing the SUV, and cleaning me up.