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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
Everette\u2019s son, Lucien, abandoned him during his most vulnerable time. Years later, he was shocked to discover his kid among the homeless people he tried to help; then, he heard what Lucien went through.<\/p>\n
\u201cLucien, please, we must work together to improve things. If you get a part-time job, and I work double shifts, we can save our house,\u201d Everette told his son one night.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, life had not been kind or easy for the single father. The last few years were tougher than ever, and he was about to lose the house he had worked so hard to get. However, his son, Lucien, was 18 and could start helping out instead of staying at home and playing video games after school.<\/p>\n
\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house is not my problem, Dad,\u201d Lucien retorted and continued playing on his console.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere exactly will you live if we lose this house?\u201d Everette asked, placing his hands on his waist.<\/p>\n
The police would not do anything.
\nLucien rolled his eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re the father here. You have to figure it out. I\u2019m still in high school. It\u2019s not my responsibility!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKid, I started working at 15, and I have provided everything for you for the past 18 years of your life, including that stupid video game that numbs your brain. Now, it\u2019s time to be an adult and work for what you have! Do you want to eat? Do you want a roof over your head? You need to work!\u201d Everette shouted after losing his temper.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t want his child to work as hard as he had from a young age. But the economy was tough now. It seemed that one income could barely feed one person nowadays, and Lucien needed to start learning the value of hard work.<\/p>\n
However, the 18-year-old lost his temper too. He threw his Playstation controller on the floor, grabbed his book bag, and stormed out of his room. \u201cFine! I\u2019m leaving!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t leave!\u201d Everette shouted, regretting his harsh attitude.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said I\u2019m an adult now. Well, I get to come and go as I please!\u201d he screamed from the front door.<\/p>\n
\u201cLucien, please. I need your help. I just needed you to help me with some part-time work so we wouldn\u2019t lose this house. After a few years of payment, it\u2019ll be yours, and you will never have to worry about paying rent or anything. That\u2019s all I want for you, kid. I\u2019m just struggling right now,\u201d the father continued in a soft voice. His anger dissipated entirely as he watched his son threaten to leave. \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucien pursed his lips, and there seemed to be an internal struggle in his eyes. But he lifted his chin and walked out, closing the door on his way. Everette shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He would try to make his son understand things better when he returned.<\/p>\n
However, Lucien was gone for several days, and at some point, Everette returned from his double shift at work to find most of the teenager\u2019s things gone, including his video console and his clothes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe really left?\u201d the man asked himself after seeing the emptiness of his son\u2019s room. \u201cNo note or anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
Everette tried to contact some of his son\u2019s friends, but no one would tell him anything about the kid. The police would not do anything because Lucien was already 18. However, the father later discovered that his son had apparently dropped out of school, and the principal couldn\u2019t stop him because Lucien no longer needed parental permission for anything.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n
Everette cried heavily that night, thinking of all the things he could\u2019ve done differently for his son. He worried for the kid he had tried so hard to raise. As a child, Lucien had been adventurous and curious about life, but his teenage years were tough. His friends were not the best influence, and Everette had to take on even more hours at work as the economy worsened.<\/p>\n
He hoped Lucien would grow out of it, but he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Everette felt like he had failed at everything.<\/p>\n
After Lucien\u2019s mother disappeared, he thought he could do things on his own. Maybe, that was his first mistake. Perhaps, he should\u2019ve married a lovely woman who could be a mother figure for his son. But he had also been so busy.<\/p>\n
It was useless to think of those things anymore, though, because the damage was done. His son had dropped out of high school, and Everette had no idea where he was. Additionally, Everette would likely lose his house without the kid\u2019s help.<\/p>\n
He was late on his mortgage payments because several things had taken precedence, such as food and car repairs and new shoes for Lucien for his soccer practice. The father had tried to sell some things. Most of their stuff was second-hand and basically worthless now. That was why he begged his son for help, but the kid was gone, and Everette\u2019s world crumbled even more.<\/p>\n
The only good thing about going through hard times is that they teach you so much about yourself. Resilience is something I never thought I had until I lost my house, Everette thought back to several years ago when the bank repossessed his home, and he was left with the clothes on his back and his beat-up car.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
He was dealing with too much at the time but had to bounce back somehow. He knew the meaning of hard work and that he could return on the right track. But Everette was also depressed over his kid being gone for good. Still, life had to keep going.<\/p>\n
Once he had his house paid off, Everette decided to make his childhood dream come true.
\nHe stayed a few nights in his car, at a friend\u2019s house, and at some shelters while he interviewed for better jobs, and finally, something came through. A career in construction was much better than his hourly pay at a canning factory, so he started immediately, learned as much as he could, volunteered to help all his colleagues, and added more and more hours to his schedule.<\/p>\n
Everette raised enough to rent an apartment and started saving up. Unforgettably, the bank sold his old house as the prices rose insanely in his old neighborhood, but he found a new, tinier home again. His credit was awful, but somehow, he managed to get a mortgage again and paid it all off in a few years.<\/p>\n
He lost hope that Lucien would come back or communicate as time passed. None of his friends in town actually knew where he had gone too, but Everette hoped that his son had at least gotten his GED and started working for his future. He hoped Lucien didn\u2019t get into a worse crowd or fall for the allures of easy money.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n
Once he had his house paid off, Everette decided to make his childhood dream come true, and he opened a small cinema in their small town.<\/p>\n
Most people had to go into the city half an hour away when they wanted to see a movie, and he wanted to give something to the people. It wasn\u2019t a huge entertainment spot. There would never be big movie premieres there, but people loved it.<\/p>\n
He had all the typical concession stands and a little technology but with a vintage feel that everyone in the neighborhood appreciated. So for once, Everette\u2019s life seemed to be going well. He could only hope that his son was happy too.<\/p>\n
However, Everette knew immediately that many people had not been doing well. The economic crisis hit many people; unlike him, many never recovered. Some people who lost their homes still lived on the streets, and one winter was shaping up to be bitterly cold.<\/p>\n
One night, he closed down his cinema for the night and saw a man standing outside rubbing his hand and trying to shake off the cold. \u201cSir, are you alright?\u201d Everette asked, concerned.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, you\u2019re the owner here, right? I was wondering if you had some coffee left over from the business day?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t sell coffee here, but I can give you a glass of warm water?\u201d Everette offered, feeling useless and pathetic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would be great too. Anything helps,\u201d the man answered. \u201cI\u2019m Roger, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverette,\u201d he responded. \u201cFollow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
They went inside, and Everette took some warm water from the water cooler and gave it to Roger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, man. This cold is insane, right?\u201d Roger commented, finishing his glass and tightening his jacket.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, do you have a place to stay tonight?\u201d Everette wondered before Roger could leave.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2026 no. I\u2019ve been on the streets for a while,\u201d Roger said reluctantly.<\/p>\n
Everette thought for a second. \u201cWell, you know this isn\u2019t the warmest place in the world, but it\u2019s better than out there. Do you want to stay here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally? Are you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Everette said and looked around. \u201cYou can also take some food from the stand, but just write down what you ate for inventory purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d Roger said, breathless.<\/p>\n
Everette walked away, not knowing what he would find the next day. But Roger slept on one of the comfy sofas in the waiting area and only ate a candy bar. They talked for some time, and Roger helped him open the shop.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you need any help here?\u201d Roger asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, yes. Do you want to work here? I can offer you a storage room in the back because I can\u2019t pay that much since it\u2019s still a new business,\u201d Everette responded, feeling bad.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s better than anything else I\u2019ve been offered in years,\u201d Roger said, and he got to work right away. Roger turned out to be a fantastic addition to his team and a hard worker.<\/p>\n
That winter, Everette let other homeless people take shelter in his shop. The town heard about his kind gesture, and people offered to help with blankets, food, and more. All Everette required was that the place remained spotless for the public. But it felt wonderful to help people who went through what he did at some point. He never imagined that his kind gesture would bring Lucien back.<\/p>\n
\u201cOk, Roger. I\u2019m heading out. Is everyone inside already?\u201d Everette asked as he put his jacket on.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, and there\u2019s one new person. I hate that so many young people don\u2019t have futures these days,\u201d Roger replied and continued sweeping.<\/p>\n
Everette agreed, but at least they were helping out in some small way. However, he walked by the crowd and saw a man sitting on the ground with his arms wrapped around himself. He wore a bright red winter jacket that Everette had not seen before. He must be the new guy, and he\u2019s clearly cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy life spiraled after that\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cHey, man. Do you need something?\u201d Everette asked, just like he did some time ago with Roger, but this time\u2026everything changed. Because the man who looked up at him was\u2026 Lucien.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad?\u201d he said quietly, and tears gathered in his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSon! Son! Oh, God!\u201d Everette repeated, almost chanting as he knelt and brought his son into his arms. \u201cHow? Why? What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucien didn\u2019t answer. He cried into his dad\u2019s shoulder, his body sobbing every once in a while. A few minutes later, Roger approached them, not knowing the whole situation. But he helped get Lucien up and towards Everette\u2019s car.<\/p>\n
The owner told Roger quietly that the new guy was his son, and then he took Lucien home. Lucien took a long bath, and his father prepared him some warm soup and sandwiches, which he devoured quickly. The older man almost died thinking that his kid might not have eaten in a while or slept on a bed, or taken a shower.<\/p>\n
But he avoided talking about anything serious and encouraged him to relax that night. He wanted to be patient \u2013 the way he should\u2019ve been years ago. Maybe, his son wouldn\u2019t have run away if he had not pushed him to work just like that.<\/p>\n
The next day, Lucien finally opened up, starting with the words: \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, Dad. I didn\u2019t know how good I had it with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then explained how he jumped from couch to couch for a few days until one of his buddies \u2013 from a dangerous crowd \u2013 offered him some work and a room in a neighboring town. That\u2019s when he dropped out of school and left for good.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy life spiraled after that, and I wanted to return so many times, but I couldn\u2019t. I mean\u2026I didn\u2019t know if you were in a worse situation,\u201d Lucien muttered, his frustration showing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just\u2026 I wish I hadn\u2019t been so stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n
The buddy eventually kicked him out after stealing what few dollars Lucien managed to save, and he had been on the streets since then. He returned to their town that year, hoping to have the courage to find his father again. But he stumbled upon the cinema that let homeless people in, and he decided to start staying there during this bitter winter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no idea it was yours. How did you get it? I thought\u2026 I thought you would be worse than me,\u201d Lucien said, hanging his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s a long story,\u201d Everette started and told his kid everything. Lucien cried again, and his father did too.<\/p>\n
Afterward, the younger man promised to work hard, and he kept his word, getting a job at the same construction company and moonlighting at his father\u2019s cinema. He had learned his lesson, even if it had taken years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Everette\u2019s son, Lucien, abandoned him during his most vulnerable time. Years later, he was shocked to discover his kid among the homeless people he tried to help; then, he heard what Lucien went through. \u201cLucien, please, we must work together to improve things. If you get a part-time job, and I work double shifts, we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18750"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18757,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18750\/revisions\/18757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}