Home Sweet Girl

Chapter | Thirty five

Maryanne

"Eat your breakfast, sweetheart. You will need all the energy," Angeline tells me while smacking on a buiscut sandwich. We had a late start this morning, so she resorted to fast food for breakfast. I'm not complaining because I get to eat the little round hash browns that are the best breakfast food ever created.

I'm tagging along with Angeline to do volunteer work at the outreach. I am curious if it will bring back all the memories of years going to outreaches—The cot beds, warm showers, free food and clothes, and the petty arguments and fights. It saved my dad and I plenty of times from sleeping on the streets. Their mission was to help us get off the streets. So many opportunities missed. I'm not particularly anxious when it comes to new places, but today seems offbeat.

I was drinking from my cup when I felt the bump in the road, making the car shift. It shook and jerked causing the orange juice to disperse on my shirt. I yelp, "Uh oh".

Angeline looked through her mirror before turning around to inspect the damage. "Oddio! She gasp. "Stai bene? Are you okay?".

"Yeah," I say, setting the cup down, she gives me a napkin and I try to clean myself up and the area around the window.

"No worries. Daddy is taking the car to get cleaned this week".

At our destination, Angeline rounds up to my side of the car, helping me wipe out the remaining wet spots on my shirt. She opens the trunk and looks through it for a spare shirt. Ironically, this happens on the one day I forget to take my backpack. Angeline sucks her teeth. "It's not so bad, see," I show her. It looks at lot better than before.

Her expression is subtle, "Let's wait for it to dry. Thank goodness, the shelter provides extra clothes".

This outreach shelter is sort of the same like the rest. The key difference is that I'm looking at it at from another standpoint. The staff of volunteers are moving in each station, gathered in groups. I held on to her hand the whole time when they welcomed Angeline and I in.

"Every volunteer here gets a t-shirt," one of the volunteers says. Angeline gives me a T-shirt—white with a blue house design on the front and the word 'volunteer' on the back. I wear it over my dry, but still stained tank top.

The main organizer describe the tasks and duties first, then assigned us to stationed areas. Angeline was designated to supporting women and children. In the meantime, she figured to guide me through the different areas until we were needed at our station. Not a moment too soon, kids from the shelter run up to Angeline, huddling around her. I stood aside avoiding the crowd.

"Oh my! You guys came out today," she says, sharing her hugs with everyone.

"We missed you!" They yell. I had an aching feeling in my stomach and a little bit of something else that made me want to grind my teeth.

"I missed you guys. I brought someone with me," Angeline grabs my hand, sending me back in the mist of the small group that is now gawking at me.

"This is my Maryanne". I get a few greeting, but mainly looks.

"Hi," I respond.

"Can she play with us?" someone ask.

"She's here to volunteer like me. After she helps out for a little, she can play if you ask her,"Angeline answers.