Chapter 3

The movers were finally done,locking up the place and marching off to the truck they came with. As they shut the doors of the truck with a echoing slam, Nick watched numbly. As the engine rumbled to life, he saw his landlord slap the side of the truck and he yelled, "Let's get out of here!"  

Nick's legs gave out as the reality hit. He collapsed on the hard dirt, surrounded by his discarded property. The small crowd that had gathered to watch  had dispersed, bored now that the main event was over. 

He was alone under the hot sun, with nowhere left to go. No family to call, no friends he could lean on.

After sitting down for hours without doing anything,he decided it was time to leave. With all options cut off, he decided the nearby park was his best chance at shelter. Slinging his bag over a shoulder, he trudged towards the park. Dusk had fell and he knew he needed a place to spend the night. 

He found a bench and settled there,watching a few kids play around. His phone was completely dead by now. Not like he had anyone to call anyway. His stomach rumbled suddenly reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything besides the almost tasteless hospital food for breakfast. 

Food had to wait. He was going to figure it out in the morning. 

Now,he had to make sure that he didn’t get jumped. Everyone else had left by now leaving him in the darkness. He had no idea what the time was and he was high on alert for any movements whatsoever. 

Exhaustion finally took its toll on him and he didn’t know when he dozed off.

As morning light came through bare tree branches,two patrol officers strolled into the park. Their eyes fell upon Nick's visibly hypothermic form trembling on the hard bench. 

"Hey buddy, you can't be sleeping here," one officer said gruffly, nudging Nick's foot with a booted toe. 

Nick’s eyelids opened with a painful groan, squinting at the uniforms above him. His body was one huge ache, teeth chattering uncontrollably from the bone deep chill.

"Nowhere...else to g-go," Nick stammered through clacking jaws, hugging his arms weakly. 

The officers exchanged looks, as if weighing how much effort this frozen homeless guy was worth. 

"Sorry pal, mayor's got a no-tolerance policy on loitering. You cannot be ruining property values, yeah?" the other chuckled without sympathy.

As Nick struggled upright on legs feeling like jelly, one cop seized his elbow with unnecessary force. Nick choked back a yelp,not expecting it.

"It would be best you get moving immediately before we slap you with a fine too," the cop threatened.

 

They shoved Nick away so harshly he thought he was going to fall on his face flat.

Grabbing his bag,he started wandering on the streets with the hope of at least finding a job but was very unlucky.

“Sorry we’re not hiring,”

“Maybe you should come back next time,”

He finally found the last place on the block and hoped that something good was going to come out of it. 

He pushed open the glass door of Tony's Pizzeria cautiously. The lunch rush had just ended, and the dining area was empty save for a lone employee wiping down tables. 

"Excuse me, is your manager around?" Nick asked. "I'm looking for some part-time work."

The employee nodded towards the back. "Try the kitchen."

Nick headed that way, the delicious scents of bubbling tomato sauce and baked bread making his stomach growl. In the steamy kitchen, a stout Italian man was packing leftovers into a refrigerator. 

"Can I help you?" he asked gruffly without looking up.

Nick took a breath. "Sir, my name is Nick. I'm just looking to earn a little money any way I can. Would you have any work for me, even just for a few hours?"

The man straightened and took a proper look at him. "Alright, we just lost one of our workers to the flu. You know how to stack pizzas and deliver orders?"

Nick nodded eagerly. "I'm a fast learner."

"Then you're hired. It's cash at the end of the night, nothing more. Now get an apron on and pay attention." 

For the next couple of hours, Nick did just as he was told, shuttling pies in and out of the oven as orders came flooding in during the dinner rush. Despite a close call with a dropping tray, he found his rhythm and kept up. 

Finally, the last order was out the door. Nick collapsed on a stool, sweaty but satisfied. The manager, who Nick now knew was Tony, counted out his money. 

"Fifty bucks. Not bad for a couple hours' work, eh kid?" 

He blinked back sudden, grateful tears. "Thank you, sir. Really, this means everything right now."

Tony's expression softened slightly. "Hey, we've all been down on our luck before.And you can have the leftovers too instead of it going into the trash." 

Nick thanked him profusely before digging into lukewarm leftovers. It wasn't much, but his first real meal in days. Still, one thing nagged in his mind and he decided to ask,"Sir, is it alright if I stay the night in a back corner? I have nowhere else..."

Tony sighed, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "I'm sorry, but this is a restaurant, not a shelter. You can't sleep here."

Nick tried to hide his disappointment. "I understand. Thank you again for the work and food." 

He swung his pizza-filled bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. As he stepped outside, the night air bit through his thin jacket. Which way to go now? 

An idea struck him. It had been too long since he had visited his mother in the hospital.

It was nearly an hour bus ride there, but the fare was only two dollars. Nick clung to the worn strap of his bag as the old bus rattled down shadowy streets. 

At last, the grey hospital towers rose up before him. Nick hustled inside, shivering, and made his way to the long-term care ward. 

His mother lay just as she had for months - pale, motionless under white sheets. But tonight, she looked even more fragile than before. Nick's chest constricted at the sight of her.

"Hey Mom," he said softly, sitting by her bedside and taking her weak hand in his. It was cool to touch. 

Nick's eyes stung with pent-up tears. How long could her body last like this, suspended between life and death? The doctors said it was only a matter of time now. But he refused to give up hope that she might still wake.

"Pretty soon I'll have enough saved to get us out of here, into a real home.I swear,I won’t rest until you’re safe and comfortable again. You just need to hang on a little longer, okay?"

Her hand remained limp within his own. Nick lowered his head, shoulders shaking with heavy sobs as he finally let the tears fall down his cheeks.