A helping hand

A short 500-word story about how a simple helping hand can turn around a troubled life.

I sat in my warm room with a cup of hot cocoa, thinking of about how lucky I was, just a year ago my life was so different, but then a simple act of kindness had turned my entire life around.

~~~Flashback~~~

I was so cold, I could barely feel my fingers, I sat there at my usual spot with a little cup, hoping someone would be kind enough to give me just a few pounds to buy some food. It was unlikely that anyone would, they thought all homeless people abused drugs, especially the kids like me, I was 17 years old. 

 I hadn't had a bad life, but when I was 14 I admitted to my parents I was gay, and that to them was not acceptable, they let me stay with them until I finished my GCSE's, then they packed my bags and threw me out. In the beginning, I managed to get by with sofa surfing and doing odd jobs for people, but soon people forgot about me.

The other homeless kids pretended to make friends with me, to begin, I had a little money set aside and a few extra sets of clothes. Soon they robbed me blind, leaving me with a single set of clothes. I had nothing and no one, so I found a spot in front of the bus station to tried to beg, sometimes a nice person would give me enough money to buy a sandwich, but most days I went hungry, filling my belly drinking water from the public toilets sink.

That day was bad, I hadn't eaten for about 3 days, I had tried the trash cans last night, but the other street kids had taken anything edible already. I sat there, huge bags under my eyes shivering as the snow began falling, my eyes were heavy, I saw some kids my age walk past, whispering about how terrible the 'drugs problem' was. 

 I closed my eyes feeling the need to cry but trying to stop myself, I didn't want to appear weak, then I felt a hand on the shoulder. A lady stood above me holding a paper cup and a white bag, she came back over and handed me both. I opened the white bag, it contained a bacon sandwich, I took a small bite, and it felt wonderful to have food again. Soon I looked in the cup, it was hot chocolate, she sat next to me in silence as I ate.

After the food was finished she sat and spoke to me, she actually listened to my story, she told me about a shelter for kids like me, she volunteered there and said they could help me.

~~~end of flashback~~~

When Rachel placed her hand on my shoulder, she changed my entire life. The shelter had found me a flat and a job, they turned my whole life around. Such a simple act of kindness yet it saved me.