The advice

It had been a couple of months before I got to speak to David. His phone was off, his Facebook status had not been updated since then. But on this early morning, I logged onto Facebook and saw that there was a message. My heart about leaped out of my heart.

But then I was saddened and hurtt because here I was worrying about gas payments and my brother couldn’t find a reliable life line or find a good paying job to survive. 

He had finally confessed that everything wasn’t “fine,” which is something he would always say. He was sleeping on parked benches and on stair wells and God only knows what else for sustenance. 

My jaw dropped. I couldn’t fathom how it had gotten to that point. My brother who spend $300 on jeans (when he could afford them), who I had dubbed the ‘fashionista’? Was doing what? 

And so, I said something that he has been telling me my whole life, “Get it together.” I felt he didn’t need me to scorn or reprimand him, but to push him in the right direction. 

I gave him that advice, and he logged out so quick that I definitely thought that he would never reach out to me again. I felt that he thought I had taken so light of the situation and was done with me. 

With just a quick message, I was intertwined and worried about him. And with a simple log out button, he was gone.With only a message on Facebook to let me know that he was at least alive, until he decided to contact me.

Where the heart lays

David had gone into hiding. He was missing, and I waited and waited for him to connect back to his family. A phone call, a message on Facebook… nothing, he was gone.

He had left Big David’s and started to house hop. Depending on the friend, he knew that he could stay just weeknights or weekends. 

Until those relationships started to fray, and he was left stranded with no job or money to get his own place. At that time, he didn’t have enough money to afford rent on his own income. 

He continually partied, but those that took him in could never tolerate his extended comings and goings or constantly coming home drunk.  The arguments began and that was the first indication that the relationship was growing thin.

So, he did what he knew best…he left. 

While he was soul searching, that is what I will call it, he slept on park benches or on stair wells to have a place to stay for the night. He just couldn’t go back and apologize and return to Big David’s house, his pride wouldn’t let him. 

To him Big David had become an unreliable life line. 

And he continued to suffer for a couple of month. Eating and showering at friends’ houses and living on the street.  

But winter was approaching and sleeping on park benches just wasn’t where it was at. He decided to come back to his family and ask for some advice.