A Home For Everyone

I said that I didn't like how some people, mostly homeless people, can sleep at a public bench like its their home. Even though I can somewhat emphasize with them but, honestly, most people want to sit after a long jog so let them. If it's really your property and you truly feel like it, you might as well put a name tag next to it until some higher authorities kick you out. And look at me now

"Who is that guy?"

"Is he a kid, he looks younger than my boy at home"

"How long has he been here? Is he lost? Should we help him?"

People are gathering to see what is going on, what is all the commotion about but they are taking it to the extreme. Around me are covered by people but, somehow, are all keeping their distance away from me. It's like if there was a fight and you wanted to take part in, by observing in a distance. You wouldn't like to be accidentally be punched in the face after all. Currently, they are doing almost the exact same thing.

Although I have to say it's my fault but, seriously, why are there so many?  Rather than asking "Should we help him", I remember there is a near police station around here, shouldn't some of you be going there rather than asking a rhetorical question. 

Additionally, I don't need help at all! After watching the stars for while, I got sleepy and, unfortunately, slept on the bench. Personally, I didn't mind sleeping on hard surface. In fact, most of my time is sleeping on a wooden floor after passing out from over-work. Sleeping here felt kinda nice because of the wind and the fresh air. As a result, I didn't take long to instantly fall asleep. 

Waking up is a different story. Suddenly, my views were blocked by a crowd, seemingly, by random strangers. What a great way to start the day! If I were anthropophobia, I would pass out by the second I have just woken up.

"Uhm, may I ask some questions?"

"He spoke, should we say something back"

Again, it doesn't work. Come on people, have you never seen a person sleeping here? First time asking what was going on, they didn't respond. Second time didn't do anything and it kept going on till we reach this point of constant glibberish. Also, the lady who said: "Should we say something back?", of course, I just asked. My language isn't different from yours. I spoke to the police officer and he understood what I was saying, except, he didn't have any answers for me. 

Currently, it might be around 12 PM due to how the sun is directly above me. Guessing is my only option due to the fact that I'm unable to "communicate" with them. I think I slept at 4 AM and I have recently woken up, it means I have slept for 8 hours, which is perfect for an adult like me. But in this situation, sleeping on the bench for 8 hours might bring some attention from the unwanted. 

No point in over-thinking, might as well stand up and be on my business. Sitting here will the news article a face to fill in, not that it's news-worthy but the people are acting as if so.

"Eet, he stood up!"

"Huh?"

As I stood up, the people in front of me stepped back. But when I turned around, the people behind me stepped forward. To validate my theory, I took one step up and all around me also took one step. Even the people in my left and right also took a step parallel to my step. Something is telling me is either they are genuinely scared of me or just don't have much to do. Either way, staying isn't good at all, have to bail out before bringing any problems.

"Hey, what's with the crowd?!"

A familiar voice came up

"Ah, officer, there is this boy who had stayed unconscious for over many hours. I thought he was dead"

You guys thought I was dead? I mean, sleeping for 8 hours is a feat hardly can be done by most people. Moreover, I slept unknowingly while the sun was beaming directly at me, it was kinda impressive. Should I be proud of that? 

And who are you calling a boy? I am 25 years old, might be the same age as one of you guys. I even have some hair follicles on my face, not that anyone should pay attention to but still. 

"Wait, why are all the people around so freakishly tall?"

Now that I have noticed, all of the people are taller than me. There are no exception to age, the gaps between my height and theirs are night and day. I am around 1m7 to above that, average when reaching this age. Then does that means, from what I'm currently looking at, that all of them are at least 1m8 meters tall? Talk about height advantage, no wonder why they mistaked me for a child. And here I thought the senior I met a few hours ago was abnormal in height. 

Wait, isn't that the officer I first met?

"Wait, are you Norm, the guy whom I met earlier? I have been looking for you!"

Our face met as do our thoughts, isn't meeting here again already enough weirdness for this day?

But looking for me? Is he trying to arrest me because of illegally holding a public property? That's a bit too much, to be honest. Still, this is the future, anything can happen. For one moment I might be near the playground and, the second after, I might be arrested for looking suspicious. Is that going to happen, probably not, but there is always a chance. No need to lower my self-esteem but my face does look like those kinds of guy.

"Come on, meet me at my office and we talk there"

Wait, he is coming towards me. Should I run or not? I just woke up and the next thing that can happen is putting me behind bars. Can I outrun him? If so, I might be caught by someone else. No, these guys are terrified with me, they won't try to catch me. Hold on, I can't outrun the officer, he is well taller than me and might have better fitness than me. I haven't had anything for breakfast yet and the things I ate weren't ideal for a body builder. 

He is coming closer! Option 1: Run and hope for the best. Option 2: Confess and hope for a short jail time. Wait, I haven't made my decision yet! Wait, wait...

...

Glad I confessed, not because of the jail time but because of the curry he generously gave. 

"Take your time to eat, it's not like I'm about to put you behind bars or anything"

"Uhm, thanks a lot"

Sorry, but that's exactly what I thought what you was going to do. My mind can go wild sometimes, thinking I will be eating prison meals instead of this wonderful curry. And he even gave me some water? I don't know much generosity but this guy is up top there. Still, why is he so nice? I mean, I don't hate nice people but I wouldn't blatantly trust them. 

"So why did you ask me to come back here?"

I cut to chase, asking why I'm here. Despite this very generous curry he offered, I can't let my guard down. Of course, I swallowed everything before asking, can't have a bad impression to my current situation. 

"Ah, yes. Currently, do you live with your parents?"

A question? Didn't expect an answer that was also a question. But, obviously, my answer is still the same

"No, I don't live with anyone at the moment"

Does that make it clear that I'm an adult? Should I have added more information? 

"I see, so are you a runaway child, struggling to find a home?"

That's the opposite answer that I wanted to hear. Maybe I should make my answer clearer or this might go bad.

"No, I'm not a runaway child. I just moved away from my parents"

I think that's enough. Adding more information isn't always a good solution as it might become confusion that it is.

"I have checked the computer using your given answers but, unfortunately, haven't found any information related to your family. Your family name didn't match our data. The company you said didn't yield any desirable results, either. Therefore, we might suspect you as a runaway kid from their parents so, if there were anything troubling you, may us assist you?"

Wait, this can't be right. He said he wanted to see me because he wanted to help me? A stranger like me? Few hours ago, I didn't even know who he was and now, he is insisting to help me? I'm about laugh. Even my parents didn't ask for my health much but a stranger like him did.

What kind of world is this? Earlier before, I was judging people on how seemingly rude they were and, now, I'm actually receiving help from him. No, I might actually laugh!

"Sir, are you crying? Did anything I said offended you?"

Why am I crying? I said i was about to laugh how ridiculous this is. Still, why are my tears still dropping? This is absurd! No matter how advanced this world is, there couldn't be a world like this. I know people! I know how ruthless they can be! How evil, malicious they can be! Acting is their specialty, they won't hold any words back to a strangers, especially me! 

"Why are you helping a stranger like me?"

I know there are genuine kind people out there but, as far as I know, humans have always been rude. They are constantly fighting over each others, taking every merits they can. Human have always worked together? We wouldn't have any problems if we did. The world I lived was always decaying, being promised by large company to help it. In actuality, they are in it for the money, money can shape the world in however they wanted.

"Why am I doing this? It's my job..."

"I knew it!", I mumbled. I knew this isn't from the kind of the heart. It's his job! Of course! Why did I even ask? Is it because I had some hopes? Well those hopes are now crushed by reality. Thousands of years have passed and billions of people have been here. Ultimately, their core is still the same. I'm very grateful for the bowl of curry but that's it. I will be on my way after this.

"...yes, it's my job because I chose this job. I have always wanted to help people since I was a kid"

"Huh?"

He didn't finish? 

"I used to run away from home. My dad and mom didn't pay attention to me much. It is expected that most children have to matured at some point, they started too soon. At that time, I felt I was being left behind so I couldn't do much about it. With my low self-esteem, I got picked at school. Having enough, I ran away from home"

He said it while looking at the picture on his desk. It's a photo of him with another officer. Is he one of his friends or a co-worker?

"I ran and ran and ended up here at this office. I used to be like you, sleeping in the park cause there was no place for me to sleep. An officer took me in and we are sitting the same seat as I did a few years ago"

"So that person over there is your..."

"Yes, he is the one who helped me"

...

"I won't go back! They probably didn't want me anyways"

The boy said. It's been the only sentence that he only said. He didn't want to go back, telling directly to the officer in front of him

"Is that so? Are you sure? Your parents might be very worried to sick for your safety."

Despite the seemingly threaten answer, the officer answered with a smile. Seeing the determination of the boy was almost enough to impress everyone and can be troubling for the officer. 

"Why would they? They have always ignored me since the beginning. Obviously, parents don't do that to their child and here I am, always being ignored. They are probably happy now that they have got ridden their only son"

The boy's voice went from aggressive to sadness, knowing his words were also hurtful to him. He wanted his parents' love but couldn't and ran away, accepting the truth.

"Is that so? You sounded determine at first but went down when reaching your parents' happiness. Well, there is not much that I can help you so it's your win, kid"

Surprised by the answer, he immediately asked "Are you sure?" to reaffirm that it was real. 

"Yes, additionally, you can stay here as long as you like. We will provide you with the shelter and the food for the time being until you decide to go home"

"Wait, really?" He joyfully asked. He did not expect an answer like that. Not only did he not have to go back but also got a free stay without working. It felt like he won two birds with one stone. 

"Of course, we cannot allow children to wander around aimlessly. That would be absurd!"

"What's the catch? There must be a catch?" The boy asked while regaining his composure. He didn't want to participate in any activities that might bring him back. 

"There is none. You only need to stay here until you want to go back home. It's very simple"

The officer answered. The answer he gave didn't add more information but it reaffirmed to the boy that there was no catch. The rule was to stay there until he wanted to go back home. Most people would opt to stay there instantly and so did the boy. He accepted the offer with the officer. 

"It's settle then! You can always go back if you want."

Despite the handicaps he gave, the officer still smiled while approving it. The boy still felt suspicious but, none the less, accepted it as he didn't have many options.

"By the way, how did you know your parents weren't worried about you?"

"..."

Being surprised by the sudden question, he didn't have any answers. The boy felt like he somewhat knew about them but that wasn't a solid answer so he went silent.

Suddenly, a ring from the phone came up, breaking the mood of the tension. Both parties were surprised but quickly regained composure. The officer quickly picked up the phone

"Hello,... ah great timing! Hold a minute!"

The officer put down the phone on the table and turned the volume to speaker so that both can hear. The boy even though was eavesdropping, he couldn't understand what the officer was doing.

And then a familiar but unexpected voice came up

"Hello? Have you my son yet?"

Son? Did the person in the phone also lose their child? The boy thought it was a coincidence. "It has to be a coincidence, it must be!" he thought. If not, what has he been doing this entire time. What has he been fighting against. Was is about their parents? 

"Ah yes, we are still looking for him, he seems to have travel a far distance. However, don't worry! We are putting all of our effort into this search"

Why did the officer lie? Was it because of the challenge he gave? Shouldn't telling him right now was a better option than following the made-up challenge. Nonetheless, it might be another person that the officer was trying to find. 

"Thank you so much, officer! I hope he is fine and well-rested." 

The person inside the phone seemed to be worried about their son. Even the boy started to wonder who this son might be. He couldn't eliminate the fact that it could be him but he shrugged off as a coincidence. 

"Yes, we will contact you as soon as we have found him! Good day to you sir"

And then the phone ended. A long beep covered the whole office. The boy was too scared to ask who that was. The officer thought for a moment and then said:

"The boy could you or it could be another person. The truth of the matter is that you can ignore it or go back to see it was really them"

The boy didn't answer, he didn't have an answer. He kept silent and stayed silent, leaving the room with only silent.

...

Three weeks have passed since the day of the call, the boy still went the office on a daily basis. Everytime that he had been there, he was encountered by a familiar voice with a familiar subject

"Have you found my boy?"

"Not yet, sir"

Again, with the same question but being replied by exactly the same. They hadn't found the boy yet. This line increased the tension of the boy. He couldn't ignore as none of his business. He might be their son and they were very worried about him. However, the reason that kept him staying here was the officer. Did he really need to play this out? Why did he need to lengthen the situation? Why didn't he just say that the boy was here?

"What's your business?" He mumbled, didn't say out loud. He wanted to ask but couldn't find the courage

Despite this, the officer could still read his lips and understood the question.

"It isn't about the challenge, never once was. It's about you, how well you know your parents. If i had sent you off since the beginning, you would've learned nothing. You have to know how your absence can affect your loved ones. You need to understand them so that they can understand you!"

Suddenly a voice came up from the door, ruining the talk from the officer. The person didn't come but left a message

"I have the report from the our manager. Their said that if you couldn't find the boy soon, they might lower your status as an officer."

"Already? Guess they wouldn't believe my efforts through words only"

The officer smiled, shrugging it off his mind. However, the boy felt responsible for his actions. He hadn't grasped the consequences of his actions. He not only worried their parents but also hindered the officer.

"I..I didn't know. I will return now! Take me home! I would rather stay with my parents than hindering people's life because of me!"

The boy took all of his courage and answered immediately. He made up his mind, he didn't want to become a hindrance to those around him. It was the sole reason why he left home, thinking himself as a hindrance. 

The officer calmed the shaken boy down

"What are you talking about? You're not holding me back. You're pushing me forward. If I had to decide leaving an innocent boy outside alone or take a cut in my paycheck, I would absolutely choose the latter."

The officer said it with confident. He made a bet, helping the family to truly reunite. He made the choice to go this far cause he knew what would have happened if he hadn't done anything.

...

"Of course, I chose to come back to my home. My parents were so mad that the scolded me for hours upon hours"

Why wouldn't they, having a child lost for 3 three is absurdly long. 

"But for the first time ever, they greeted me with the warmest hug I have ever experienced. That's why I became a officer, which is to help people in need!"

Man, seriously, I didn't expect a story to pop up out of nowhere. A story about him becoming an officer, how ridiculous that I have heard it from start to end. Then again, I have never thought I would be here, in the future. I have now equipped with many strange wonders. This is certainly not one of them as it common around the globe.

However, it still put the biggest smile on me as many wonderful things did. This world has certainly changed. How much is not what I can know but certainly it is going in the right directions!

"Again, may I ask you Mr. Norm. May I help you in any ways possible?"