Now On The Other Side

Now it was nearly midnight and I sat tapping my foot on the ground. I found myself sitting on a pink bedspread. I was now the permanent guardian of my niece. Her mother had recently died from a heart attack.

My niece had escaped from her room and gone to one of the local nightclubs where she was probably high or robbing a bank. I was wondering how to lay down the law. I got the riot act whenever I was in hot water with my parents, like when I would sneak in past my curfew. I got so angry when Mom and Dad took the car away. But that was about it.

 I was the judge of this case. Suddenly I heard Lizzie come through the window. I felt my blood running. Lizzie put down her bag and took off her mask and hat. She was surprised to see me there. 

“You are so busted,” I said, flipping the light switch on so that we could see each other. “Give me your phone. No television. you will be a prisoner in this room.”

 I left the room and searched the house for a notebook. I returned a little while later and gave it to her. Her eyes seemed to fly around the room. She looked like she was going to punch me as I tossed the book to her. 

“This is what I like to call your stress relief journal. You can poke holes in it when you are feeling upset.” She didn’t even say a word. I had to get tough on her.

 I had a neighbor who was a police officer who invited me to take a tour of the juvenile detention facility with Lizzie. I only told Lizzie that I had a surprise for her. When she knew where she was she turned around.

 As we entered the jail we saw what we would see in the movies. Some people had their teeth pulled out. Some had tattoos and others had not showered properly in days. I saw tears in her eyes. She was silent for the rest of the tour. I had made the right decision to plan this trip. 

When we got home she was full of remorse. “Lizzie, I didn’t want to be a bad guy but I don’t want you to end up like those guys.” I left her alone for a while and then when I went past her bedroom she must’ve gone through ten pieces of paper that were scribbled with millions of thoughts. 

Dear Uncle Danny,

I didn’t realize how much you cared about me. You were just trying to make a point that my life was going downhill. It’s better to learn from your mistakes while you are still young and alive and lose friends that got you into the situation in the first place. You can make an impact in someone else’s life. But if you are dead, you can’t see the light that your presence brings upon others. It doesn’t matter how much money and time you have. It’s what you have to do to learn and grow through your mistakes. It’s helpful to know that someone has your back, and you’ve got theirs. 

Love,

Lizzie

I was going to bed when she said that she had something to give me. There wasn’t a gift on the dresser. She motioned me toward her where she embraced me in a bear hug. She hadn’t done anything like that since she got here. I must’ve done something right. The downs don’t matter so much anymore. Change might be coming if we just take it one day at a time.