12/24/2011.
"Hey, you two have to go. I have inspection in an hour, go, go." The man who owned the gas station, Abdul, gestured with his hands at a tired Dayvon.
Without saying anything, he stood up from the floor of the janitor's closet, picking up an asleep Jayda, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck.
His small body struggled to carry her, but he made it out of the closet, and then out of the store with both of their backpacks in his hand.
"Fats, wake up." He mumbled, placing her on her feet, and she frowned her face up, her eyes opening as she stabilized her balance.
"What are you doing?" Her small voice sleepily spoke out, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"We have to go back to the tent. I can't carry you the whole way, so you have to walk." He told her, grabbing ahold of her hand, and she held a pout on her face, letting him pull her with him.
"Cyn I don't wanna sleep outside. It's so cold out here." She sniffed, becoming sad after they'd been walking and talking for about fifteen minutes.
"I know. I will find somewhere for us to go soon okay? I promise." He rubbed her hand, approaching a dimly lit alley that had multiple homeless people occupying it.
"Okay. And food too? Please." Her eyes gleamed with sadness as she looked up at him. She was starving. The two kids hadn't ate in two days, and it was definitely catching up with her.
"Yes. Food too. Pizza?" He suggested, and a smile covered her face.
"Pleaseeeee." She did a little dance, clapping her hands, flapping them, then bending over to do a shimmy, making him laugh. Pizza was her favorite.
"Why out of all dances you always wanna do the chicken dance?" He asked, pulling the tent from the large duffel bag he carried, beginning to set it up.
"Because it always makes you laugh. Even when you have a sad face." She told him, playing with her finger nails.
"I don't have a sad face." He chuckled, finishing setting up the tent within a few minutes.
Once he was done, Jayda pulled off her Dora tennis shoes, stepping inside, and Von zipped it back up once they were both in.
"It's so cold." She mumbled, helping him make a small pallet out of the blankets that they had, laying her ladybug pillow on top of them.
"I know. I'm sorry." He laid down, pulling her down next to him, and she snuggled into his body warmth, her eyes closing once he laid their blanket over them.
It was a cold December night in the city of Chicago, and the temperatures had dropped below a mere 20 degrees. Which is why they were previously at the gas station, where minimal heat was available.
Abdul frequently let the kids stay in the small closet for hours at a time whenever it got too cold outside, feeling bad for them. Not bad enough to where he'd get them some real help though.
"Cyn I'm cold." Her teeth chattered lowly, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.
It wasn't unusual that they slept in the cold, having been homeless for about two and a half years now; but it always made her cry because she wished she could just be in a warm house with a bed.
"I'm sorry. Just go back to sleep, okay? Scoot closer." He placed their duffel bag on top of her for extra heat, and she nodded her head, holding him tight as he patted her back.
