Friend

It was a gloomy and dark night, Peter was alone in the corner of a street. Knees to his chest, arms around his knees, looking into the emptiness of his life. Day after day, after day, after day of scavenging whatever he could from wherever he could. His life was a cycle, one he desperately tried to break, but failed. He tried to get a family to adopt him, but nobody cared, not one soul in the huge city he "lived" in.

Neglect had left a scar on little Peter's heart, a scar that would never leave. The suffering in the streets was interminable. The thing that affected Peter the most was loneliness, everyday he hoped someone or something came to accompany him, but even the rats stayed away from him. "Have I done something wrong to deserve this?" He would ask himself repeatedly. He couldn't take it anymore, at any moment he could have a breakdown.

On a surprisingly sunny morning, Peter woke up to the sound of a garbage truck. A few meters away from him was an old man, which was already awake and sitting with his back against a wall. "Hello there!" Said the man. He was old, long bearded, and gray haired. Peter hadn't spoken to anybody for God knows how long. He almost forgot how to greet back. "Hi!" He said in a confused voice. "So how long you been here kid?" Said the man in a surprisingly happy mood. "Five years or so." Peter responded. "Well I just got here and I don't know the neighborhood so would you mind showing me around?" Said the man. "Sure let's go!" Peter said exited. "Wait I didn't get you're name." Peter said. "The name's Joe! What's yours little man?" The man responded. "Peter" he responded.

Peter showed Joe around the "neighborhood". Showed him the places where he usually got food from, the place where he went to shower himself the best he could, which was an old public shower like they have in the beach, and the place where Peter went to look at the view of the city. While Peter kept talking the man listened but didn't talk himself all that often, as if studying the boy.

When they get back to the place were they started from they both sit. Joe asks "So from what I've seen you have no friends, nor family. Don't you?" Said Joe in a voice full of sorrow. "No." Said Peter putting his knees to his chest and hugging his legs while trying to swallow the hard truth of his reality. "Ok then, how about if you and I become friends?". Said the old man trying to cheer Peter up. Peter's face lit up like a candle in a dark night. "Yes! I mean, sure!" Peter said trying to contain his excitement.