Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Dropout (05/12/11)
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TITLE: Drop In Families | Previous Challenge Entry
By Rhonda Egging
05/19/11 -
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Merilee stood in the cold rain waiting for Renee to unlock the steel gate outside the First Baptist Church.
“Yikes, I bet we’ll have some customers today, it’s so cold!”
Renee finished the last twist of the lock and turned to Merilee, “Hey be sure to remind the kids to put all their weapons in the weapon box today, Pastor said some of the volunteers are scared.”
Merilee followed Renee down the stairs, the musty smell of coffee grounds combined with old clothes wafted toward them.
They greeted the other volunteers and began setting up their own stations. Merilee found her paints, brushes and canvass boards. She covered the old folding tables with festive yellow plastic tablecloths and set up metal folding chairs.
They could hear the kids lining up outside. Renee gestured for everyone to gather to pray one last time before letting the customers in.
“Okay so what’s up today?” The young man said sliding into one of the metal chairs.
“My name is Merilee, what’s your name?”
“You look like my English teacher … my name is Frog, but see that guy over there? The guy with the shaved head and combat boots, his name is Devil.”
“Do you want to make a painting Frog?”
“Sure … can I paint whatever I want?”
“No gang signs or words … what do you want to paint?” Merilee said squirting red, blue and yellow paint out of tubes into little puddles on a paper plate.
“Hey can my family paint too?”
Merilee looked around for someone who looked like he or she might be related to young Frog. A girl with straight black hair and bright blue mascara walked up to the table.
“What is up Frog boy? Can I paint?”
Merilee prepared another paper palette. She painted alongside Frog and his family. She prayed for each painter, asking God to give her words.
“Sooo Merilee … why do you do this?”
Merilee felt her heart begin to beat a little faster; she hoped she didn’t look embarrassed. “You mean paint?”
“You look like a teacher … I never met a teacher who liked me or wanted to spend time with me.”
Merilee put down her brush and turned to look at the young woman talking to her. “What’s your name?”
“You mean what am I called? My street name is Savanna.”
“Savanna, I do this because I love to paint and I love God.”
“I don’t believe in God.”
Merilee picked up her brush and began painting a little more. Think Merilee, what do you say now? Help me God, help me God, help!
Every day kids leave their homes to try living on their own in the streets of Portland, Oregon. Their ages vary from twelve to eighteen. After the age of eighteen, they are considered vagrants, no longer allowed to loiter.
They quickly learn they can’t survive alone. They form family groups. They scavenge for food and shelter. They came into our drop in center for the food but stayed because they knew we cared about them even if some of us did look like their English teacher.
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It did feel like the story needed an ending. I liked the last paragraph, but that felt like an author's note.
I did enjoy the play on words of a drop-in shelter for the too many kids who have real reasons to want to drop-out of their lives. You did a nice job showing how many Merilees we need in the world today.
It would have been helpful to have your final paragraph incorporated into the story. I was confused about the families and so would have found it easier if you had mentioned the groupings.
well done in bringing this lost tribe to our attention.