A Small Green House

Year's ago I once knew a family that used to live down the street from us in a small green house. For the longest time, we didn't know who lived there, but then one day we found out in a rather unfortunate way.

It was an early Saturday morning in mid-summer. As usual, I got up first and went downstairs to enjoy my coffee and the daily paper, gathering strength for my busy day. I was just sitting there reading, when I thought I heard one of the kids call out. I tiptoed upstairs and peeked into each bedroom. Neither of my kids had stirred - both were sleeping soundly and undisturbed. On my way back downstairs, I heard the noise again. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I looked out a side window and peered over the roofs of our neighbors, including that small green house. But I couldn't see anything amiss, although I could now distinctly hear a baby crying.

My brain was racing - could it be a cat meowing that just sounded like a baby? But no, I was sure that I was hearing a baby's anguished cries. I just could not figure out where it was coming from. Both of my children were fast asleep in their beds.

The sound started getting clearer and clearer. That was one very upset baby - I started to panic. I ran to the front door, ready to run down the street to find the source of the sound. And there in front of our house stood a little, dirty baby boy in a soggy diaper!! This was crazy!! It was 6:00 in the morning. There was no adult around - this baby - he couldn't have been more than two years old - was walking down the street all by himself!

I didn't recognize the boy as belonging to any of our close neighbors - of course, we had only lived in Winnipeg for a few months, so that wasn't entirely surprising. I was completely baffled and didn't know what to do.

I approached the crying baby, speaking soothingly, when I saw a front door open across the street. My neighbor ran across the street, shaking his head. With a look of disgust, he told me that this was the second time that little baby, had been found wandering the street in the early morning. My neighbor explained, that this poor little boy lived in that small green house with his alcoholic mother and her two older girls. He took the crying baby by the hand and walked slowly down the street, to that small green house, leaving me with a feeling of helplessness, disgust and utter sadness. I pray for that small child, and for his entire family.