81. A Touching Story 1

My teacher had told us the story of King David. Despite his heroic feats, he ran away when the need arose. I took the bold step and fled from home at the age of ten, and no one cared.

I lived on the street and lived by its principles; if you can't beat them, you join them. I could not help but join them, beginning from petty stealing to pickpocket. Furthermore, I was tutored by my fellows on how to survive in the jungle. One thing I learned from them was the bonding, we protect one another.

I was happy in their midst because I was protected from the likes of my fathers. Occasionally, we offer ourselves for menial jobs and were paid. As time went by, my close allies and I resolved to do menial jobs and quit stealing. The teachings from the church came to bear on us.

“We can go back to school,” Fidel, one of us, suggested one day. We welcomed his idea and enrolled in the nearby public school. Then, I was twelve and had never been abused, and my self-esteem was building up gradually. F