From Rags to Riches

Hey, my name is Max, and I was asked to share my story with you, so here it is. First, I was born of an inmate convicted of murder and armed robbery, so I was put into the system immediately. The first foster family I can recall were a lesbian couple Susie and Jill, they were cool, but maybe too cool I was around 6 at this time when they were throwing a party I could hear the loud music and loud voices from my bedroom. I remember getting curious and I got up to go see what could be so much fun and when I stepped out of the room there was a woman standing outside of the bathroom smoking a cigarette.

“What you doin up lil man?” She looked at me and asked “Ain’t you suppose to be in bed?”

I just looked at her in aww, I didn’t know what to think but I knew she was not Susie or Jill so why should I listen to her she doesn’t even know me so I replied “Ain’t you suppose to be in there with everybody else?” This made her mad she stormed at me and pushed me to the floor with her foot then held me down. “Help” I yelled as loud as I could, Susie came in and pushed the lady off of me the lady then came back up with a knife slicing Susie first on the arm I remember thinking where was Jill, so I screamed for her but no response a crowd of people started to gather around the fight.

I instantly stood up and pushed the lady trying to defend Susie but it didn’t do much she cursed at me and poked me pretty hard in the shoulder it really hurt bad I then started crying wishing Jill would come in and help us I remember Susie and the lady continued to fight the crowd instigating every move then it all stopped it got really quiet I lifted my head up from my hands and knees and they were all gone accept for Susie she laid in a puddle of blood in the floor beside me dead.

A few months later I was placed with another family, only this time it was a man and woman, Jeff and Linda. Linda was a real estate investor and Jeff had his own business selling classic cars. They were busy a lot, but also taught me a lot. I was with this couple for 4 years, I learned more I believe in that 4 years than most do in a lifetime. They made me listen to Jim Rohn cassette tapes and read books by Neapolitan Hill, and of course Jim Rohn. On school days after school I would go to the dealership with Jeff, and on most weekends Linda would take me to look at properties with her.

One night we were walking in downtown it was Christmas season so we were looking at all of the Christmas lights and there was a big crowd around a huge Christmas tree I was 10 and still believed in Santa Clause so I pointed and asked “I wonder if Santa is over there?”

“Linda laughed “I don’t know you want to go see?” she grabbed my hand and we started across the street when all of a sudden I heard screaming tires when I looked there was head lights inches away from us Linda pushed me just far enough for the car not to hit me but in trumped over both of them barely slowing it down. Then i seen 4 police cars coming behind the car it was an obvious police chase the two police cars in front rolled over top of them as well the other two just went around them it was a horrific sight to see the two people i loved most and i knew loved me dearly were laying limber and covered in blood in front of me. So of course I was then moved again because of another tragic death.

A few years later now 13 years old I was placed with another family Mark and Tareesa. They let me know from the very beginning on the car ride over that was to take care of myself that the only reason they picked me was because I was old enough to leave alone. I have heard of homes like these where they pull you in just for a simple paycheck it was obvious to me this was one of those homes. They lived in a rundown trailer park and their trailer was half put together half torn apart but none the less a roof. Inside the trailer park I had met Leon and Dex we made really good friends. One day we went into the woods to grab some logs for a tree house we were building from out of nowhere I heard Dex screaming.

“Oh my, oh my” Dex panicking “what do we do”

Me and Leon approached the area and there behind an old torn down tree was a dead body. Leon immediately pukes then Dex.

“It’s a fresh kill y’all” I leaned down swiped my fingers over the flood from his head “the blood is still wet” they both looked at me like I was crazy. Then from out of nowhere.

“What are you kids doing out here?” A man’s voice echoed behind us. We turned around and it was a big man with overalls and a cigar hanging out of his mouth and a pistol pointed in our direction……

To be continued……