so i finally saw my homeless friend last week and we got to talk about my promise of a bus ticket home... she was still up for it and said she wanted to go home today... then a couple of days later, i saw her again and learned her things, what little she had, got torched by a guy because she wouldn't have sex with him... so i asked her if she wanted to go home over the weekend (this past weekend) instead and she said yes, she was so ready to go... i said i would come and get her sunday... then she asked if she could come and stay with us until then... i said i had to talk to my kids first and i wasn't very confident about her coming here because of past bad experiences we had when we let that other guy stay with us (he robbed us)... the plan was to pick her up saturday and go to church and then possibly letting her stay over night and then going to the bus station on sunday... but after having more doubts about it friday, i found out she could get a bus saturday night instead...
so saturday came and i went to pick her up at 4... she came but had nothing with her and she proceeded to tell me how she was staying at some house friday night that got busted for drugs and she almost went to jail and she wasn't ready and when she found out she couldn't stay with us, she cried... i explained to her it wasn't personal and i told her about the man who stayed with us who robbed us... she wouldn't come to church with me... i tried to talk her into my plan of church then a meal then going home, but she said no... so i still offered to take her sunday and she said yes...

i went to get her at 10 and she was there with a small bag of stuff... i brought her a bag of stuff as well, some clothing, a bible, a book of promises from God and a book of devotionals and some toiletries... we went to the bus station in ft lauderdale and i bought the ticket and we had to wait for 2 hours for the bus... well two hours turned into three hours because the bus had a fender bender... the bus finally arrived and the line formed and she said to me she was going to go smoke a cigarette quick... 5 minutes went by, then 10 and i went outside to find her because the bus was finally loading and... she was gone... i was very sad and i waited around until the bus left, but she didn't come back... the whole time we were there, she kept telling me i didn't have to wait with her... i was so sure she was going though because she used my cell to call home and tell them she was coming... and i asked her for her phone number at home so i could keep in touch and she gave it to me (plus it was in my cell log)...

so i left after making sure my financial info wasn't on the ticket because she still had it... i ended up going to the church and the whole time i was there, i was drawn back to that bus station... i ended up going back to the bus station 2 hours later and just as i was driving up i saw her! she had come back... i was on the phone with my friend leah at the time and we ended up praying for her to get on that bus... i didn't approach her again because i didn't want her to use me as an excuse not to go home... i sat there for awhile and watched her go in and out of the building and finally, i left... i left her in God's hands... i did all i could for her and i just prayed He would hear my prayer for her...

today i called that phone number and a woman answered... i asked for sandra and she said she wasn't there... i asked her if she ever made it home and she said no... i told her i bought her a bus ticket on sunday to come home and then she wanted to know who i was and how did i know "alice" (what her family calls her)... i told her how i met her and that she was homeless... i told her everything i knew... and then she said alice had made it to gainsville on monday! she did get on the bus! but she hadn't seen her since yesterday... she got there and her mom bought her clothing and shoes and gave her money and alice went out and came back drunk or high (i always suspected drug addiction)... this woman was her grandma and i also spoke to her uncle and they were so kind and so appreciative of the information i gave them and for what i did... they offered to repay me the money i spent and i said no no no, not to worry about it... i told them to tell her i called to ask about her and i told them i will call again in a couple of days and i will be praying for her... she is sooo lost... i pray her family will have the strength to keep her and help her... they are a Christian family and from what i could discern, love alice very much... praise God for answering my prayer!

i wish i had the gift of story telling... my writing is so dry...



me and alice/sandra