It was already 8 p.m. when Abel stepped out of the precinct. He had to wait until Hilsa received medical attention and was then brought to record her statement at the station. After that point, things began to get complicated.
As it turned out, her mother was an immigrant, and there were no relatives she could be handed over to. Her stepfather had been the last close person she could live with, and well… see how that turned out. Abel began to understand why she had never wanted him to interfere in the first place.
At this point, the system had automatically taken over, and in Hilsa's case, the social worker handling her situation had explained that, since there were no available foster homes at the moment, Hilsa would be placed in a group home temporarily until a permanent solution could be found.
Abel realized that there was nothing more he could do. He had asked whether she could stay with him at his place; they after all had a spare bedroom, and he didn't think his mother would object when he told her about Hilsa's story.
However, according to the social worker, things weren't that simple. The only way Hilsa could live with them was if they were a registered foster home or if his mom applied to be made Hilsa's legal guardian by the court. Even then, it wouldn't be immediate, as there were many procedures and background checks that would have to be completed.
The situation now seemed beyond him, and since Hilsa was also being involved in a lot of questioning and procedures, Abel found himself just sitting around the precinct alone. He had said goodbye to Hilsa, promising to visit her as soon as possible.
Abel walked the rest of the way home deep in thought. From the way the day had started on a high, this was definitely not the way he had seen it ending.
He was feeling completely famished when he got home, and he headed directly for the fridge. His belly grumbled as soon as he stared at the contents, and he was just reaching for a bottle of yogurt when he recalled his current situation.
"Damn, damn, damn!" Abel cursed as he instead settled for some bananas. The day had taken such a drastic turn that he had completely forgotten his situation. Staring at his watch, it was almost 10 p.m. He felt tired and worn out, but he still had to order food and take a shower. By then, his mother would probably be home, and he didn't know if he would even get the chance to practice.
The other issue that made him even more worried was the fact that his diet changes would certainly reflect on his mother's credit card. The app's diet suggestions were so limited that he felt like he would soon have to improvise. For now, since he didn't wish to end up a vegetarian, he had included chicken with the pizza he had ordered. Coupled with the issue of his bicycle, he felt like he was being crushed under the pressure.
Almost thirty minutes later, Abel sat on the edge of his bed, his thoughts racing as he stared at the door. He was expecting his mom to arrive at any moment. Usually, she was home by now. There was something that had been running through his mind.
He could not see how Hilsa's situation would improve by being thrown into a place that was completely strange to her. If she was a kid, it would have probably worked, but she was a teen. And Abel had seen enough films to know the effect of such sudden change.
That was what he planned to ask his mother about. The social worker had said that legal guardianship would take a while, and his mother would have to prove she was financially stable to accommodate Hilsa. Abel knew very well that was not the case; she, after all, had even to work extra shifts to support the two of them. There was no way she would agree to that.
But what if she registered as a certified foster home? According to the research he had done, registered foster homes that took in children and minors did receive financial aid from the government, so Hilsa could still live with them without stretching his mother's financial situation. The advantage here was that she would be living with friends.
Finally getting tired of waiting, Abel stood up and began pacing around. He felt like he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders all day. Between worrying about Hilsa, the complications with her situation, and his own mounting problems, he was exhausted. He needed an escape, something to drown out the noise in his head, even if just for a little while.
He hadn't had much time to practice, but tonight he didn't care about perfection. He needed this. He needed to lose himself in the music.
The second his fingers found their place on the strings, the first song that came to mind was Simple Plan's "Welcome to My Life." He had listened to it a thousand times, and the chords were simple enough...well, simple since his guitar skills had received a boost to average. It was a song that spoke to him, especially tonight.
Abel began to strum the opening chords, his fingers moving almost automatically. The familiar sound filled the room, and he let out a slow breath as he started to sing:
Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong, and no one understands you?
The lyrics flowed out of him and, amazingly, the words resonated with the turmoil he felt inside. He closed his eyes, letting the music take over, drowning out everything else.
Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud that no one hears you screaming?
He played the chords with more confidence now, his voice growing stronger as he sang the chorus:
To be hurt, to feel lost,
To be left out in the dark...
to be kicked when you're down
to feel like you've been pushed around.....
Abel's eyes were shut tight as he lost himself in the music. His fingers moved fluidly over the guitar strings, strumming with a rhythm that matched the pounding of his heart. He was so absorbed in the song, pouring his emotions into every note, that he didn't hear the soft creak of the front door opening.