Teacher Visits Boy Who Skips School, Learns He Tends to Little Sis Alone — Story of the Day

Amelia grows worried and suspects something is wrong after one of her pupils starts skipping classes. Concerned about the boy's well-being, she drives to his house and discovers the appalling conditions he and his sister are forced to live in.

It was a pleasant morning. Amelia smiled as she entered her classroom.

"Good morning, Miss Torres!" She was met by a chorus of happy voices.

"A very good morning, class…" Amelia chirped and placed her things on her desk. But her voice trailed off when her gaze landed on Jimmy's desk.

Amelia noticed his seat was once again unoccupied. A week had passed since Jimmy began skipping classes, and Amelia had not been able to contact him or his mother...

Amelia was perplexed as to what was wrong with the child. She waited for Jimmy, thinking he was late for class. But when he didn't show up at all, she grew extremely worried.

She had asked other teachers, and he had been skipping their classes, too. And he was absent again. That meant Jimmy hadn't shown up at school for an entire week. Amelia's sense of uneasiness grew.

"Class, does anyone know what happened to Jimmy?" she finally asked the students as she finished her lesson. "Anyone here who lives close to his home?"

But the kids just stared at each other and shook their heads. Amelia sighed in defeat. Something was surely off, she thought. So, after wrapping up her classes that day, she decided to pay a visit to Jimmy.

Amelia looked up his address in the student records, and as she arrived, she found herself in front of a modest apartment building.

She climbed the stairs to Jimmy's floor, and it wasn't long before she held her nose in disgust. Several trash bags with liquor bottles peeking out were left outside the door.

Amelia knocked on the door while holding her breath. "Hello? Is anyone home?" she called out.

The stench of the garbage was almost unbearable. Amelia knocked on the door again, and finally, it opened a crack. Little Jimmy peeked out from behind the door.

"Hi, Jimmy!" She was relieved to see him, but then she grew concerned. "Hey, honey…what's wrong? Why haven't you been to school in a week?"

Amelia noticed he looked terrified and dirty. She could see there were food stains on his shirt.

"M-miss Torres?" Jimmy asked, his voice shaking. "I-I am fine."

"Can I come in, honey?" she asked softly. "I'd like to speak with your mother if possible. I called her multiple times, but each time it went to voicemail."

Jimmy's sorrowful eyes darted to the floor, and he opened the door wider for her. Amelia took a step inside and recoiled in terror.

The whole place was in shambles. The front table was cluttered with dirty dishes and an overflowing ashtray of cigarette buds. Liquor bottles were strewn throughout the house, and the entire room reeked of garbage meat. It seemed as if no one had bothered to clean the place in days, if not weeks.

Then Amelia's gaze was drawn to a young child, who appeared to be no more than four years old. She was fast asleep on the couch.

"Jimmy, where is your mother, honey?" Amelia asked, taken aback by the sight. "And who is she?" Amelia pointed to the couch.

"That is my sister, Ava, Miss Torres," Jimmy replied sadly. "She is sick, and I have to look after her…Mommy's not home."

Amelia worriedly approached the couch and placed her palm on Ava's forehead. The little girl was running a high fever. She needed a doctor immediately.

"Jimmy, be honest," Amelia said, turning to face him. "Why have you been missing classes lately? And where is your mother? Have you been missing lessons to look after your younger sister?"

"I…" Jimmy hung his head, his eyes welling up. "I-I was sick, Miss Torres," he explained.

But Jimmy's expression told a different story. Amelia could tell he was lying. She had dealt with hundreds of students in her teaching career, and she knew when a student was lying to her.

But Amelia had no time to confront him about it. "How long has your sister been sick, Jimmy?" she asked, scooping Ava in her arms.

"A-a few days…" he said and trailed off.

"Well, we need to take her to the doctor now," she replied. Amelia drove to the local hospital with Jimmy and Ava. Jimmy sat in the passenger seat, his arms around Ava.

"We don't have any money for her, Miss Torres," Jimmy said as they waited in line for the appointment. "That's why I was looking after Ava."

"You don't have to worry about the money, Jimmy," Amelia said. "I'll take care of it. What I don't understand is how your mother can be so reckless! How can she leave a young boy like you with your younger sister?"

"Mommy doesn't stay home very often," Jimmy admitted sadly, and Amelia's brows furrowed.

"So it's just Ava and me…"

Amelia couldn't believe her ears when Jimmy told her what was happening at his house. Jimmy revealed that his mother, Linda, was an alcoholic. She got drunk and partied without a worry, barely making time for her children. Sometimes, she would disappear for days in a row, leaving Ava alone or with Jimmy.

"When Ava fell sick, I had to stay home and look after her, so I couldn't come to school," Jimmy finished. "I'm sorry I lied, Miss Torres."

"No, Jimmy, you don't have to be sorry!" she said sternly, crouching to face him. "I think your mother should be the one apologizing. I'm so sorry you had to go through so much. I will try my best to help you, OK? Let's get Ava to a doctor first."

Amelia got an appointment for Ava quickly, and after examining Ava, the doctor suggested some tests. Amelia and Jimmy waited until the results were in, then went to meet the doctor.

"Do you mind if we talk in private? The kid can wait outside," Dr. Warren said, looking from Jimmy to Amelia.

Amelia asked Jimmy to wait outside, then turned to the doctor.

"What's wrong, doctor?" she asked. "I'm assuming it's just a viral infection. I'm not the child's guardian, but I had to bring her here because I was the only elder around, and she looked really sick."

"Based on the reports, I believe the child has leukemia, ma'am," Dr. Warren revealed, sending shivers down Amelia's spine.

"It's called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Fortunately, the child's condition isn't too serious, but even if we begin therapy, it could take years before she'll be fine and the cancer goes into remission. I would suggest her parents choose a treatment strategy for her immediately."

"Oh my God," Amelia exclaimed. "And h-how much would the treatment cost?"

"Say anywhere close to $100,000, but it could be more. We'll need to conduct a few more tests and wait until the results are in," the doctor said gravely.

Amelia's hand instinctively reached for the gold pendant that dangled around her neck. "I'm sorry, doctor, but I don't have that much money. I'll have to talk to her parents about it," she replied and left the hospital with the children.

Amelia's thoughts were racing as she drove to Jimmy's house. She was at a loss for what to do. Ava required medical attention, and she wasn't sure if Ava and Jimmy's mother, Linda, would be bothered about that.

Amelia made Ava lie on the couch as they reached home. She then went over to the fridge to see if the kids had something to eat. But to her horror, the refrigerator was empty, except for a pack of stale buns and expired beans. She looked through the kitchen cabinets, but even they were empty. The kids had nothing to eat.

"Mommy left us some bread and peanut butter, but it ran out this morning," Jimmy said sadly when he saw her going through the cupboards.

Amelia sighed in defeat. She couldn't leave the kids to starve, so she grabbed her car keys and drove to the nearby supermarket.

That evening, the smell of fresh lasagna and garlic bread lingered in the house after ages. Amelia could see how happily Jimmy and Ava finished their portions, and Jimmy even went for seconds. Thankfully, Ava was feeling much better now.

"I love your cooking, Miss Torres," Jimmy smiled as he took a big bite of the garlic bread.

"And I'm glad you guys are eating a proper dinner," she replied. "Hey, I have an idea! Would the two of you like to live with me?"

"We can?" Jimmy's face lit up. "Yes, Miss Torres! Please!"

"And how about you, Ava?" she gently asked the little girl, but Ava's face quickly fell, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"I…I want Mommy…" she said and her voice trailed off.

"But Mommy is not good for us, Ava," Jimmy told her like a big brother. "We should go to Miss Torres's house, and we can have such yummy meals every day!"

But Ava burst into sobs. "No, I don't want to!" she yelled, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "I want Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"

"Ava, stop! That is so annoying!" Jimmy put his hands over his ears.

An argument broke out between the brother and sister. Miss Torres tried to quiet the kids, but they weren't listening. Suddenly, the apartment door burst open, and all of them turned to look at Linda, who staggered into the living room, heavily inebriated.

"W-who are you…" she slurred, looking at Amelia. "What a-are you…doing with my children?" She collapsed onto the couch. "Get out of my house!" she yelled, waving her arm. "OUT!"

"So you are their mother!" Amelia approached her angrily, only to be met with an awful stench of booze. It was as if Linda was drowned in alcohol. Her clothes were soiled, her hair was tangled, and she could hardly stand on her feet.

"Do you have any idea what your kids are going through?" Amelia snarled at her. "I took Ava to a doctor—"

Linda's red, puffy eyes widened as she leaped to her feet. But she was so drunk that she had to clutch the nearby cabinet to maintain her balance. "You…" she growled at Jimmy. "C-come here!"

Little Jimmy anxiously approached her, and before he could say something, Linda yanked him closer to herself and began trashing him. "Who…told you you could let this witch inside?" Linda sneered.

"Oh my God! Stop it!" Amelia tried to intervene, but Linda shoved her away. Little Jimmy was reduced to tears, and Ava shuddered at the kitchen table.

"D-don…Don't you dare come here again!" Linda slurred, shoving Amelia out of the flat, and slammed the door in her face.

"You can't hit your kids, Linda! I'll report you for child abuse and neglect!" Amelia cried, banging on the apartment door, but all her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Amelia's heart sank for all the abuse Jimmy had to endure, but now that she had seen it with her own eyes, she couldn't let it go. She had to save the children from the toxic environment.

Amelia took a deep breath and went home. But not long after, she returned to Linda's apartment, this time accompanied by a social worker. Amelia had consulted a lawyer and filed for Ava and Jimmy's custody.

"Miss Torres?" Jimmy answered the door. "What brings you here?"

"Hey, Jimmy, where's Linda?" she asked.

"She's not home…" Jimmy's gaze went to the floor, and Amelia knew it was the right opportunity.

"Well, I have a social worker with me," she told Jimmy. "He's here to check a few things. Will you please let us in?"

The social worker inspected the house and concluded that Jimmy and Ava were not safe with Linda. She wasn't even at home to care for her children. Not to mention, the children were living in appalling conditions.

"We'll be checking in on the kids on a regular basis," the social worker said after Amelia insisted on temporarily taking the kids in. Amelia didn't want the children to be placed in a foster home, and after much convincing, the social worker agreed and decided she could have their temporary custody.

"Jimmy, Ava," Amelia crouched to face the kids after speaking with the social worker. "Please understand that this is only a temporary arrangement. I'm taking you home so you can live in a cleaner and safer environment. We'll meet your mother in court later, and the judge will decide what happens next, OK?"

Jimmy was more than happy to go home with her as he loved Amelia, and though Ava was reluctant, she nodded.

"So…welcome home!" Amelia opened the door wider for the children and welcomed them in as they arrived at her house. "You guys can freshen up real quick in the bedroom upstairs. And how about pasta for dinner?"

As Amelia was cooking, Jimmy sat at the kitchen table, watching her eagerly. Amelia smiled at him as she finished making the pasta sauce. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes!" she told him excitedly.

"You know, Jimmy, I love children," she continued, "and that's why I also love teaching. It's just fun to be around kids. I wanted children of my own, but for some reason, I can't have them. Now that you and Ava are here, I'm so happy."

Jimmy and Amelia were busy talking when they were interrupted by a sniffing sound. They turned to look at the living room couch where Ava was crying.

"Hey, honey, are you alright?" Amelia asked as she approached the little girl, but Ava began screaming.

"I hate you so much!" she yelled through tears. "I…I miss Mommy. I want to go to Mommy! I want to go home!"

"Honey, I told you this is not permanent. You can go back to your mother soon," Amelia tried to calm Ava down, but the little girl was furious.

"Just go away! I don't want to see you!" she screamed, and Amelia stepped back. She thought she should give space to Ava and returned to the kitchen. As the dinner was ready, she served Jimmy and then called out to Ava.

"Ava, honey, come on, let's eat!"

But Ava didn't move an inch.

"Come here, Ava!" Jimmy scolded her. "Stop being so ungrateful! Miss Torres is just trying to help us!"

"Hey, hey, it's fine, Jimmy. I'll just serve her her food there."

Amelia fixed a plate for Ava, went over to her, and placed the plate on the living room table, but Ava just pushed the plate away.

"I don't want to eat!" she glared at Amelia and crossed her arms. "I want to go back! I want Mommy!"

"Well, pushing food away is not very nice of you, Ava," Amelia told her gently. "You can eat when you are hungry. I'm not going to pressure you. But you can't be home until your Mommy learns how to be a responsible parent."

Amelia walked away and joined Jimmy at the table. After dinner, Amelia told the children she had prepared rooms for them. Ava didn't eat her dinner that night. She and Jimmy went to their rooms and dozed off.

But Amelia couldn't sleep a wink that night. She knew what she was doing was in the best interests of the children, but she also realized it was a little selfish of her. God had never blessed her with children, but this was her chance to live the life she had always desired. However, Amelia was not sure if the court would award her custody.

So, on the day of the trial, she was extremely nervous. Linda showed up at the court, and she was neither smelly nor intoxicated. In fact, she was dressed nicely, and she was putting on her best face in front of the judge, but Amelia could tell it was all a ruse.

Judge Bennett's voice broke the silence of the courtroom. Ava and Jimmy nervously sat in the front seat of the room, Amelia beside them.

Judge Bennet looked at the children and asked in a gentle tone, "Jimmy, Ava, I want to hear from you both first. You are not under any pressure in my courtroom, so please respond honestly. Who would you choose to live with, Miss Torres or your mother? Jimmy, you can go first."

Little Jimmy rose to his feet, his eyes darting to Amelia, who nodded and assured him everything would be OK.

"I like Miss Torres," he told the judge. "I want to stay with her. She is like a second mother to me, and…she loves us. She makes us good food and never yells at us. I don't like Mommy…"

Tears sprang into Amelia's eyes as she recalled how much pain Jimmy had endured because of Linda.

"OK," Judge Bennett noted. "And you, Ava?"

"I want to live with Mommy…" she said in tears. "I miss Mommy when she is not around."

"Thank you, children. Well, I understand it's a difficult situation," Judge Bennett looked at Amelia and Linda now. "I'd like to hear from you, Miss Torres. You requested custody of the children, claiming that their mother is unable to care for them and has been abusive. But keep in mind that the court cannot dismiss Ava's close relationship with her mother and her preference to live with Miss Delaney."

"I understand, your Honor," Amelia spoke in her defense. "But I couldn't stand by and watch the kids suffer in such deplorable conditions. I'm capable of giving them a good life, and I can assure the court that I'll provide them with the best care. I just want these children to have a safe and happy home. I don't want them to go back to an abusive environment."

"Alright. How about you, Miss Delaney?" The judge looked at Linda. "Just like I told Miss Torres, the court also can't ignore the fact that Jimmy feels safer and happier with his teacher. So your intention for having the children back must be compelling."

"First of all, they are my kids, your Honor!" Linda's lips quivered as she spoke. "They are my flesh and blood. I know I went down the wrong path and indulged in the wrong things. But I'm willing to change, your Honor. I can do anything for the sake of my children. I love them more than anything!"

The judge heard both parties and noted Linda's and Amelia's statements. Linda maintained the facade of a loving, heartbroken mother who would do anything for her children to have a better life. An hour later, she decided to give Linda a second chance.

"The court notes Miss Delaney's current employment status and her struggles to support her children. However, the court cannot overlook the fact that Miss Delaney is the children's mother and that her daughter values her mother's presence. As a result, the court has decided to give Miss Delaney another chance to demonstrate her ability to care for her children—a 6-month timeframe to turn things around.

"The court strongly believes in second chances. However, social checks would be conducted to verify that the children are in a safe setting. Miss Delaney is also to go through a court-ordered rehabilitation program. That is one of the conditions imposed by the court in granting her custody."

Amelia's heart sank as Linda dashed to her kids and embraced them. But she could see Jimmy was not happy with the court's decision. Amelia knew he didn't feel safe around his mother. So, after leaving the courthouse, Amelia didn't drive home. Instead, she drove to Linda's apartment to check on the children.

As she arrived, she knocked multiple times, and this time, Linda answered. Amelia noticed the half-opened beer bottle on the living room table as she glanced over Linda's shoulder. Linda had started drinking again.

But Linda quickly covered her path to stop her from looking inside. "What do you want now?" she asked Amelia stiffly.

"I see what you're up to, Linda! Stop deceiving others around you! Do you really not care about your kids?" Amelia snarled. "It's about time you stopped drinking and started focusing on Jimmy and Ava!"

"What I do with my children is none of your business, lady," Linda snapped as she stepped closer to her, and Amelia caught a whiff of alcohol on her, which proved Linda was lying. "And FYI, that booze isn't for me. So stop interfering in other people's lives and go away!"

Linda started to close the door, but Amelia stopped her.

"If you don't want others to interfere in your life, you should start acting responsibly and caring for your children! But look at you; wasting all your money on alcohol! Do you even know your daughter has leukemia? She will die if she's not—"

"As I said, I will handle that on my own!" Linda scowled. "I'm not going to give up on my children just because someone from the streets walks to my house and asks me to!"

"And why is that? I can tell you don't give a damn about them! What do I need to do to get you to let them go?" Amelia asked, getting to the point. "I will do anything to have them back and make sure they live a good life!"

Linda paused. "Well, I do get paid for them from the State. They are my source of income. But…" She leaned against the wall, a wicked smirk on her face. "If you get me $100,000, I'll let you take them."

"I-I don't have that kind of money!" Amelia said.

"That looks expensive," Linda said, her gaze traveling to the gold chain around Amelia's neck. "If you're so desperate to get these two little rascals home, you could sell it. If you're in for that, we could do the talking."

"No way!" Amelia instinctively covered the pendant with one hand. "It belongs to my late mother, and that's the only thing I have of her. I-I can't sell it!"

"Then get lost!" Linda slammed the door shut in Amelia's face. Amelia went home, dejected. She didn't want to lose the children to Linda, but she didn't have a choice. Several days passed. Jimmy started attending classes soon, and she asked him if everything was fine at home. He said it was, so Amelia was relieved.

But one Monday afternoon, everything changed. It was a school holiday. Amelia was making lunch when the doorbell rang. "Coming!" she called out as she dried her hands on a towel and approached the front door.

On her doorstep stood two police officers, and Amelia was shocked by their presence.

"What's the matter, officers?" she asked worriedly.

"Do you know Ava and Jimmy?" one of them asked, showing his badge.

"Ye-Yes, I do, but what's going on?" Amelia's worries grew.

"They ran away from home and have been missing for three days now, ma'am. Their mother said she didn't find them when she returned home on Friday afternoon, and she suspects they would've come here, so we need to check your house."

"But they are not here! I saw Jimmy at school last Friday!" Amelia told the cops.

"Well then, the kids fled in the afternoon after school. Please, we need to come inside," the other cop replied, and Amelia eventually sighed, giving way to them.

The two officers checked her house ruthlessly, but the kids were not there. Meanwhile, Amelia grew paranoid, her heart racing. "Where could the children have gone?" she wondered as she sat alone in the living room. Jimmy should've come to her if he was in trouble. But he hadn't, and her mind couldn't stop imagining the worst-case scenarios.

"We didn't find anything for now," one of the cops stated as he returned to the living room, snapping Amelia out of her thoughts. "But we are going to keep an eye on you, ma'am. This is one of the potential places on our list...The children seemed to trust you, so they're likely to show up here."

"Please let me know if the kids are found," Amelia requested. "Trust me, I care about them, and I would hate to see them get in trouble."

But the police officers looked at her suspiciously before they left. Amelia wondered what had happened to the children that they took such a drastic step as running away. She paced anxiously across the room, and her heart and mind told her just one thing: She couldn't just wait for the kids to show up. What if something awful happened to them?

So Amelia grabbed her car keys and left the house, deciding to look for the children on her own. She drove down the street, checking the eateries, bus stops, and playgrounds. Her heart fell every time she was met with disappointment.

Amelia drove through the city the whole day, but there was no clue of Jimmy and Ava. The sun had started setting, and it was getting darker. Amelia was worried where the kids could be. Suddenly, it dawned on her that she hadn't checked the school yet.

Amelia parked her car directly in front of the school. The front entrance was locked, but there was another access at the back of the building—the door lock was broken and wasn't repaired yet. Some teenagers were sneaking in through that, and even Amelia entered the building through the back door.

She checked around the classrooms first, but there was no sign of Ava or Jimmy. She checked the games room and cafeteria, too. But it was futile. Finally, Amelia decided to check the basement. She pushed the door open and climbed down the stairs, noticing the lights were on.

As she made her way downstairs, she noticed Jimmy and Ava asleep on the floor.

"Jimmy! Ava!" she called out, and the kids were startled awake. When they saw her, their eyes widened, but with relief.

"Miss Torres…" Tears sprang into Jimmy's eyes, and Ava dashed to her and hugged her.

"Oh my God! Wh-Who did this to you?" Amelia gasped in horror when she noticed Ava's arms. They were covered in fresh scars and bruises. The little girl cried in pain as her fresh wounds brushed against Amelia's embrace, and Jimmy was in no better state.

His wrists and feet were bruised and scratched, his lips had a cut mark. Amelia quickly realized who had done this to them.

"M-Mommy hates us…" Ava sobbed. "Please…c-can take us home? I'm so sorry I yelled at you."

"Oh honey, of course. Everything is OK now. I'm here!" Amelia contained her tears as she hugged the children close, assuring them they were safe.

But only she knew how her heart ached when she saw them in that condition. Amelia had made up her mind. She would do anything to protect these children. She could fight it out in court, but she didn't want to put the kids through another second of waiting. So, she took the quicker way out.

Amelia took the kids home, and that night, she decided to let go of what she valued the most. She drove to a pawn shop the next day.

"Hello, how much can I get for this piece of jewelry? It's a family heirloom," she said as she removed the pendant and placed it on the counter.

The man behind the counter inspected the item. "Well, ma'am, it's genuine, solid gold. And its sale value would come around $90,000."

"OK," Amelia said, sighing. "I'll take that."

Amelia took the money from the sale of the pendant and added another $10,000 to it. Then, she drove to Linda's apartment. When the woman answered, Amelia gave her the $100,000.

"Now that you have what you wanted, stay away from Ava and Jimmy!" she told Linda sternly, disgusted by the relief on the woman's face at the sight of the money.

However, as she walked away, Amelia was glad because things worked out in her favor. She saved two children from a toxic home. And most importantly, she had two kids now whom she would adore as a mother.

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