It was winter 1957. Everything was covered in snow and ice. It was the coldest time of the year. Especially for John Keensley. At the moment he was lying in the park, on a bench. He had put some old newspapers on him, trying to get a little bit warmer. It didn’t matter anyway, since it was snowing all night long. He hadn’t slept for about four nights now. Not since he escaped his prison, the orphanage. Now he was caught in a whole new prison. He spent the whole ngày trying to find food. He didn’t have any money though, so sometimes he lấy trộm, đánh cắp some thực phẩm to get through the day. When it started to get dark, he’d head back to the park. The only place where he could sleep, hoặc at least try to sleep, without being send away. There were some other, older men in the park too each night. John assumed that they were drug abusers hoặc alcoholics hoặc something like that. The first night John had spent in the park, they’d come up to him. Asking him for money. Like he would be freezing outside if he had money to pay for shelter. It sure was a bad system. Homeless actually had to pay a lot to stay overnight and get some warm thực phẩm in a shelter home. Even in the winter, in this weather, they wouldn’t let a seventeen năm old boy stay for even one night. They just told him that if he didn’t have the money, he had to get out. So he did. And he hasn’t closed his eyes since.
Today he walked passed a factory. He saw some kids walk in, in the morning and walk out at night. Tomorrow he would go there and see if he could get a job. At least he would have some money. It had to be enough to buy some food. Maybe it would even be enough to spend a night in a shelter. Sleep in a warm giường again. God, he missed the feeling of a warm bed. Going to giường had always been the best part of his day. In the orphanage he had lived with terrible people, who would beat bạn up if bạn didn’t listen to them. To the outside world they may seem like holy men, looking after the children who have Mất tích both their parents. But they weren’t holy, not at all. bạn may wonder what has happened to John’s parents. Well.. I don’t really know either. All I know is that they both died when he was six years old. He has lived in the orphanage since then. Until now of course.

The tiếp theo morning, John went on his way to the factory. He had to walk about 45 phút to get there. When he got to there, he saw that people were already heading inside. He felt nervous, but he also knew it had no use to just stand there in the cold. So he started walking towards the building. When he’d almost arrived near the entrance, he saw a man who, what seemed like it, was in charge. He walked up to him and asked him for a job. The man was actually nicer that John had expected. First he laughed in his face, which isn’t such a nice thing to do of course. But after John kind of explained his situation, the man đã đưa ý kiến he would have a week to proof himself. If he did the job right, he could stay. John was a hard worker, he had to be. This job was his only hope at a better future. A future without having to sleep outside. A future without being hungry all ngày and all night. This was his only rescue.