Read Online Homeless by Ms. Michel Moore - Free Book Online

milk that was provided from the nonprofit facility, Lonnie’s stomach was happy off scraps. Worn out, he’d just settled into the small foldaway cot when the unspeakable, but sadly common, occurrence jumped off. “Hey, get your damn hands off me, fool! I’m not down with all that funny shit you and the rest of these busters around here be on. I’m a man! A real man! So raise the hell up before it be a true misunderstanding before daybreak.” The echo of certain resentment bounced off the paint-chipped walls and filled the ears of everyone around.
    â€œOkay, chill out, young blood. It’s all good my way. Don’t be all up in your feelings. I was just trying to make sure you was warm; see if you needed a little company or something like that!”
    â€œWarm? Company?” Lonnie’s voice grew louder, drawing more attention to the dark area of the huge room they were in. Fist balled, he leaped to his feet. His inner rage could be felt as the tension grew. With his worn-out blue jeans slightly sagging and once winter-white T-shirt torn on the sleeve, it was evident the young annoyed warrior was ready to put in work if need be. “Dawg, I’m warning you. You better get the fuck on with all that dumb shit. Ain’t nothing soft or sweet this way.”
    â€œOh, yeah, is that right?” The man placed his hand on his chest and smirked. Defiantly winking at his intended victim only seemed to make matters worse.
    â€œOkay, old nigga, I swear to God you don’t want them type of problems with me. I might be a little messed up right now, guy, but I ain’t that damn desperate to be dealing with you or yours!”
    â€œLook around you, boy. You in the same place we in, so stop tripping. It ain’t no big thang,” the elder of the two put both hands in the air, letting the teenager know he didn’t want any problems.
    â€œWell, make sure it ain’t! For real, for real; you and the rest of these bums got me messed up. I don’t wanna catch a case tonight, but I will. Whatever ill intentions you got in mind, you better reconsider that bullshit!” Lonnie had blood in his weary eyes. He was beyond fed up. This couldn’t be life. Not the one he’d dreamed of since he was a kid. The barely seventeen-year-old had been through enough chaos over the past few months to fill three lifetimes. Now, here he was, forced to sleep on a thin, filthy mattress. One that smelled of garbage and musk, being sexual harassed by a man twice his age and size. Clear out of any options on where he could rest his head at for the night, Lonnie was at the last place he ever wanted to end up at: Emergency Relief Services, also known as the men’s homeless shelter.
    â€œLike I said,” the man, although scared of getting socked in the mouth, continued to speak out of turn. “It ain’t no big thang with me, young blood. But never say what you won’t do out here in these coldhearted Detroit streets. When you homeless, trust me, life gets real!”
    Refusing to give the troublemaker any more energy, the youth bit his tongue. Ensuring the medium-size duffle bag containing all he owned in the world was within arm’s reach, he felt somewhat reassured. Not wanting to get kicked out of the strict policy-run facility into the elements of night, he fought to calm his nerves. Like a hawk focused on his prey, Lonnie watched the toothless creep roam over toward the far side of the building in hopes of pushing up on someone else. Letting the man’s corrupt words of wisdom fester inside his already-tormented mind, the miserable teen tried to block them out.
    Lonnie Eugene McKay was ready to collapse. Exhausted physically as well as mentally, the man-child wanted nothing more than to forget what the seasoned shelter predator had said and go to sleep. However, deep down inside, he knew the asshole was right. When you homeless, life gets real. Unfortunately, Lonnie,