All That Is Left Behind

“911, what is your emergency?” asked the operator.

“I found a lost child at Mont-Royal’s Park, he doesn’t talk much so I don’t know his name yet, but he needs to pee so I’m taking him to my place.” I gave her the address and a description of the child, and every other information I had managed to get out of him. I also promised to bring him to a police station after, and gave them my phone number, just in case.

He followed me quietly, holding my hand all the way until we reached my apartment.

“Do you need help, sweetie?” I asked him.

He shook his head and closed the door behind him.

I smiled and let him do his thing.

I put my bag down and grabbed my purse so that I would have my ID and everything I could need at the police station, and googled the closest police station.

“KITTY!” he screamed.

I jumped out of my skin.

I didn’t even realise he was out.

“Kitty,” he told me loudly, pointing at my cat.

“Don’t scream, please. You will scare her,” I said.

He smacked his hands on his mouth. “You can talk softly, though. Her name is Lily and she’s really sweet.”

“Can I pet Lily?” he asked.

I think it’s the longest sentence he ever addressed directly at me.

“Yes, you can,” I said. “But I think you scared her a little when you screamed. Do you want me to find her and bring her here so you can pet her?”

He nodded and I complied.

We sat in my small living-room, and I let him pet Lily for a little while.

“What is your name?” I asked.

He said nothing and continued to caress Lily’s head carefully.

“You know the name of Lily and Miki, but they don’t know your name.”

“Eloim,” he admitted.

“Do you know your last name?”

He said nothing.

Well, at least I had a first name.

“There is someplace we should go to, Eloim.”

He shook his head.

“I think your family is looking for you.”

“No.”

“You don’t think they’re looking for you?”

I pet Lily.”

“Lily really likes you, you

He looked up at

you too.”

sitting right next to my thigh and looking at the scene joyfully.

are a lot of other people who like you too.”

frowned.

like me?” he

do,” I

on Miki and tried to

go on this trip together if you want.”

he

“We can wait a few more minutes.”

“I’m hungry.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Spaghetti,” he replied with

I couldn’t help it,

and Miki, while I prepare some spaghetti, and then once you’ve eaten we

frowned,

with Miki, he adores walks.”

he agreed.

grabbed some of the pet’s toys and lend them

instant success with both pets and

scrounge up some

the sauce underway when I heard knocks on the

hand so that

lost child at Mont-Royal?” the policeman asked me. He was tall and kind-looking. Behind him was a handsome man in a blazer looking

were about to go to the police station in a few minutes. He’s playing with the cat in the

to Eloim and

stood aside next to my door so that I could close it.

him to bother the men, and took a treat from one of my drawers to give

from

extricated himself from whom I assumed was his father and came to me. I understood what he

told Miki, who complied immediately.

Then he gave the

“Another,” he told

many treats already. This will be

Eloim pouted, and behind him, his father got back on his feed with

“Are you ready to go back home?” I asked the

said. “Spaghetti.”

apologetically to his father.

promised him spaghetti before going to the police station. I don’t mind if

looked really strangely at me.

boomed Eloim, as he went

father. He looked at

and let him eat first,” he told me.

nodded.

need me?” asked the

the father said, shaking his hand.

his question at me too. I was about to be left alone with a stranger in my home after all.

I said, and shook his hand

we were left alone.

told him,

shook hands. “How did you

what?”