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?”

pet

really likes you, you know.”

He looked up

likes you too.”

next to my thigh and

a lot of other people who like you too.”

He frowned.

me?” he

do,” I replied.

on Miki and tried to coordinate his double

trip together if you

he said.

I nodded. “We can wait

“I’m hungry.”

do you want

he replied with determination.

help it,

some spaghetti, and then once you’ve eaten we can go and take a walk together?”

frowned,

“We could walk with Miki, he adores walks.”

“Okay,” he agreed.

I nodded, grabbed some of the pet’s toys and lend them to Eloim, got up, and went to

an instant success with both pets and I could hear him

I put water on the stove and scrounge up some quick homemade

knocks on the door. Miki barked, but Eloim didn’t stop playing

confirmed as I opened the door, dog in hand so that he would not rush into the

policeman asked me. He was tall and kind-looking. Behind him was a handsome man in a blazer looking anxious.

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

inside the room straight to Eloim and hugged him talking

door so that

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

I heard from

father and came to me. I understood what he wanted

told Miki, who complied immediately.

he gave the

“Another,” he told

had too many treats already.

father got back on his feed with

you ready to go back home?” I asked the child.

“No,” he said. “Spaghetti.”

looked apologetically to

told me he was hungry and I promised him spaghetti before going to the police station.

really strangely at me.

Eloim, as he went back to playing with

again, looking between the cop and father. He looked at his son then back at me, puzzled.

your offer and let him eat first,”

nodded.

you still need me?” asked the

“No, thank you officer,” the father said, shaking his hand.

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

shook his hand in

we were left

him, extending my hand.

We shook hands. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?”