Snowy Streets: A Tale of Despair and Redemption

After failing my English exam, I was completely broken and destroyed. I did not want to return home early to show my weaknesses, and that is why I decided to walk along winter streets of New York. That winter was too generous for snow: trees like mysterious white giants leaning their fingers towards passers-by and endless crowded roads were covered with snow slowly falling from the sky. It seemed that the air was filled with the fragrance of life and calmness at the same time but I had no relief. Certainly, the entire picture might have a soothing effect on anyone except me who was lost among millions of strangers.

The feeling of despair and solitude overwhelmed my heart – the heart of a wounded bird that could not fly anymore. Gradually, it was getting dark, and I came back home to feel the warmth of my house that might embrace me as usual. I bounced into the house, kissed my mother and shook my father’s hand a bit nervously trying to hide my emotions. Even though it was quite cold outside, I did not intend to stay at home and asked my father to drive his car.

Driving a car, I started dreaming about summer, the taste of strawberry, and my granny’s cookies with cream. Sitting alone in silence far away from my worries, I admired a picturesque winter landscape; it captured my breath. I do not remember how I stopped and left the car but I forgot to close it. Later, I discovered that the key was in my left pocket. I went to the supermarket and bought a large pack of chips that had to comfort me somehow. Who cares about health when you are a teenager? Nothing matters than inner desires and instincts that master and control your actions.

Crossing the street, I hardly believed that someone was inside my car; moreover, it was a small boy. “What an impudent fellow!” I thought.

I was rushing towards him. What I saw was his back. I began to shout to attract anyone’s attention but the noise of the street turned my cry into distant sounds of the wind. Then, I realized that I took only some money and the rest left in the wallet on the front seat. I knew he would steal it for sure.

“Hey, man!” I shouted with an uncontrollable anger. “I will kill you, believe me.” “Do not touch anything.”

When the boy noticed me, he ran away. I recognized his large cap; it was familiar to me but I had no time to concentrate on it. Being too fast, the boy resembled the whirl as I could not reach him. The snow blew directly into my face, and a relentless wind splashed my face with some mockery. Additionally, the pavement become so icy that I started thinking that I was skating on the rink. Unexpectedly, a small thief fell on the ground; he hid his face and did not want to show it.

“Ah, I see… you are very brave and cool now,” I said with a loud voice and touched his cap.

“Leave me alone,” the boy said softly and started crying.

I was in a state of shock…I recognized the boy; it was my neighbor, a ten-year old child from a good family.

“Jimmy, how could you dare?” I said and pointed out to the wallet he firmly kept in his arms.

The only words he replied were, “it is not for me…I just…I just wanted to feed Jack…a homeless dog”.

Then, I saw icy tears of a kind child whose intentions had nothing in common with my ideas. I certainly gave Jimmy all the money I had, fed the dog together with the boy, gave him a lift, and returned home with the feeling of a bitter joy.