Through The Flames

When the only girl who he cared for , was suddenly fatally killed in a car crash he was so angry with the world and rejected everyone else who was close to him . He was so afraid that the same thing might happen to others he cared for in life that he abandoned his emotions to an island ifar out of reach where he became just a shell with no oyster in life .

So what happens when the heart dries up ?
Well Skin didn’t really care anymore .

After the tragic accident in matters of the heart he was all alone .
He left family and friends and found refuge on the streets of the city where it’s a cold and merciless existence .

He was not addicted to drugs or alcohol as some had said .
No one except Skin himself knew why he made his exit from life .
How could anyone ever understand the hurt unless they had been there themselves .
No Skin was better off on his own ,
He needed to clear his head and recover from what he had come through .
For a while Skin pretended not to hear the voice within .
But God kept knocking at the door of his heart .

Skin ate little and slept rough for a while until he was picked up by an organization who wanted to help others in need .
Skin was given room on the top floor of an old Victorian cloistered building in East London . It was a derelict hospice that a community of street people had taken over with permission from the local council to squat there .

At least it was off the streets and dry . Skin had a mattress on a floor and a door to close out the world .
Skin was fed up asking why he lost the only person he cared for .
There was no answer .
He tried hard to forget the things he remembered most .
Eventually after years of struggle with his demons he accepted what had happened . Once he did that Skin began to heal a little and feel a little better about himself .

Still with no desire to contact his family or friends Skin resigned himself to the place where he was at . Some of the residents in the shelter would cut your throat if you looked the wrong way at them .
Skin kept clear of most of the trouble .
One morning after being awake all night with the fights that often happened in the shelter , he could take no more .
Skin fell to his knees and cried out ,

“God have mercy . My heart is so empty . There is nothing and no one who can help but you . I have no where else to go .“

Suddenly Skin felt a hand on his shoulder .

“Do you mind if I join you in prayer brother ?”
Sis the voice .
It was another one of the residents from the shelter who he had seen from time to time .

“Both of them prayed and shared their despair openly .
Immediately they became friends .
It was the first person who had managed to get close to Skin since the tragedy .
His friends name as Huey .
His story was a little more involved than just running away .
Huey had left his family and friends to discern about what his future was going to be . Huey was his final year in the seminary and he needed to come to a decision about entering the religious life . Because he wasn’t a hundred percent sure he thought he would seek some kind of enlightenment in the big world .

Both Skin and Huey had something in common . They were linked to God in their desperation .
Both of them were inseparable for a few months . They went to Sunday mass together and talked about life as they saw it .
Without knowing Skin was influential in Huey finally coming to a decision .

After prayer one morning Huey thanked God for Skin and then he made Skin aware of what he was going to do .

His choice was to become a priest and finish his final year in the seminary .
Skin was happy for Huey .
That day Huey contacted his family and friends to let them know where he was and what he was going to do .
They were to collect him that evening .
Hue gave Skin as good news bible that he signed .
The he thanked Skin for their friendship .

After they said goodbye Skin returned to his room on the top floor of the old building and lay down on the damp old mattress . He whispered a prayers and asked God tp look after Huey . The he fell asleep .

In the middle of the night he was awaked by the shouts and screams of some people in the corridor ,
“;Get out quick ! Everybody get out . Fire ,. There’s a fire .”
When Skin opened up the door to his room he couldn’t see an inch in front of him . There was thick back smoke from the ceiling to the floor .
Not knowing where or what to do .He just stood there .
He felt someone grab his hand and a soft voice said ,
‘Come with me , you’ll be safe .“
With flames leaping up the walls and along the staircase this strange kind person led Skin down four flights of stairs and out into the street .
As they stood on the side walk the person there let go of his hand and smiled saying .

“Skin God loves you .“
.Suddenly most of the residents of the shelter piled out on to the pavement beside Skin . Ambulances , fire brigades and police cars cordoned off the road around the old building .
Lights were flashing and sirens were howling and ringing .It was mayhem there that night .

After the fire and his close call with death Skin decided it was time to return to his family and try to rebuild his life again .
He contacted his family and tried to explain where he was .
They were so relived to hear his voice again .
Before lone Skin left the concrete jungle and the streets that had become home from home .
Something had changed for Skin .
He had new hope and a will to live .
He had even found God and God had found him .

The End

By Paul McCann