Street Echoes

The rain pelted down like steel rivets upon the red rooves of the single decker buses in Smirkers Street bus depot .The night had passed now and out from one of the buses stepped a homeless street kid by the name of Desi . He was a rough looking teenager with a spiky hairstyle . Blonde on one side and red on the other . He wore big black army style boots care of the store in the bus depot . He had a big black overcoat that he also got from the same store and some bus conductor trousers with stripes down the sides and holes in the knees . Desi always left the bus depot before the morning shift arrived for work . Smirkers Street had been his shelter from the streets for six months and so far he had remained undetected .

Desi remembers how the nightmare all started .
His Mother used to get panic attacks and often flew off the handle for no reason at all .In the end she had to go to hospital for treatment .
After that day his Dad couldn't cope anymore . Things were too much for him after she was locked up in the asylum . After she committed suicide he began to drink heavily . Things got very dark for a while .

Desi had no brothers or sisters to talk with and was always put in the corner to many times by his Dad who bashed him up .
It was five years ago since he left his Dad . Five years since he walked out of the family home . It had stopped being the family home for Desi the day his mother was put away . Since he walked out he had been living alone in the world but so far had managed to fend for himself ok .
He got by anyway he could. He broke into houses and stole food . He lifted handbags from old ladies and smashed into shops at night and took valuables from cars . Desi had become a good thief .

And so another day started as Desi made his way out of the depot and into the centre of town . It wasn't long before he spotted his first victim .
It was an old man with a walking stick standing by the traffic lights waiting for them to change colour . The intersection was a busy place . The old man seemed afraid as the trucks and cars thundered past . Desi walked over and stood next to him .The old man looked up into his eyes .
Des smiled and said ,

"Hey there let me help you old man ."
He took the old mans arm and at the same time the other hand dived into the old mans pocket and snatched his wallet . He also scored a gold time piece on a chain and found a pen that he slipped into his pocket . The old man was as innocent as they came . Desi brought him over to the other side of the road and quickly ran off out of town . On the outskirts of the town centre was Waterside Estate and there was always a few house with open windows .
He walked through the streets and checked out the homes one by one until he saw one worth entering .

He went around the back of the house and broke in very casually to the two story brick home . In seconds he was seated on the sofa with the TV on and his feet up . Desi looked around the room and checked out what things he would steal . He remembered the old man's 'stash in his pocket and pulled the wallet out to see how much he had scored . To his surprise his pockets were empty . Nothing was there .
The he heard a deep voice from upstairs . It echoed all around the house

"Des . You know it's wrong to steal ."

Desi froze with fear as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs .
Suddenly into the room walked the old man Desi had helped across the road . The old man stood there with his had out . In his hand where the wallet, the timepiece and the pen .
The old man looked over at Desi who was white with fright .

"Are these the things you are looking for Desi ?

When Desi saw the goods in the old mans hand he went over to the old man and tried to grab them .
"Give me those old man . "
No matter how he tried he couldn't grab them from the old mans hand .

"Why are you trying to take things that aren't really there ?
The old man said .

"In frustration Desi answered .
"They are there and I want them . So hand them over right now old man, or I'll bash you up ."

"You are a fool Desi and you cannot lay a finger on me ."

In a fit of rage Desi threw a punch at the old man but his fist went straight through him . The old man laughed and laughed .
Desi tried kicking him with the same result . It was as if the old man wasn't there at all . The old man disappeared right before his eyes .

"Where are you old man . Show yourself .

"You cannot see an echo and that is what I am . "

Desi felt a shiver go up his spine and stood there in shock . The old mans voice was running all around every room in the house .

" Desi you've been a bad boy ."

Suddenly Desi was taken by the arm and some force dragged him out from the room and through the back door and up into the air they flew . Like a bird with wings he was propelled into the sky . In a matter of moments Desi found himself in a prison cell . On a bed in the prison an old man sat crying .
"Take a good look Desi . That's your Dad . Right after you left home he went looking for you . He desperately wanted to make things up with you and asked God to forgive him for the way he treated you . He even stopped drinking . "

Desi shrugged his shoulders and replied ,
"Well if he is so good, tell me why he is locked up in a prison cell then ?

"One day he was attacked by two young men about your age . They wanted his wallet and he put up a fight . It was all the money he had and couldn't afford to loose it . One of the young men took out a gun . It went off by accident and shot his accomplice dead . Before the police arrived the young man knocked your Dad unconscious and put the gun in his hand . Your Dad was charged with murder and has been in prison ever since .

"And you expect me to believe all that old man ?

"I am just an echo . You can believe what you want .

In an instant Desi was placed in the centre of town at the traffic lights where he had first saw the old man that morning . He looked at himself going through the old mans pockets and felt ashamed . On the other side of the road Desi noticed how the old man had smiled and thanked him for helping him across the road and again felt sad .

At this the old man appeared to be young and took Desi by the hand and said

"Listen . I'm going to forget all that you have done . I'm also going to leave you here Desi . Its up to you what and where you are going to do after this moment . I know you've had it tough but if you have the ability to turn yourself around and try to forgive . Help will come to you ."

At that very moment the old man disappeared .
Desi shouted ,
"Goodbye ."
His voice seemed to echo around every street corner in town .

He made straight for the prison and once there he asked if he could speak with his Father . The warden gave a special permission for him to go into the cell . On seeing his son tears of joy flowed down his face . Desi felt warm inside and asked his Dad for some information about what had happened since he had ran away . The story matched with what Desi had been told .
Desi somehow had to clear his Fathers name .

When Desi left the prison he found a strange presence was with him . It was as if he was being led to a place not of his own choice . At the end of a road he saw an open door . He felt compelled to walk inside and did so . Once inside he saw the face of a stranger on a poster . The poster said ,
Wanted for Murder and Framing An Innocent Man .

Desi heard an echo in the room . You will find help at every turn . Doors will open for you . Just believe and you will find who you are looking for .

Within a few months Desi had spoken to every refugee on the street and he had now a huge string of people who were asking questions and finding answers . Information was starting to trickle in and Desi knew he was on the right track . Finally he got the break he was after . Information was handed to the street about a man who had murdered his own accomplice years ago and how that man was now rich and powerful . He was the director of his own charity and used disabled children in a sheltered workshop to pack beads into doorstops . Desi was now ready to do number on him in return for the one he had done on his father .

Desi used some of his street wise sources and after some extensive talking he was able to convince the underworld figures that he only wanted to borrow a large supply of their hard drugs for a period of thirty days .As crazy as it may seem they agreed .
So Desi broke into the sheltered workshop one evening and packed hundreds of doorstops with street cocaine .

He rang the police with the information and also told them about the owner who had shot dead his accomplice about five years ago .
Next day the police made a visit and after checking the doorstops and finding the powdered narcotics they arrested the director on drug trafficking .

That night Desi met the gang leader who had lent him the drugs. Desi was frightened but said ,

"I know I said I was only going to borrow the drugs from you but that was just a story . You see it was a pay back thing and I had to do it . Give me a little time and I will pay you back ."

The heavy set gangster looked at Desi and said ,

"How can you give me back what didn't exist ?
His voice seemed to echoed all around the city .
In a flash Desi stood there alone . He knew it was something he couldn't explain to anyone but somehow he believed it was a gift from beyond .

The fantastic set of events continued when police lie detector tests proved the accusastion about the murder were true . A full written confession was made by the real murdered who seemed to be ranting and raving like a lunatic about some weird voice echoing through his head telling him to come clean about
Killing his accomplice five years ago .

After a retrial Desi's Dad was released from prison an innocent man .
With the compensation money for wrongful arrest and five lost years of his life Desi and his Dad were able to buy a new house and begin a new life .

By Paul McCann

The End