“SCREEECH!” The sound of the bus tires rubbed against the concrete, stopping at the bus top between 54th street and Evans Avenue. Two best friends, Sawyer and Johnny, hopped off the bus and headed to their neighborhood two blocks away, just as they have always done since they were in fifth grade. The neighborhood they lived in was very rundown and neglected. Sawyer bust into his house yelling “HEY MOM! I’M HOME!” His lovely mother, Beverly, who was making a fresh batch of cookies for him, greeted him. Beverly has raised him as a single mom ever since his dad left when he was three. She works very hard at her job as a secretary for a small law firm. She and Sawyer have a very special relationship since it’s been just the two of them basically for most of Sawyer’s life. Johnny, on the other hand is in a completely different situation. Every day he would have to quietly slip into his house, trying to avoid his dad, Royce, who was always in a bad mood and ready to release his anger on Johnny. He was used to being beaten by his dad but still greatly feared him. Johnny wants to runaway, but ever since his mom died when he was little, he was never told where any of her relatives lived, so he had no one to go to. These two best friends come from completely different backgrounds yet their friendship is something they hold onto deep in their hearts.
Every morning, they would wake up and meet at the bus stop between 54th street and Evans Avenue to take them to school. Sawyer gave his mom and big hug goodbye and Johnny quietly left from the back door, careful not to wake his dad up. They each went about their stressful school day when Sawyer got called to the office. He was not one to get in trouble, so he was quite curious as to why he got called. When he entered the office, everyone gave him a deep sorrow look.
“What’s going here? You guys are kind of freaking me out.” He said to the ladies working in the office.
They continued to look at him with deep sorrow. One lady motioned him toward a little room where they could talk privately. He curiously walked toward the room exchanging looks with the lady. They sat down as she hesitated to speak.
“Sawyer…I, I’m so sorry, oh Sawyer.”
He was beginning to grow angry and he yelled “WHAT?! What is it?!”
She took a deep breath in and slowly said, “Sawyer, I’m so sorry but your mother has been killed in a car crash.”
Sawyer had no words. He sat there, in pure shock. No emotions had reached him yet, only shock.
“How did you find out? Who told you? Where did it happen? Who was around?” he asked very quickly.
“We don’t know, nobody has any information yet, I’m so sorry Sawyer.”
A tear dripped down Sawyer’s face.
“Who am I going to live with? My dad left my mom an I when I was little, so I don’t know where he is.”
“Your neighbor, Miss Duncan has offered to take in you in temporarily until family situations are handled.”
Before Sawyer could say another word, Miss Duncan came through the door. She was a rather large woman, with dazzling blue eyes. Sawyer could tell she meant well, but he did not want to live with her, he did not want to be with anyone else except his mom.
Miss Duncan took Sawyer to her house and immediately Sawyer went to bed. He could tell Miss Duncan was trying to make conversation but he couldn’t bring himself to talk. Most of his days were spent of sitting silently in his room deep in thought while Miss Duncan would be pleasantly reading in the other room. She never once did offer any comfort or compassion to Sawyer. This only made him feel worse. As the days went on, Sawyer began to fall into depression. He wanted to talk to someone so badly, but Miss Duncan just didn’t understand the pain he was going through. She was unmarried and never had children, so she didn’t understand how to offer somebody comfort when they are hurting.
About a week at Miss Duncan’s, Sawyer couldn’t take it anymore. He had to get away, he let his emotions out, and he had to talk to someone. So, he reached out his only friend that would understand his sufferings, Johnny. Sawyer waited until Miss Duncan had gone to bed to call him. When he finally reached him, they talked for hours letting out their emotions. At around 1:00 A.M, an idea came across Sawyer.
‘Johnny, we can’t live like this, we got to run away man. We got to get away from all this; its too much, no one understands what we are going through except each other. What do you say?”
Johnny was all for it, any opportunity to get away from his father he would take. Johnny had already had an escape plan prior to this in case he ever got this sort of opportunity to get away from his ferocious father. Sawyer also had a plan, which was to tell Miss Duncan telling her that he found a family member to permanently stay with even though he had absolutely no body else to turn to, except Johnny. Together, they planned a certain time and place to meet at, 11:00 AM, the alleyway of Central Avenue. When it reached 11:00,they both packed up their belongings are headed for the alley way on Central Avenue. When they met on the alley, they stared at each other and then back at the alley, realizing that this would be where and who they would be living with for the next couple of years. The alleyway was dirty and temporarily infested with rats, but to them, having someone to talk to who understood their pain, outweighed the horrendous conditions of their new “home”. During the day, they would play games such as basketball with empty water bottles and a trash can as well as a guessing game of how many cars would pass in an hour and whoever got the closest won. But, these games grew boring and they had nothing else to do except talk.
One night, Sawyer asked a question that startled Johnny.
“Johnny, are we going to live like this forever? Do you think anyone out there will take us in?”
Johnny looked shaken by this question but out of his mouth came the wisest words Sawyer has ever herd.
“You know Sawyer, I don’t know what will happen to us or how were going to live but I do know that God has taken us in. God has placed us in this circumstance to test our faith Sawyer and we must trust him that he will provide for us. I’ve already seen him provide by giving me this opportunity to get away from my father and now, I still believe that he will provide for us.
Sawyer was awe-struck. He had never thought of his problems that way before.
“Johnny, where did you hear about this wonderful God?”
“My mom used to read the Bible to me every day before she died, but my dad took it away from me ever since I’ve been under his care.”
There was a long silence.
“Johnny, can we pray together?” Sawyer asked somewhat embarrassed.
“Of course.”
They bowed their heads and prayed a long prayer of thanks, protection, and strength. Soon after that they were fast asleep in their little mattress that lay across the dirty street ground.
There was construction happening right across the street from them and they woke up to the sound of a pounding jackhammer slapping the ground intensely. Sawyer moaned from tiredness when something caught his eye, he saw a man running toward them with some papers in his hand. Sawyer stared at him for a moment then tried to fall asleep again. The man’s steps grew closer. Both Sawyer and Johnny looked at each other with curious faces.
“SAWYER!! The man yelled. SAWYER!!”
Now they were both petrified.
“Who in the world is that?” Sawyer asked himself.
Suddenly the man was right in front of them out of breath. They did not recognize the man, but he talked to them as if they knew.
“Sawyer, I-
“How do you know my name?” sawyer interrupted.
‘The man started again, Sawyer, I’m your father. My name is Matthew.”
They both stood there in complete disbelief. Sawyer had never seen his dad before, or not that he could remember, and neither had Johnny.
“How do I know that you are really my father?” asked Sawyer.
Matthew quickly showed him the papers he was carrying. One paper was Sawyer’s birth certificate with his name written across the top along with his mom’s. The other paper was a marriage and divorce certificate with his name on it. 
“But, how did you find me?” asked Sawyer.
“I received a call from the judge that declared your mother and I officially divorced. He told me what happened to your mom and where you were and I want you to know Sawyer that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving, I’m sorry for not being there for you, I’m sorry for your mom…”
He began to cry into his hands.
“Sawyer, I want to start over. I want to be there for you, every step of your life and help guide you, I don’t want to miss any more of your life. Can you please forgive me?
Sawyer began to cry so hard; he couldn’t even say “yes”, he juts nodded his head as they embraced for a long time.
“Sawyer, I don’t want you living here where you have no one to take care of you, I want you to be safe. Sawyer, would you like to come and live with me?
Sawyer’s face lit up.
“YES! Oh yes! I would love that! That would be amaze-

But then, Sawyer realized he would be leaving behind Johnny.
But, I can’t leave Johnny.”
“Is he your friend?” Matthew asked.
“Yes, and there is no way I can leave him after all he’s been through.”
Sawyer began telling his dad about Johnny’s life at home and from that Matthew had no second thoughts. He looked at Johnny in the eye and said
“Oh Johnny, I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through, certainly you deserve a place of comfort to stay. Would you like to stay with Sawyer and me in Florida?” asked Matthew.
“YES! OH YES I WOULD. Thank you so much!”
Johnny shook his hand ecstatically.
“When can we leave?” Sawyer asked eagerly.
“I can book a flight for tonight at midnight from here to Florida.”
“Perfect! Let’s do it! Said Sawyer.
Finally, when midnight arrives, they all hopped in Matthew’s car together with their belongings and headed for the airport.
Johnny looked at Sawyer and said, “God provides.”