Boy Asked For Food For His Sick Mother But When They Followed Him, They Found Out A Terrible Secret

in winterset iowa almost everyone knew each other father harris spent his entire childhood in this town more like a close-knit community because everyone knew each other father harris was very surprised when he first heard about a little boy who lived nearby that's right the boy's name is bobby every few days he comes to me to ask for some food i think he's about seven or eight years old mrs santiago reported after the sunday service we need to help him don't he think does he only need food the priest inquired just food according to the boy his mother's sick and she can't work so bobby takes care of the food for her except when i asked him where their home was the boy said over there and pointed out around him in an unknown direction i suspect he has no home but that's just my guess the woman replied thank you for the information ms santiago if anyone else has heard of this boy i'll ask around father harris promised however he learned nothing new according to one of the residents mr jenkins he once saw a boy crying at a bus stop but his attempt to talk to bobby was unsuccessful because he ran away at once after hearing the words the priest assumed that the boy was uncomfortable in the presence of a strange man more often than not bobby would show up in town to get food and then immediately disappear as some townspeople noticed the boy would change his face dramatically when someone suggested we go to his mother's house together father harris could no longer stay away one day he waited for bobby to show up in town in the boy's hands with a bag full of food the priest realized that bobby was headed to the outskirts of winterset it was an abandoned part of town where no one lived father harris was seized with anxiety certainly their town was not the coldest in america but the weather was cool in those days the priest tried to move as quietly and inconspicuously as he could suddenly he realized that he had lost sight of the boy his hope of finding bobby was fading before his eyes suddenly a dog barked near bonnie father harris looked up and saw that the dog has not left the small unsightly building on the vacant lot there was snow around the shack and it was probably not much warmer inside than it was outside the barking of a dog caught bobby's attention and he looked outside to see who it was barking at at that moment the boy saw father harris his eyes rounded with surprise don't be afraid i came here to offer you help i've been told about you by the town's people i want to talk to your mother it's she there inquired the priest pointing at the shack can you actually help us body asked with childlike directness when the priest assured him that he had come here for that very purpose the boy disappeared into the shack a few seconds later he emerged holding the hand of a little girl she looked to be about four years old is that your little sister clarified father harris yes mama's gone she's dead daddy's gone too he was gone before mom was gone i was afraid my little sister and i might be separated so we ran away and sparky helped us protected us but we were lucky the people here are nice bobby shared that's really true there are wonderful people here and they care about what happens to you the priest said hoping to endear himself to the kids he petted sparky the thoroughbred sheepdog the children's faithful friend we could go on living here i'll get a job and take care of my little sister bobby's voice quavered as he pointed back and forth to the cabin with a sympathetic sigh father harris replied you've shown a lot of concern for your sister but still it's not going to be easy for you without help it's getting colder by the day and you need to find a better place to live i can tell you one thing for sure no one will separate you the priest said and sparky came the girl's gentle voice what's your name father harris addressed her rosie fine rosie i swear sparky will stay with you you don't have to worry after all she's already a part of your family the priest reassured the children now let's go to church you need to eat properly there will be food for sparky two tired from his restless nights body accepted father heresy's invitation he smiled approvingly at rosie and together they followed the priest sparky kept up and ran after them father harris led the children to the church back room where the spare cribs were located the priest prepared in advance for the children's arrival after supper the brother and sister went to bed sparky stayed behind to watch them sleep in the morning father harris began to collect the information about bobby and rosie's mother he learned that the woman had passed away about three months ago the priest then tried to ask social services if they could help the children with a new home in response father harris heard that the children had been searched for these months the social worker thanked father harris for his involvement and said that the children definitely needed a new family but mrs santiago told the priest that she had one good couple in mind who couldn't manage to have a child themselves according to the older woman the mccartney family deserved only positive reviews in addition the couple were very fond of dogs in the social service the proposal of father harris concerning potential parents was well received an important prerequisite for establishing custody of the children was for the couple to complete the necessary paperwork and successfully passed the background check while this whole process lasted the children were under the care of father harris and the nun two weeks later the mccartneys welcomed bobby and rosie into their home they sincerely thanked father harris and mrs santiago for their participation and help and all the townspeople were happy to help the two young children