Seven-year-old Rick returns home from camp only to find his parents missing and their house up for sale. Thinking he’s alone now, Rick sets out on an unexpected adventure and learns a lesson about parental love.

Rick sat in his friend Martin’s car, feeling guilty about his last call with Mom. He had been a nuisance at the camp, playing tricks on other kids, so his camp leader called Mom and told her everything, and Mom was furious.

She said mean things to Rick, such as how he was a disgrace to the family, and Rick felt awful. He tried calling her again later, but she never answered. He was now returning home with Martin’s parents.

“Oh honey, I’m sure she didn’t mean it,” Martin’s mom consoled him after he told Martin’s parents everything. “Parents say mean things when they are upset.”

“Rick ran away—” Martin chimed in but was cut off by Rick nudging him.

“Yes, Mrs. Adams,” Rick faked a smile.

The rest of the journey was smooth, and soon, Rick was home. The Adams family dropped him off and drove away, and Rick marched towards his house.

But his steps were abruptly halted when he noticed a “FOR SALE” sign in the front yard. This is weird, Rick thought and hurried up the front porch steps.

He tried opening the door, but it was locked. He called out to Mom and Dad, but no one answered.

Rick’s heart skipped a beat. He peered inside his house through the living room windows and realized the place was eerily quiet. There was no movement inside.

Rick ran to the backyard, but his parents were not there either, and the backdoor was locked.

Rick was terrified. He ran to his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Wilson’s house. The older lady walked slowly, so she took some time before answering.

“Rick, what’s wrong, dear?” she asked when she noticed he was panting.

“Mrs. Wilson, I came back from camp, but my parents are not home…It’s up for sale!” he said breathlessly. “And I don’t have my phone because I broke it on the first day of camp. Can I please use your phone and call my parents?”

“Oh sure, dear,” Mrs. Wilson opened the door wider for him, and Rick entered. Using Mrs. Wilson’s phone, Rick called Mom and then Dad. But he couldn’t reach either of his parents.

Rick hung his head, and tears sprang into his eyes. “Did they really leave me?” he wondered aloud.

“There must be some explanation, Rick,” Mrs. Wilson consoled him.

“Then why is our house up for sale? Why can’t I reach them?” Rick argued.

Mrs. Wilson sat beside him and patted his back. “We don’t know the whole story, Rick. Let’s call the cops, and they’ll help you, OK?”

Rick nodded.

Mrs. Wilson called the cops, who arrived there in a couple of minutes. Officer Jenkins and his partner, Officer Harris, calmly asked Rick about what had happened.

“It’s strange that you’ve not been able to reach them,” Officer Jenkins said, exchanging a glance with his partner. “I think you’ll need to come with us to the station, Rick.”

Officer Harris turned to Mrs. Wilson. “Will you be coming with us, ma’am?” he asked.

“I’m afraid I can’t, officers,” Mrs. Wilson replied. “I’m not well enough to travel much. But please, take care of him.”

So Rick was alone in the backseat as the police car pulled away from Mrs. Wilson’s home.

At one point, Rick heard Officer Jenkins telling Officer Harris, “…abandoning their son…could lose their parental rights.”

“If there’s no reasonable explanation, the child’s welfare will be the court’s priority.” Officer Harris added.

Rick swallowed thickly. He hadn’t imagined his actions could potentially separate him from his family. Rick couldn’t let that happen. He had to escape the cops’ clutches, so he interrupted the cops, saying he was hungry.

“Sure, kid. You like donuts, by any chance?” Officer Jenkins asked.

“Yes, donuts would be great!” Rick replied with a fake smile. “And something to drink.”

The cops pulled over near a convenience store, and Officer Jenkins left to get Rick some donuts. But Rick’s plan would fail if Officer Harris stayed in the car, so Rick came up with a fake excuse to send him out and told the cop that he had forgotten to tell Officer Harris that he was allergic to carbonated drinks.

“Sure, kid. I’ll let him know.”

Rick got his chance as Officer Harris left the car and headed into the convenience store. He quietly opened the car door, slipped out, and ran.

Rick ran as fast as he could without looking back. Then, at some point, he spotted a park entrance and darted into the park, thinking it was a perfect spot to hide.

It was getting darker, so Rick was scared. He glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting to see the cops, but he saw no one. But just when he thought he was alone, he bumped into something hard and fell onto his backside.

When Rick looked up, he saw a tall, intimidating man in ragged clothing.

“What’s a little kid like you doing wandering around the park at this hour?” he asked in a gruff, raspy voice that sent chills down Rick’s spine.

Rick scrambled backward on the ground, then quickly stood up. Without saying a word, he turned and bolted into bushes. The branches scratched his arms and legs, but Rick didn’t care. Suddenly, he burst into a clearing and found himself facing a group of people wearing hooded cloaks.

“Get away from here, demon child!” a woman screamed, causing Rick to shudder. He turned on his heel and ran in the opposite direction.

Rick didn’t stop until he was under a bridge. Thinking it was a safe spot, he crouched down under it, exhausted after the run. He had almost drifted off to sleep when a loud voice made him jump.

“This is my spot. What are you doing here?”

A figure emerged from the dark and stood before him. Rick was relieved when he noticed it was a boy his age. But unlike Rick, this boy was wearing old and worn clothes. He held a crudely carved stick.

“I’m sorry, but I was just running from scary people in the park and thought I’d be safe here.”

“What brought you here?” asked the boy.

“My parents…” Rick sighed and told the boy everything. He probably shouldn’t have, but he really felt like talking to someone.

“I’m Sam,” the boy said. “My parents abandoned me too, but that was two years ago. I was in a foster home for a while, but the people there…weren’t kind. In the end, I decided I was better off on my own. It’s OK. You can live with me.”

Sam gathered some wood and started a fire. He then pulled out a can of beans and a loaf of bread from his bag and shared it with Rick.

“Living out here isn’t easy,” Sam said, gazing into the flames. “You have to be tough, smart.”

“I’m sure once my parents find me, they will help you, too,” Rick said confidently.

Sam shook his head. “Nobody’s coming to help you, Rick. You’ve been abandoned. You’re under a bridge, warming yourself by the fire. You almost got killed in the park. They would’ve come here looking for you if they loved you.”

Rick couldn’t argue further. They finished their meals silently, after which Sam lent him a jacket because it got too cold at night. It was worn and had a few patches sewn into it, but it felt warm.

“You can sleep there,” Sam pointed to a relatively flat area with a few cardboard pieces laid out. “It’s not much, but it’s the best spot to keep away from the dampness.”

Rick nodded and made himself comfortable on the makeshift bed.

“Tomorrow’s market day,” Sam said. “They throw away a lot of good stuff, you know, stuff that’s just a day past its ‘best by’ date but still perfectly fine. I get groceries from there.”

“Can I come with you?” Rick asked.

“Sure!” Sam shrugged.

***

The next day, Rick was awakened by Sam’s voice. “Time to go!”

Rick sat up, half-rubbing his eyes and hoping to see his parents, but they weren’t there.

“Like I told you, they didn’t come,” Sam gently reminded him.

Rick and Sam went to the market. The thought of his parents and the comfort of having privileges such as good food and a comfortable bed to sleep in occupied Rick’s mind as he shifted through the discarded food.

“See that?” Sam interrupted his thoughts and pointed to a towering fence. “That’s a storage area. I made a little entrance in its wall last month; this is our chance. The old guard is easy to fool. We can get some real food!”

“But what if we’re caught?” Rick asked.

Sam assured him they wouldn’t be caught, so Rick agreed to follow him. The two boys quickly jumped over the fence and ran to the secret entrance. Sneaking inside the storage space, Rick and Sam filled their backpack with whatever they could grab.

“Mom always told me not to eat chocolate like this!” Rick chirped, unwrapping a chocolate bar and taking a big bite. But his joy faded when he noticed Sam’s face turned pale.

Rick followed Sam’s gaze to the door slowly creaking open behind him. The two boys raced out of the storage and to the fence. Sam quickly climbed over, and Rick threw the bag over to him.

Rick was climbing over the fence when the right leg of his pants got caught in one of the spikes.

“Don’t just stand there! Help me, Sam!” he yelled.

But Sam left Rick and ran away.

Rick was caught by the guard, who called the cops on him. While he felt betrayed by what Sam had done, Rick never told the cops about Sam and said he was alone in the robbery.

“Where are your parents?” the officer asked him. “Do they know what you’ve been up to?”

Rick recalled running away from the camp after feeling alone and misunderstood. He thought he would now be subjected to juvenile detention.

But the next moment, everything changed. His parents burst into the station.

“We were so worried, Rick. The camp counselor called, and we’ve been searching everywhere for you!” Mom said, hugging him.

“We got a call from the police, and we came as fast as we could!” Dad added.

Rick felt tears well up in his eyes. “I’m glad to see you too. I thought you left me for my misbehavior.”

His parents exchanged a concerned look.

“Honey, we would never intentionally leave you. Actually, we are looking for a new home,” Mom said. “It seems you returned home when we were in another state looking at houses. I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. I should have talked to you more, heard you out. I love you so much, and I’m so sorry.”

“I love you too,” Rick replied, his eyes moist. “I’m sorry I made you worry.”

“Champ, the cops said they know you weren’t alone,” Dad told Rick. “You should let them know about the other boy.”

But Rick didn’t. Instead, two weeks later, he led his parents to the park and told them to wait. He then went to see Sam.

“You’ve come to get even, right?” Sam asked hesitantly.

Rick shook his head, a gentle smile on his face.

“Not at all,” he replied calmly. “I came to tell you that I’m not angry with you. I know life hasn’t been easy for you, and you’ve had to rely on yourself. But I want to tell you that you were wrong. My parents do love me, and they didn’t leave me.

“I want you to feel that love and care, too. I’ve spoken to my parents. They’re waiting for us right now if you’re willing to come,” he said, holding out his hand.

Sam’s heart shifted as he accepted Rick’s hand.

They walked back to Rick’s parents, which marked a new beginning for both of them as brothers.

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