there's a kid staying here who's suffering a lot. he's suffering because his close friend, a girl about sixteen, died recently in childbirth. the story was actually quite alarming but over time we began to put it together.

he was staying with us for unspecified reasons; he really didn't want to talk to us about the situation he himself was in. his mother knows he's here, and she's ok with it. he's in no hurry to leave. but one night he invited his friend's sister to come stay with us too. she had been sleeping around on couches, he said, and she ran out.

this girl is fifteen, almost sixteen, and regularly attending school, but sleeping on couches. why? she couldn't go home anymore. her mother had fallen into despair after the death of her older sister (back in early september?). she also had a brother who had died long before. for some reason the mother is so dysfunctional, the girl can't go back. or won't.

we don't always know the whole story, just from the story told by the girl, or by the boy, one of her best friends, who is staying here. according to them, the mother doesn't care. i don't believe that: what mother doesn't care about her only remaining daughter? more likely, the mother's given up. or the mother is an addict herself. or the mother is angry and the girl gets the brunt of it when she's around. i would believe all of those. i don't believe she doesn't care.

we take the girl to school days. at night she looks around the kitchen in wonder, that there's food, dishes, or maybe order. she can't stay here though; we have a house full of boys. we don't have the space. so, this is kind of a layover, a rest stop, a breather. she can spend a day in the bathroom, and then move on to her next couch.

i guess what surprises me is, if she's such an obvious candidate for foster care, why isn't she in it? surely we're not the first ones to say, this girl needs a permanent home. this to me is one more indication that we don't know the whole truth about her parents. if her mom is unable or unwilling to take care of her, they'd snatch her in a minute. if her mom was angry and refused, there'd be nothing they could do.

for whatever reason, the girl won't go home. to me, that's a trafficking risk. save that girl. but i don't know that we're in a position to do anything. hide her, maybe. she's a sweet girl.