Thanksgiving Feast

Within the days that followed the news concerning the accident, Gloria lost the will to survive in the life she once knew with her family. With the support of her parents and in-laws as well as the members of her church, she managed to get through the funeral. In the weeks that followed, friends and co-workers visited Gloria, but eventually she refused to answer the door.

She had stopped eating, surviving on coffee and crackers, just enough to get by. She couldn't force herself to get out of bed in the morning and eventually lost her job. Without a job, the money she and her husband had saved was spent quickly just paying what few bills she managed to pay. She soon found herself bankrupt and the mortgage company foreclosed on her condo.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but if you had children living with you there would be more I could do for you," the agent said in an insincere tone as he handed her the eviction papers.

At this point Gloria was in such a deep depression, the thought of fighting to keep her home and file for bankruptcy never entered her mind. Her only words to the agent that stood before her were, "You bastard! If I had my children here with me I wouldn't be in this situation. I would give anything to have them back with me, but they’re dead and my husband, their father, died with them six months ago."

When those words rolled off Gloria's lips, she fell to the floor, doing the only thing she'd been able to do in the past six months, sob. She cried for hours and then it was as if she knew she had no other choice as she pulled herself up, walked to her room and grabbed her duffle bag from the closet. She tossed in some clothes and undergarments.

She walked to her dresser and grabbed the photo of her family, and placed it in between her clothing to keep it safe. She grabbed a few personal items from the bathroom and before she walked out of the front door, she placed her keys on the counter. She took one last look around, walked out the door and closed it quietly behind her. In a daze, she left everything else behind and just began walking.