Teacher Pays Visit to Boy Who Skips School, Learns He Tends to Little Sis Alone — Story of the Day

Amelia grows worried and suspects something is wrong after one of her pupils starts skipping classes. Concerned, she drives to his house, only to discover the appalling conditions he and his sister are forced to live in.

Like every other morning, Amelia entered her classroom with a smile. But her smile quickly faded when she noticed Jimmy's desk was once again unoccupied. Amelia waited for him, thinking he might be late, but he never showed up.

"Class, does anyone know what happened to Jimmy?" she asked the students as she finished her lesson. "Anyone here who lives close to his home?"

When the kids just stared at each other and shook their heads, Amelia's worries grew. She had asked around, and she knew Jimmy was skipping other classes, too. And now, he was absent again, and she hadn't been able to reach his mother.

So, after wrapping up her classes, she looked up Jimmy's address in the student records and drove to his house. As she arrived, she found herself in front of a modest apartment building.

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Amelia held her nose in disgust as she knocked on Jimmy's door. Several trash bags with liquor bottles peeking out were left outside the door, the stench of it almost unbearable.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" she asked.

Finally, the door opened a crack, and little Jimmy peered out.

"Hi, Jimmy!" She was relieved to see him, but she grew concerned when she saw how scared and dirty he looked.

"M-Miss Torres?" Jimmy's voice shook. "I-I am fine."

"Can I come in, honey?" she asked softly. "I'd like to speak with your mother if possible. I called her multiple times, but each time it went to voicemail."

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Jimmy nodded sadly and opened the door wider. Amelia's eyes widened in horror as she stepped inside and looked around. The front table was cluttered with dirty dishes and an overflowing ashtray of cigarette buds. Liquor bottles were strewn throughout the house, and the entire room reeked of garage meat.

"That's my sister, Ava, Miss Torres," replied Jimmy sorrowfully. "She is sick, and I have to look after her…Mommy's not home."

Amelia worriedly approached the couch and placed her palm on Ava's forehead. The little girl was running a high fever.

"Have you been skipping classes to look after your sister?" Amelia asked him.

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Jimmy said he was sick, too. But Amelia knew he was lying. She had dealt with hundreds of students as a teacher, and she knew when a student was lying to her.

Deciding to confront him later and noticing Ava's condition, Amelia drove the kids to the local hospital. While they were waiting for an appointment, Jimmy told her he didn't have any money for Ava's treatment. Amelia assured him she would take care of the bills.

Seeing her kindness, Jimmy decided to confide in her and revealed his mother, Linda, was an alcoholic. She got drunk and partied without a worry, barely making time for him and Ava. Sometimes, she would disappear for days in a row, leaving Ava alone or with Jimmy.

"When Ava fell sick, I had to stay home and look after her, and I couldn't come to school," he confessed. "I'm sorry I lied, Miss Torres."

"No, Jimmy, you don't have to be sorry!" she sternly said, crouching to face him. "Your mother should be the one apologizing. I'll try my best to help you, OK? Let's get Ava to a doctor first."

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Amelia quickly got an appointment for Ava, and after examining the little girl, the doctor insisted on talking with Amelia in private.

"What's wrong, doctor?" she asked as Jimmy left. "I'm not the child's guardian, but I had to bring her here because I was the only elder around."

"Based on the reports, I believe the child has leukemia, ma'am," Dr. Warren said, sending shivers down Amelia's spine. Ava's condition wasn't too serious, but Dr. Warren advised choosing a treatment plan at the earliest.

"And h-how much would the treatment cost?"

"Say anywhere close to $100,000, but it could be more. We'll need to conduct a few more tests and wait until the results are in."

Amelia's right hand instinctively reached for the gold pendant around her neck. She didn't have the money for Ava's treatment, so she told the doctor she would talk to Ava's parents. But she wondered if Linda would care as she drove the kids home.

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As they arrived, Amelia made Ava lie on the couch and decided to prepare dinner for the kids. But when she checked the fridge, she found it empty except for a packet of stale buns and expired beans. She looked through the kitchen cupboards, but they were empty, too.

"Mommy left us some peanut butter and bread, but it ran out this morning, Miss Torres," Jimmy told her when he saw her going through the cupboards. Amelia couldn't let the kids starve, so she drove to the supermarket.

That evening, the smell of fresh lasagna and garlic bread lingered in the house after ages. "I love your cooking, Miss Torres!" Jimmy smiled as he took a big bite of the garlic bread.

"And I'm happy you two are eating a proper meal!" Amelia said. "Hey, guys, would you like to live with someone who cooks really well...like me?"

Jimmy readily said yes, but Ava wasn't happy. She burst into sobs, asking for Linda.

"But Mommy is not good for us, Ava!" Jimmy told her like a big brother.

"No!" she cried. "I-I want mommy!"

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An argument broke out between the siblings. Amelia tried to quiet them, but they weren't listening. Suddenly, the front door burst open, and everyone turned to look at Linda, who staggered into the living room, heavily inebriated.

"W-who are you…" she slurred, looking at Amelia. "What a-are you…doing with my children?" She collapsed onto the couch. "Get out of my house!" she yelled, waving her arm. "OUT!"

"So you are their mother! Do you have any idea what they are going through?" Amelia angrily approached Linda, only to be met with a stench of booze. Linda's clothes were soiled, her hair was tangled, and she could hardly stand on her feet.

"C-come here!" Linda growled at Jimmy as she managed to stand with the support of a nearby cabinet, and as the boy approached her, she started trashing him. Ava shuddered at the kitchen table. Amelia tried stopping Linda, but Linda shoved her away and out of the apartment.

"D-Don't you dare come here again!" she slurred and slammed the door in her face.

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"You can't hit your children, Linda!" Amelia screamed, but all her pleas fell on deaf ears. Amelia had to end this. So, not long after, she returned to Linda's apartment with a social worker. She had consulted a lawyer and filed for Ava and Jimmy's custody.

Amelia knocked on the door, and Jimmy answered. Linda was not home. The social worker checked the apartment and was convinced that Linda was not fit to look after her children. So, seizing the opportunity, Amelia convinced him to give her the kids' temporary custody, and he agreed.

"Jimmy, Ava, this is just a temporary arrangement, OK?" she told the children after speaking with the social worker. "We'll meet your mother in court later, and the judge will decide what happens next, OK?"

Jimmy was more than happy to go home with Amelia, and while Ava was reluctant, she nodded.

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At her home, Amelia and Jimmy were happily talking while she made dinner. "You know, Jimmy, I always wanted my own children, but for some reason, I can't have them. I'm so happy you two are here…Home with me!"

Suddenly, a soft sob distracted them. They turned to look at Amelia's living room sofa, where Ava was crying.

"Honey, are you OK?" she asked, approaching the little girl, but Ava began yelling at her.

"I hate you!" she yelled through tears. "I…I miss Mommy!"

"Honey, I told you this is not permanent!" Amelia tried to calm Ava down, but the little girl wasn't listening. Amelia finally decided to give her some space and returned to the kitchen.

After setting the dinner table, Amelia served food to Jimmy and called out to Ava. But Ava refused to eat. Jimmy even scolded her, but Ava was adamant. Amelia fixed a plate and took it to Ava, but the girl pushed it away.

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"I want Mommy!" she said stiffly.

"Well," Amelia told her. "You can't go back to your Mommy unless she learns to be a responsible parent, honey. Eat when you feel like it."

That night, Ava went to bed without dinner. Amelia lay in bed, but she couldn't sleep, worrying if the court would award her custody. When the day of the trial arrived, Amelia was nervous. Linda was neatly dressed and putting on her best face before the judge. The kids sat nervously beside Amelia in the front seat of the room.

"Jimmy, Ava, I want to hear from you both first," said Judge Bennett. "You are not under any pressure in my courtroom, so please respond honestly. Who would you choose to live with, Miss Torres or your mother? Jimmy, you can go first."

Jimmy rose and told the judge he wanted to stay with Amelia. But Ava insisted on living with Linda.

"I understand it's a difficult situation," Judge Bennett said as she looked at Linda and Amelia. "I'd like to hear from both of you why you deserve custody. But please keep in mind that the court cannot dismiss Ava's close relationship with her mother or Jimmy's preference to live with his teacher. You may go first, Miss Torres."

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Judge Bennett heard both parties and noted Linda's and Amelia's statements. Linda maintained the facade of a loving, heartbroken mother who would do anything to ensure her children had a better life. An hour later, the judge decided to give Linda a second chance.

Amelia's heart sank as she saw Linda hug her children. But she could also sense Jimmy wasn't happy. So, after leaving the courtroom that day, she drove to Linda's apartment to check on the children. But when Linda answered the door, Amelia quickly noticed a freshly opened beer bottle on the living room table.

"Stop fooling others around you, Linda!" Amelia snarled as Linda stepped in the doorway to obstruct Amelia's view. "It's about time you stopped drinking and started focusing on your children!"

"What I do with them is none of your business, lady!" Linda snapped and tried to close the door, but Amelia stopped her.

"I know you don't care about them. So tell me what I need to do to have them back!"

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"What? I don't have that kind of money!" Amelia cried.

"How about that? Sell that, and take the rascals home," Linda's gaze traveled to the pendant around Amelia's neck. But Amelia quickly covered it. It was the only thing she had of her late mother.

"I-I can't sell it!" she said, and Linda slammed the door shut in her face.

A few days passed. Jimmy started attending classes, so Amelia thought everything was fine at home. But one Monday afternoon, on a school holiday, two cops showed up at her doorstep to search her house as Jimmy and Ava were missing.

Amelia freaked out. The kids were not at her house, and nobody knew where they could've gone. Amelia couldn't keep waiting for them to show up, so once the cops left, she decided to find them on her own. She drove through town, checking eateries and playgrounds, but there was no sign of the kids.

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Finally, she decided to check the school. When she entered the basement, she found them sleeping on the floor. "Ava! Jimmy!"

Ava ran to her and hugged her while Jimmy cried silently. The kids' feet and arms were bruised and bore fresh scars.

"Mommy hates us! Can we live with you?" Ava sobbed, and Amelia didn't need to ask more to know what had happened to them. She could fight for their custody, but she wouldn't wait anymore.

Amelia drove to a pawn shop the next day and sold her mother's necklace. She received $90,000 from its sale and added $10,000 from her side, then she drove to Linda's house and gave her the money.

"Now that you have the money, stay away from Ava and Jimmy!" she said and walked away, glad that she had saved two children from a toxic home. But more than anything, Amelia was glad to have two children she'd adore as a mother.

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