Oasis

• Jazmyn Warzywoda, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2010

Oasis
Hi my name is Andrew Harris and this is my story. It’s about how I became homeless. I became homeless because I could not get along with my mum. With constant fighting and abuse from my mum and my step father. One Sunday night in May I was watching TV and my mum was drunk and started to go off her head at me for no reason, I thought to myself “not again”. After about half an hour of her yelling at me she finally kicked me out.

I first went to a friend’s house to stay but he said I could only stay for a couple of days. I stayed at tom’s place for two weeks then I had to move on because of my drinking habits and I couldn’t pay the rent. Tom had, had an enough so it was time to move on to David’s place. I was at David’s place for 3 days before I got into a fight with David’s dad because I came home drunk. David told me about a tempory youth accommodation at horizon house in Mitchell Street. Because of my drinking problem I was not allowed to stay but on staff member got me room for the night at st Lukes in Mundy Street.

When I was staying at st Lukes shelter I continued drinking further and more and more every day. I was kicked out of the shelter because of my alcohol abuse and abusing the staff. I felt that no one in the cared if I lived or died. I was so depressed and kept thinking about committing suicide. On one of my lowest days I tried to hang myself but the rope broke all that I felt was my body hitting the ground and thinking I couldn’t even do that right. I was found by reverend smith he took me to the hospital and I was treated for rope burn and had BAC of 0.25.

After I was discharged from the hospital reverend smith took me to a rehab clinic. At first I didn’t want to go but I know I had to. I struggled with the program at first but what kept me at rehab is the thought that I am doing the thing that I hate about my mum and how I don’t want to be like her. I met a girl while I was at the clinic going though the same things I was. Ash and I became good friends while in the clinic we also became support for each other. After I got out of rehab I looked around and found a job with a construction company. I saved some money and started to rent a house with Ash.
By Jazmyn Warzywoda