A young teen age boy walking along the street crying in deep, heavy sobs. He was hunched over to hide his face as he walked along the sidewalk. I ask, "Young Man, what is wrong? I will try to help all I can.."

"No one can help," He answered.

"I have found that talking to someone often helps," I said. "Even a total stranger because a stranger doesn't know your troubles and will listen to you."

"My Daddy just beat up my Mama, and I hit my Daddy with a ball bat and I think I killed him. So I have to go away before the police take me to jail."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know. I just have to run forever."

I put my arm over his shoulder and said, "Running is not the answer. When did all this happen?"

Just now. I didn't want to hurt Daddy. I just wanted him to stop beating Mama."

"Where do you live?"

"There," he said, pointing with outstretched arm.

"Perhaps your Dad is not hurt to badly so you should try to get someone to help him. Do you want me to call for some help?"

With this the young man threw his arms about me and cried, "Please help Mama and Daddy. They are both hurt real bad."

I walked the young man to a public telephone on the corner and dialed 911. The young man took the telephone from my hand and told the Emergency operator what had happened. Within minutes the air was filled with the sounds of wailing sirens. Police cars were everywhere.

The police broke open the door to find this young man's mother dead from knife wounds and his Father dead from a blow to the back of his head.

Several years have passed since that awful night. I lost track of the young man, since he was sent to live in foster homes. Then something happened to rock my memory back to that terrible evening.

The thud of the evening paper brought me struggling to my feet. I picked it up and peeled the rubber band off. There on the front page was the picture of a young man who had just been appointed to a high cabinet post in the County Government. He was to be Head of the Family Crises Board. His life story was printed there for all to see. He told about a stranger who stopped and helped when the entire world was turned up side down. He said that he never knew who that man was, but wanted the world to know that he loved him.

If I do nothing else in my life, thank God I lived!

--- Tom Nance