OUT COLD

     Some things in life you would like to forget you had any knowledge of or was any where near the situation to begin with. As a young man, I had an occasion to be living with perfect strangers. I was a prize dancer in a group that would remain nameless to avoid issues. Nevertheless, in this home I had some things shared freely and most things were not. I kept my distance, and conducted myself so as to stay out of the line of undue trouble.

   In this home, it was not uncommon to have little kids roaming through the house, and now and again left unattended to. The layout of he house was such, it was relatively safe. Except it was nestled on the second floor of a three floor building. We were smack dead between two floors. Because I lived too far away as a dancer for the group and my presence was of such, it was required I be there at any cost, arrangements were made for me to stay with a family that tolerated my being there.
     Of those things that were shared freely, I partook with ease and comfort, those things that were not, I stayed away from with little effort. One of them were the kids. I stayed away from the kids, for no one hated to hear a kid cry worst then me, and to be the cause of one crying for me was even worst. But every now and again, trouble can corner a young teenage boy on all sides.
     One day all of the adults had reason to leave on short notice, and that left only three teenagers and a toddler in the house. Now this was not a real problem for one of us was a young able girl, who was as feisty as three teenage boys by herself. She took command of the toddler, but he a had  mind of his own and had time and ability to prove it. She followed behind him and he gave her reason to do so. Until the both of them ended up in my spot. Now i did my best to stay out of trouble mainly because i was a permanent guest in the house, and being invisible was my ammo. Now here comes this kid out on the porch where I was with the house pet.  Me and the dog, had dibs on the porch, and since I was but a step a head of him being human, he had his own bowls for both food and water, which gave me doubts about my bid for first place ahead of him. Nevertheless, here we were outside spending time together, when this kid shows up, climbing on the rails of the apartment.
     The first time the kid got up on the rails, I called out as if the kid was dying of first degree burns in a major fire. The whole house of kids came running out along with a few neighbors to see who had died, and low and behold only the dog was the better for all the commotion. As I said, trouble and me has many issues. So I get back my composure, and take back my position on the couch on the porch next to the dog,  And again, here comes this kid to climb up on the rails causing the dog to think today was his lucky day, for he well knew someone would come out and save the child and in so doing pet him a bit more. Sure nuff, feisty momma girl comes out shouting commands for him to get down, but the boy child dismisses her with a bag of feisty of his own. Now this went on for some twenty plus minutes, till I could take no more. I had a feeling he would fall and that fall would prove reason enough for him to mind his elders, with a few lessons added. Just then it happened, I heard a thump, I did not raise my head to inspect but just waited for the cry and nothing. I waited and waited till a loud scream sent out an alarm louder then my fire drill. The child had fallen over the balcony to the lower level and was out cold.