Lost and Found

    By Storybird

    Lost and Found cover image

    28 Nov, 2023

    a boy standing on a street with a lot of trash in the background and a car parked on the side of the road

    I'm Aldo Burrows, but everyone calls me AJ. I’ve been living with my granddad since I was 10, after my older siblings, Lincoln, Michael, and Sara, died in a tragic accident. My parents, Cristina and Aldo Burrows, promised to visit me yesterday, but they didn’t show up. It felt like another blow in a life already filled with too much loss.

    a man in a suit and tie standing in front of a desk with two children and an adult in a classroom

    Today, as I walked into my history class, I was shocked to see a familiar face at the front of the classroom. My dad, who I hadn’t seen for years, was standing there with a roll of names in his hands. His voice echoed through the silent room as he called out my name, "Aldo Burrows."

    a group of children sitting at a desk with books in front of them and a man standing in front of them

    "Yes," I responded, my voice barely above a whisper. I could feel the weight of my classmates' curious gazes. The rest of the class was a blur, my mind filled with questions. Why was he here? Why now?

    three boys in a school room with a desk and books on it, and a boy in a suit and tie

    After class, I approached him. "Da, why did you and Ma abandon me after they died? Why leave me with granda? It feels like I lost my entire family, not just Mike, Linc, and Sara," I said, my voice trembling with suppressed anger and hurt.

    a man standing in front of a group of children in a classroom with a book and pen in his hand

    He looked at me, his eyes filled with pain. "Your mother is here too," he said quietly. "She's the new principal." My heart dropped. They were both here, and they hadn't even told me.

    two children sitting at a table with books and pens in front of them, looking at each other, with papers on the table

    The next day, I decided to act up in every class except history. I wanted to see my mother, even if it meant getting in trouble. I was sent to the principal's office after locking my maths teacher, Mr. Haywood, out of the classroom and clingfilming the door.

    a girl and a girl sitting at a desk with books and pencils in front of them, and a girl standing over them

    When I walked into her office, she looked up, surprised. "Why are you here, what did you do?" she asked. I explained what happened, and she sighed, "Sit down. I'm new, so who are you?"

    a woman and two children sitting at a table with books and papers in front of them, with a clock in the background

    I looked at her, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm your son, Ma." Her eyes widened, surprise, and then sorrow flashing across her face. "Aldo, you're a good kid," she said softly.

    a boy in a suit sitting at a desk with a pile of books and a girl standing behind him

    I stood up abruptly, feeling a surge of anger. "Fuck you, and fuck dad too," I spat out, then stormed out of her office. From that day, I started getting detention every day, for no reason at all.

    a man in a suit and tie holding a cup of coffee in a street with buildings in the background

    The days turned into weeks, and my relationship with my parents remained strained. I couldn't understand why they left me, why they abandoned me when I needed them the most. I was lost, and I didn't know if I would ever be found.

    a boy and a girl sitting at a desk with books and papers in front of them, and a boy in a suit and tie

    One day, after another pointless detention, my mother called me into her office. "We didn't abandon you, Aldo," she said, her voice filled with regret. "We had our reasons, but we realize now that we were wrong."

    a man standing next to a group of children in a living room next to a window with a picture of a man on it

    I looked at her, my anger slowly giving way to confusion and curiosity. "What reasons?" I asked, bracing myself for the truth.

    a woman and a child sitting at a table with papers and a pen in front of them, looking at a book

    "We were scared, Aldo," she admitted. "Scared of losing you too, after your siblings. We thought you'd be safer with your granddad. But we were wrong. We should have been there for you."

    a group of people in a classroom with a boy in a suit and tie standing in front of a chalkboard

    I felt a myriad of emotions; anger, sadness, relief. They hadn't abandoned me out of neglect, but out of fear. It didn't make everything right, but it was a start. A start to understanding, to healing.

    a group of children sitting at a desk with books and papers in front of them, with a teacher standing behind them

    In the following weeks, we started talking more. We shared our pain, our regrets, our hopes for the future. It was hard, but it was necessary. We were all lost, and we were finding our way back together.

    a boy in a suit and tie sitting at a desk with a book and pen in front of him

    One day, as I walked into history class, my dad looked at me and said, "Aldo, I'm sorry." It was the first time he had apologized, and I could see the sincerity in his eyes.

    a group of people standing around a desk with books on it and a man in a suit and tie

    I nodded, acknowledging his apology. It wasn't easy, but I was willing to give them a chance. We were a broken family, but maybe, just maybe, we could piece ourselves back together.

    a group of children sitting at a table with books and drinks in front of them, with a boy reading a book

    As the school year progressed, so did our relationship. We started spending more time together, slowly rebuilding the bond we had lost. It was a long and difficult process, but we were committed to making it work.

    a group of people standing around a table with books on it and a boy in a suit and tie

    Despite everything, I was grateful for the chance to reconnect with my parents. I realized that even though they had made mistakes, they were human. They had their flaws, their fears, and they were trying to make amends.

    a group of people sitting at a table with books and pencils in front of them, with a boy in the middle

    My mother stopped giving me unnecessary detentions, and my father started spending more time with me outside of class. We were slowly starting to feel like a family again.

    a family of three standing in a cemetery with a cemetery in the background and a cemetery in the foreground

    One day, I found myself standing in front of the grave of my siblings. I was no longer alone. My parents were standing beside me, their hands holding mine. We were united in our grief and in our love for each other.

    a family of four standing in front of a house in a cartoon style, with a man in a suit and tie

    It was a long journey, filled with pain and heartache. But we were making progress. We were finding our way back to each other. We were lost, but we were slowly being found.

    three children in suits and glasses sitting at a desk with a book and a camera in front of them

    The school year ended, and I found myself standing at the front of the classroom, receiving an award for academic excellence. My parents were in the audience, their faces beaming with pride. It was a moment I would never forget.

    a man and two children sitting at a table with books and a dog in the background, with a man standing behind them

    As I looked at them, I realized something. Family isn't just about being related by blood. It's about being there for each other, through thick and thin. It's about forgiveness, understanding, and love.

    a man and two children standing in front of a blackboard with a chalkboard in the background and a woman holding a child

    We had been lost, but we had found each other again. We were a family, broken and imperfect, but a family nonetheless. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged. I was finally home.

    Lost and Found

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