Sebastian: He is a person in your neighborhood

I ran into Sebastian the other day when he boarded a bus headed into the city. He was a quiet kid around five or six years old about the same age as my daughter. It was raining pretty hard that evening and the Milwaukee bus was crowded this Friday night.  He came on board with his Grandmother and I can tell right away she was intoxicated. The smell of alcohol was overpowering and her slurred speech was undeniable. Grandma was on the phone making planes for the weekend with what must have been her dealer. She was telling the person on the other end of the line that she needed to get some “bars” tonight. Then she was talking about how she’d have the money she owes when she gets her check next week but she had the money for the “bars” tonight.  Sebastian was asking a question about his mom and Grandma snapped at him for interrupting. Sebastian sat the rest of the trip quietly like he was used to this treatment. The bus turned into the terminal. Grandma was in a hurry to meet someone and then drop off Sebastian. Sebastian didn’t seem excited to go wherever they were going. He will probably be treated the same way he was on the bus and that makes me sad. Sebastian looked healthy, well fed and there was no sign of abuse but the sadness in his eyes told his story.  I can’t get this little guy off my mind and I’m not sure what I could have done, but  I did pray for him and grandma and I will continue to pray. Pray with me.