Many parents believe that kids should help out around the house. From drying dishes to running errands, these chores teach kids essential life skills.
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When Officer Jones first spotted a young boy buying diapers each day, he assumed he was just helping his mom. However, as time went by, the observant police officer realized something was wrong. He had no idea that he was about to uncover a situation that would change his life.
Meet Officer Jones
Darius Jones was born and raised in Oakland, California. He grew up in a poor neighborhood and watched his community terrorized by violent crime. He decided at a young age that he wasn’t going to stand by and let it continue.
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Darius enrolled in the police academy as soon as he turned 18. Now he was 37 and a qualified police detective with the Oakland PD. Over the years, he worked on plenty of important cases, but none had impacted him as much as what he was about to encounter.
Pillar of the Community
Darius dedicated himself to his work. He didn’t have a partner or a family and worked long hours of overtime. He saw himself not just as an enforcer of the law, but a protector of the peace, and a trusted figure in the community. He wanted to be someone people could go to when they felt scared.
The devoted officer’s hard work had paid off and he was a true pillar of the community. He knew everyone in his local neighborhood by name and they respected and trusted him. But he didn’t realize he was about to stumble on something under his very nose that threatened the foundations of the society he was working so hard to protect.
Noticing Something
Although he was now a detective, Darius still liked to walk his usual beat each day so that he could keep up with the goings on in the neighborhood. Over the last few weeks, he had noticed something.
Every day at the same time, he noticed a young boy dressed in dirty clothes heading into the convenience store, at a time when he should have been in school. He wondered if the boy was simply skipping school, but something in his gut told him something else was going on. He needed to investigate further.
Buying Diapers
One day, Darius followed the boy into the convenience store, just to keep an eye on him. He assumed he’d just be buying candy or comics. But with a determined look on his face, the boy headed straight for the baby section.
He picked out the cheapest pack of diapers and some baby formula and headed to the checkout. The cashier smiled at him as if she knew him. He paid with a pile of small change, counting out pennies and dimes, snatched the items off the checkout desk, and headed out. Perhaps he was just helping out his mom, but Officer Jones wanted to be sure.
Same Routine
He made sure to be at the same convenience store for the next few days and, like clockwork, the boy appeared and bought another small pack of diapers. Close up, Darius could see that he was very unkempt and he looked exhausted. His hair was matted and there were dark circles under his eyes. Even though he was skinny as could be, Darius never saw him buy any food for himself, just baby formula.
After the boy made his purchase, he would leave quickly with his head down, not looking at anyone in the store. Apart from anything else, he clearly needed to be in school. Someone needed to intervene.
Questioning the Cashier
That day, Darius decided he needed to find out a little more about the boy who bought the diapers. After he had left the store, Darius headed up to the checkout counter.
“Good afternoon, Ma’am, I’m Detective Darius Jones and I have a few questions for you. Could you tell me a little more about the kid who was just in here? I’m a little concerned about him,” he said to the cashier. She replied that all she knew was that his name was Tommy and he’d been coming in every day for the last few months, buying diapers and leaving. He always paid in small change. She didn’t know anything else. Darius knew he was going to have to speak to Tommy.
Saying Hello
The next day, Darius stopped Tommy as he left the store. “Hey, buddy. I’m a police officer in this neighborhood and I just want to have a little chat with you,” he said. The boy looked terrified.
“Sir, I haven’t done anything, honest,” he squeaked. “I’m just buying diapers for the baby and now I need to get home. I never took anything from that store,” Tommy continued. “No no, no one’s accusing you of anything,” replied Darius in a soothing voice. “I just wanted to find out…” But the boy had already started running away, as fast as he could. Darius looked after him, feeling worried. He would have to follow him.
Tailing Tommy
Keeping a good distance between them, Darius followed Tommy. The young boy walked purposefully toward the most run-down area of the neighborhood. Darius had been called to this area countless times and he knew that some very dangerous stuff went down around here. He didn’t like to think of a child being exposed to such things.
Tommy turned around a few times during the walk, his eyes darting around. Darius could tell that he was a vigilant kid, always watching his back. He wondered what was going on in his life to make him so wary. It couldn’t be anything good.
House in Disrepair
Darius tailed Tommy until he turned into an old, abandoned-looking house. The paint was peeling and several of the windows were smashed. It didn’t look fit for habitation, but the young boy scurried up the path and unlocked the front door.
Glancing behind him, he slipped into the house, slamming the door behind him. All the curtains were drawn. Darius heard the sound of a baby screaming. That was it—he needed to go inside and check that someone was around to take care of these children. However, what he found inside made his blood run cold.
Going In
After a moment, Darius walked up the front path and knocked on the door. No one answered. He waited for a beat and knocked again. He heard scurrying feet and Tommy opened the door a crack. “What do you want?” he whispered
“Hey Tommy, would it be okay if I come in for a moment? I just want to check everything’s okay,” the officer said. Tommy hesitated and then slid the door open just wide enough for Darius to squeeze through. He looked terrified, his eyes huge in his pale face. Darius smiled reassuringly, but he could tell something was wrong. Very wrong.
Complete Chaos
Inside the house was as run down as the outside. There was hardly any furniture and the floor was strewn with rubbish. There was a trash can overflowing with dirty nappies and the smell was overwhelming.
Tommy led Darius through the dark, stuffy rooms, into a bedroom where a woman was feeding a baby. “This is my Mom, Kayla, and my baby brother Sammy,” said Tommy. Kayla looked up in shock. “Tommy, who’s this? Why is there a policeman here? What have you done?!” she asked anxiously.
Tough Times
Darius sat down on a rickety chair and introduced himself and explained why he was there. She looked a little reassured but still afraid, biting her nails and glancing at the windows. Darius asked her questions, trying to find out about the family situation.
“It’s been tough since Sammy’s dad died,” she said, her voice cracking. “I’m doing my best for the kids, but there’s no money left. I lost my job a few months after the baby was born, I couldn’t juggle everything. And now… and now…,” she trailed off, tears rolling down her cheeks. “And now?” Darius prompted, but she just shook her head. He was determined to get to the bottom of things.
Fear in Their Eyes
They all sat in the dusty bedroom a little longer, Darius gently asking Kayla and Tommy more about their lives. He learned that Sammy had a gastrointestinal condition that meant he went through double the diapers of an average 6-month-old baby. That was why Tommy was forever buying diapers. He wasn’t going to school because Kayla couldn’t afford to pay for the books, travel, and uniform.
Darius kept probing but both mother and son were cagey in their replies to him, obviously keeping something hidden. He had no idea how big of a secret they were hiding.
Something Was Wrong
Darius gave Kayla his card and said she could call him if she needed anything. He told them he would need to get a social worker involved to get Tommy back into school. Kayla looked terrified at the prospect of more involvement from the authorities.
Darius knew there were lots of people who didn’t trust the authorities, but this seemed different. As he lay in bed that night, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Kayla and Tommy were concealing something dangerous. Every time he closed his eyes, their pale, haunted faces swam into his mind. He decided he would go back tomorrow.
No Sign of Tommy
The next day, Darius waited by the convenience store to meet Tommy, but he didn’t show. He hoped the boy was just running late but after 15 minutes, he decided something must be wrong.
He walked toward the house, praying he wasn’t too late. Whatever was keeping Tommy at home couldn’t be good. Darius hoped he hadn’t made things worse by turning up at the house the day before. He quickened his pace. When he arrived and saw why Tommy hadn’t come out, he realized the family was in deeper trouble than he could have imagined.
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