Last night the Little Guy and I had to stop by a pharmacy after his baseball game. When I was deciding where to park I noticed some people standing outside of their vehicles. One guy looked to be getting into his car, while the other lady next to him looked to be standing outside of her van. I parked one space over from the guy leaving, so that was two spaces over from the lady next to the van. I didn't pay it much more attention than that right then.
We were in the store less than 10 minutes. When we came out I noticed the guy had left, but there were more adults standing around the minivan. Hmmm...I thought. I wonder if the car is broken down. Then I noticed two little blonde-headed girls standing just outside the open sliding door of the van. One was maybe six years old and the other one younger. Hair totally dishevled, standing there patiently with small smiles watching me and my son get into our car, receiving no regard from the adults that they were with.
I noticed one man lighting up his cigarette. I noticed the same lady standing in the same spot staring inside the van, as if something was going to engage her from there. Another man, who must've been the driver, came around the back of the van lighting a cigarette. We briefly made eye contact. And another woman, with crutches was trying to get out of the front passenger door.
Then I saw all the Budweiser cans. The "tall boys". The littlest girl picked one of the empty cans up and extended it over for the staring lady to inspect. The lady yelled at the little girl something I didn't make out. We got in the car and I asked the Little Guy to hand me my phone from my purse. He knew exactly what my plan was. I immediately called 911.
I reported those idiot adults as being intoxicated with two young girls in their charge, beer cans evident throughout the inside of the van. I didn't get a plate number because of the direction I left the parking lot, but gave as much of a vehicle description as I could. The adults alone would make the scene easily identifiable if the police could make it there quickly. Hubby was on his way home from a weekend trip so when I got back home (about five minutes later) I called to tell him what I had seen and done. Amazingly enough he was exiting the main highway, not far from the pharmacy, and decided to pass by to see what I had seen. The police were there....four police cars to be exact. The adults were appeared to be getting arrested, and the little girls were being talked to by the police.
I felt bad, hoping that these poor little girls would not have to end up in a court system. I hoped that they had a nice, normal relative that could take over their care instead. But, I also thought that these little girls deserved so much more than to be passed over for a need for alcohol, or whatever else those four adults were up to. They deserved more than to be yelled at for picking up an empty beer can. They deserves to have their hair combed, to be clean and well cared for, to be taught that they are valuable and loved. I hope those little girls grow up knowing they are worth more than what those adults were doing to them. I hope they don't repeat that cycle.
I prayed for the girls, and as much as I didn't want to, for those adults.
