“I tried once,” she answered, voice small. “Police came. The man laughed. Said kids like me lie for cash. Told me to stop wasting time. After that…I decided I’d wait for the right person. Someone who came alone. Someone who looked like he’d lost everything.”
James swallowed hard. He pulled out his phone and made a single call—calm, precise. Minutes later, sirens wailed in the distance.
Before they arrived, he knelt in front of Elena again.
“Your name?”
“Elena.”
“Elena, you gave me back my son. I can’t ever repay that.”
She shrugged, scuffing her sandal in the dust. “Don’t need money. Just… don’t forget the other kids here. Some are hungry. Some are scared. Most just want someone to look at them like they matter.”
James nodded, throat tight. He pressed a card into her hand. “My private number. Use it anytime—for anything. And I swear to you: things are going to change around here. Starting today.”
Daniel tugged his father’s sleeve. “She shared her bread when I was sick. She’s my friend.”
James looked from his son to the girl who had shouted hope across a trash mountain. Then he made the offer quietly.