The loss or gain~

Florence soon settled into the lonely life of not having a mother, her father was still a great deal abusive but he was barely home now. And the neighbors did the best they could each trying to out do the other. Each trying to be the headline in the next Sunday sermon, for the pastor always preach about helping neighbors and poor orphans weather it was in reference to her or her situation Florence did not know but she was no orphan no not yet at least. This was a great deal in the community for many tried to out best the other and win the top spot every Sunday just for the show of it. Not that they really cared for these orphans or their poor neighbors only a few really ment for good others were just for eye service.

Florence was gradually adjusting and advancing in age and mind she was soon used to the rough of life. She tried very hard to continue her school, every evening she would go on one errands or the other or she would go on begging in the street, sometimes she was lucky sometimes not. Although everyone was ever ready to help as she was such sweet girl that she even received a scholarship at the sisters school.

Every evening she would go out into the street to beg, her drunken father would sometimes collect her proceedings for the day leaving her with nothing for many days only if not for the goodness of neighbors she would have surely died from starvation.

This habit of her father grew so worst that he was always demanding for money and of course when refused would beat and threaten the poor girls life. She was soon seen wholeheartedly to give out her possession for he was her only family and she loved him dearly. Although he would often times go rampaging and ransacking her little box for the little money, when non was found he would confront her with slaps and wailing.

Many times the neighbors threaten to report him but he would reply them that they dare not teach him how to raise his child. They soon hold their peace fearing for the poor girls life.

Florence was now about 11years old having been living alone for six years on the street with out a mother she was now already used to the hard way of the street. She attended the sisters school for she had gotten a scholarship. She went about her business happily and briskly for she was contented with all she had.

Now her father abuses had gotten more and more gruesome and he had gotten more and more drunk he had gotten quite to frustrated that he had demanded more and more money from Florence, for without his drinks he was more of a mad man than normal. He was the talk in every gossip at the bar or at the gambling room even on the street and he could swear he heard murmuring from his neighbors children. Some would say he was a poor poor fellow, others would say oh me he was abandoned by the woman, there was one about him being lazy which was true as everything else was in fact. He would come back home drunk murmuring abuses on Florence and her mother for his misfortune. He would lash and abuse and hit Florence weather it be that dinner was not served upon his arrival or that he had knocked twice. This was so disheartening that neighbors feared the poor girl might run away too. But to where Florence vowed to keep the house and to stay for as long as she could for where was she to run to, she knew not of any relatives nor friends. It was only her father and the little house and that was soon short lived.

Florence father's excessive drink continued and one faithful day he met his end.

Florence had just returned from school and was preparing to go to mrs dipson house to help her with chores, when the tragic news of her father death was brought to her by one of their neighbors who had a stall by the big road. Her father was ran over by a big truck, he was on one of his drinking spree in the early hours of noon when he crossed the road unsuspecting for he was heavily drunk.

The truck driver couldn't stop the big vehicle on time and so he ran over the drunk man. Such disastrous end for a human, how painful and sad.

That I would say was the tragic end of the drunk man much to the relief and disappointment of his neighbors for he was a such pain.

The death of her father dealt a big blow on Florence. He was the only family and relatives she knew.

Florence could not see the body of her father when she was taken to the towns mortuary for it was a painful and terrible sight to behold.

After some regularity and some commemoration Florence father was buried in the town's cemetery.