Rebuilding Bridges BY VIRINCHI MADIREDDY

Amnisty strolled down the gloomy street, her footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves. The houses were plain and rundown, with paint peeling off their walls and their windows broken. It was a neighborhood that had seen better days, but now it was abandoned, left to the mercy of time and nature. Finally, she found the house she was looking for. It was two stories, with a wide front porch and a sloping roof. The paint on the door was faded, and the windows were dirty and cracked. It looked like it had not been maintained for years.

Amnisty stepped into the abandoned house, her footsteps echoing in the emptiness. The dust had settled on everything, as if time had stood still since the last person left. She brushed aside a cobweb and looked around, feeling a sense of uneasiness. This was her father’s childhood home, a place where she spent her summers with her uncle and his family.

As she walked through the empty rooms, Amnisty's eyes were drawn to the old photos in cracked frames, hanging on the walls. They made her conscious of how time had flown by but left its shadow. There were photos of two boys and their parents.

“So that's what my dad, uncle, and grandparents looked like when they were young,” she thought to herself.

She scrounged the askew cupboards and checked the empty rooms, but it wasn't until she reached the pantry that she found something interesting. There, on the floor, sat a few yellowing documents. Curious, she picked them up and began to sift through them.

Date: July 2012

This notice is sent to Edward Smith and further directed to all residents, occupants, subtenants, and any others in possession of the premises.

Property Address: 95722 Pearl Avenue 3882

Lease Start Date: 9/14/10

In accordance with your Lease and the laws of California, after service on you of this notice, you are hereby given the following instructions: (Check the Appropriate Box)

☒ - NONPAYMENT. Within 3 days, the Landlord demands the total amount due:

☐ - Past Rent: $12000 For the period of: 90 days

☐ - Late Fees: $4250 Details: 25 days late

☐ - Other Fees: $500 Details: Broken windows, cabinets

Total Amount Due: $16,750

Payment Instructions: Check or Cash

They didn’t even bother to take the eviction notice with them. The musty smell eventually overwhelmed her, and she left the deserted building, but not without a souvenir: a letter.

Later, once she was free from the horrid aroma, she uncrumpled the yellowed letter from her pocket and took a look.

“Dear Henry, I am sorry I wasn't able to move with you because I didn’t want to burden you. I was heartbroken when my wife died. I would love to meet you and your family, especially my precious niece, Amnisty. I lost my job a couple days ago, and I don’t think that I will stay in this house anymore. Well, I saved the money we got from Mom and Dad’s funeral. Hope we meet soon.

Take care, Your Brother, Edward Smith . ”

She lifted her head and gazed toward the hill with the peach blossoms where she spent her summer vacations playing as a little girl. Tears filled her eyes, dripping on the letter as she clutched it against her chest. Minutes passed before she got up and saw a cashier's check behind the letter. She blinked her eyes and gasped: $10,000. That was enough for him to stay with her dad or pay the bills.

Amnisty was determined to find her uncle. She could not forget the day her father had told her about Edward’s condition.

She remembered her father’s words, “Amnisty, I just found out that my brother - I mean, your uncle - I can’t get in touch with him anymore.” Just then Amnisty felt like an angel had whispered life’s secrets.

She dialed a familiar number, and at that moment, Amnisty felt her heart pounding faster than the ringtone. The hand in her pocket cramming the letter trembled uncontrollably.

“Hello, Amnisty. I have been expecting this call,” the voice was that of a caregiver.

“Hello there, Karen. It is a pleasure to talk to you. Is my dad available?” Amnisty inquired, hoping to have a conversation with her father.

“Mister Henry’s medical condition has shown improvement. He has asked about you several times today.” In the background, Amnisty could hear her father coughing. There was a moment of silence. “I am passing the phone to Mister Henry.”

Her father’s voice crackled over the line. “Hello, Amnisty. Have you found any information about your uncle?”

“Well, I found a letter addressed to you and it said…” she proceeded to relay the contents of the precious note.

They discussed what might have happened to Amnisty’s uncle. “Do you think he is sick? Or would he have moved out of the country?” Henry pondered.

“I think it's possible he moved out of the area,” Amnisty agreed.

“Your uncle sometimes brought up bills, jobs, and finances in general.”

Henry sighed at the thought, “I figured he was hinting at the fact that he needed money, so I always offered to help. But he would just hang up.”

Amnisty absorbed her father’s words and tried to process the implications. “Oh,” she uttered, considering the significance of what she had just learned.

“Well, I hope you uncover some more evidence, but for now I think I’m going to rest.” Henry coughed.

“Yeah alright, I’ll let Karen know if anything important happens,” Amnisty whispered, conveying her support.

“Thanks. Bye dear,” Henry concluded the call.

Amnisty took a deep breath and steeled herself for the difficult task ahead: finding her missing Uncle Edward. Despite the daunting odds, she was determined to see the search through to the end. Starting with online searches for any information about Edward Smith, she scoured the internet but came up empty-handed.

Not one to give up easily, Amnisty turned her attention to local newspapers, hoping that someone might have seen or heard something that could lead her to her uncle, but to no avail. As a last resort, she decided to report her uncle as a missing person in the hopes that someone would come forward with information.

Days turned into weeks as Amnisty searched tirelessly for any sign of her uncle. Just when she was starting to lose hope, her phone rang. It was a private investigator named Jack, who had heard about her search and offered to lend his expertise.

Jack explained that he had connections in the area and could possibly track down her uncle. Amnisty couldn't believe her luck and gratefully accepted his offer of help. With Jack on her side, Amnisty felt enlightened once more.

“So, you’re saying your father lost contact with his brother. And now you’re on a quest to locate him?” Jack questioned.

“Yeah, that’s everything.” She added “My father has lost contact with his brother and I’m now taking it upon myself to locate him. This search is of extreme importance to me, Jack. It goes beyond a simple reunion; it's about filling cracks in my family and bringing solace to my father's heart. My father would have sought to find his own brother, but because he’s burdened by his age and illness, he is unable to embark on this journey.”

A few days later, Jack called. “I saw him entering a homeless shelter and at first I thought he was living there. But then I learned he cooks meals and helps the homeless find jobs and housing. He has also been tutoring underprivileged children and organizing clean-up drives to keep the town's streets free from litter. The shelter is approximately 150 miles from your home.”

Amnisty was overjoyed and amazed with her uncle's selflessness. That night, she couldn't sleep. Pulling out her phone and watching it ring, Amnisty was eager to share her excitement with her dad. She explained everything she learned about her uncle to her father.

“Now that is impressive,” her dad chuckled.

Amnisty spent that night anxiously waiting for sunrise. The next day, she frantically got ready and raced to the train station and boarded the train. She spent the journey lost in thought, imagining what her uncle might say and how he might have changed since they last saw each other. When she arrived at her destination, Amnisty rushed towards the shelter, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation.

Edward’s mouth dropped but no words came out when he saw his niece.

As he wept, Amnisty tried to comfort him, repeating over and over again, “I am so proud of you. I am so proud of you. I’m so proud of your kindness towards the needy and helpless people.”

Edward mentioned he didn’t know how to fill the void in his life after the passing of his wife. Serving the needy made him find his purpose in life.

As Amnisty held the money toward her uncle and said, “This is yours, I want you to have it,” Edward’s eyes teared up.

As Edward’s hand gently touched Amnisty’s fingers, she felt an explosion of emotions. Amnisty looked up and saw her uncle smiling lovingly.

“I want you to have it. To impact your life, your future. Keep it. I have earned a job as a handyman, and I am pleased with my simple life,” he replied.

Amnisty sobbed as she hugged her benevolent uncle.

Later that night, Edward and Henry connected over the phone. Henry begged his brother to relocate and stay with him.

“Please, Edward. I miss you dearly and want to see that you are safe,” Henry pleaded.

“I am currently working on a big project. Thank you for your concern, but I will move back to your place when I’m ready,” Edward stubbornly replied, quickly ending the conversation.

As Amnisty worked alongside Edward for a few days, she began to see the joy that comes from helping others. There is no greater reward than making a positive impact in people's lives.

She learned that sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is simply the gift of your time and attention. So when a young girl came to the homeless shelter one day, looking lost and alone, Amnisty knew she had to help.

The girl's name was Lily, and she had been living on the streets with her mother for several months. Lily's mother had fallen ill and was unable to work, and they had been forced to live in their car, barely scraping by. Amnisty could see the fear and uncertainty in Lily's eyes, and it broke Amnisty’s heart.

Amnisty spent the day with Lily, playing games and sharing stories. She could see the girl's spirits being lifted.