Darin’s Diaries Part II: Home Sweet Home

by DARIN THOMAS

Special Contributor, Stewpot Writers’ Workshop

This submission is part of a series. For Part I of Darin’s story, click here.

Darin Thomas smiles as he answers the door to his new apartment. Photos by Jesse Hornbuckle.

In late September, I got my housing. It felt so good to move into my own apartment. It has been so long since I have had my own place. The last time was 10 years ago.

Now, I have my own privacy. I can bathe in my own bath tub. I can cook in my own kitchen. And I can get into my own bed. All of these make me feel so good, like I can start living again.

They also bring me stability. I can move around in my own apartment and do what I want to there. In prison, I obviously didn’t have that flexibility. I had to wake up every day at the same time. I had to do everything the guards told me to do. And my cell was the same size as my bathroom today. I had to share that small space with another person, too.

Having my own place gives me hope. It creates a drive within me to stay sober, use my disability to pay my bills, and find a job or businesses that will use the janitorial service I have created. All of those will help me keep my place.

I thank God for making this happen for me. Without Him, it would not have occurred. I would still have been addicted to drugs and caught up in stealing and taking things that didn’t belong to me. Those were my old ways of living. So, I give thanks that my dream has come true.

Now I can invite my daughter Shadarian and the rest of my family over to visit. My daughter and I get together and enjoy each other. She came over shortly after I moved in. She was very excited to see my place and was very happy to see me. Since then, she continues to visit. At times, we have gone out to eat to celebrate.

The rest of my family is happy for me, too. I know my two sons, Michael and Darin II, are happy for me as well. Michael is excited for me that I got out and have done the right thing.

Darin II is incarcerated, but I know this will make him want his own place. He will see that I got out of a treatment center and got my own apartment within a year.

Now my family can come over for meals and I can cook for them. Shadarian came over before Halloween and we cooked a breakfast together. We enjoyed Spanish omelettes and talked about how she was happy I had my own place to live.

My cousin Derrick visited me at my apartment before Thanksgiving. I made some dressing and got some cranberry sauce. We ate some of that before we headed to our cousin Lisa’s house for Thanksgiving. My family there was glad that I have an apartment and living on my own.

This makes me want to keep my place and live right. I have missed not having my own place, where others like Derrick can come visit me.

On Christmas, I went to my cousin’s house, we played games, and we won prizes. We had a good meal and enjoyed each other’s company.

But I loved having my place during the holidays. I could come home from family homes to my own place. I can enjoy being there by myself, although I like having people over. My best friend came over during the holidays.

I’m proud of myself for holding it down. Everything is working out for the best. I need to listen to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has made a way out of no way.  Walking with Jesus has given me back my freedom to live. Following Him has kept me off drugs and off the streets. As a result, I have been able to stabilize and move into my own place.

My home sweet home, once again.

Darin Thomas is a STREETZine vendor and a writer in The Stewpot’s Writers’ Workshop.