Denied shelter?

How could we be denied shelter?

I remember the frustrating look on my mothers face that night when we got the notice on our door. I remember us having to pack whatever we could fit in our two backpacks. I remember us having to throw out everything that was left over because we couldn’t carry it with us.

That next morning we had to get up extra early and head back to PATH.

I was so confused on why we were going back.

I was scared.

When we got back to PATH we had to do the same process over.

First we had to go through the metal detectors. We had to throw out whatever snacks we had that weren’t for my brother because PATH didn’t allow any outside food into the building for some idiotic reason.

Once we got scanned we had to give them our information again so we could get a new number:

16280.

Another long day spent in the dirty diaper smelling waiting room.

Exhausted parents. 

Children running around. 

Crying babies. 

Extreme boredom.

We were there since 9:00 AM. We were allowed to get the lunches that PATH offered. It was a doggy bag filled with a bologna sandwich, milk, and an apple. Of course these were things that I did not eat, and I was starving.

We had to step outside to go grab lunch at the Chinese place around the corner. I got my usual plain pork fried rice. My mom waited for whatever I didn’t finish to eat the rest.

After, we went back inside the building to where we had to follow the same procedures as before:

1. Go through the metal detectors
2. Give our information
3. Get a new number: 21738

It was only 4:00 PM.

Again we waited. 

And waited.

Our number wasn’t called till 12:30 AM.

We went to a room to speak to a case worker.

The same questions as always:

1. Why are you here?
2. How did you hear about PATH?
3. Where are you coming from?
4. Can you go back to your last location?

We were denied shelter! That’s why we are here! We can’t go back to our previous home because we literally could not stay there, so why the hell keep asking that pathetically stupid question?

We waited back in that waiting room for our number to be called again!

At 1:30 AM our number was called to receive a MetroCard and to go back to the shelter we were so pleasantly kicked out of.

I could already tell that things were just going to get worst from here.