"Almost Home" Blog 5

This chapter of the book told the story of a teenager named Creionna; a homeless mother and Hurricane Katrina refugee. At the age of 18, she had her first son, a baby named Dominic. For Creionna, odds literally couldn't have been less in her favor. After earning a high school diploma after she became a mother and had to care for Dominic at such an early age, Katrina hit. While getting back on track after such a tragic natural disaster would be both saddening and extremely difficult for anyone, doing so for an 18 year old girl with no job, source of income, and little life experience was virtually unimaginable. In addition, the storm had wiped out all affordable housing along the coast of Louisiana (her only living options there,) and all rents were increased by up to 50% elsewhere. However, despite these arduous circumstances, Dominic became her inspiration to improve her life and therefore his as well. One day, she received both good and bad news in a phone call - that her father was finally released from jail, but also that her sister had suffered both a stroke and a heart attack. She felt it was her job to take care of her, so Creionna moved back with her father. To her surprise, new neighbors had came - an older family with a son named Rashad. She found him attractive, and decided to get to know him more. It turned out that he had been through other rough circumstances involving drugs, and wanted to get back on his feet along with her. The two started minimum - wage jobs, and are now attending college together in hopes that they can provide better lives for themselves and their children.