My Sister's Keeper

                                              

She lives somewhere on the streets of Los Angeles.  No home, no car and no job.  She has family in Philadelphia and New Jersey, but she doesn't want to come back home.   It's a day to day existence for her, trying to keep warm, find food, and avoid getting mugged.  Her 6 cats follow her wherever she goes and she sees to it that they eat before she does.    She has a husband who lives on the street, too.  He works once in a while when he's sober.  Like the very few men before him, he beats her when he's drunk.  They never had any children.  Thank God.

Not a day went by that her mother didn't worry about her.  She'd send money whenever she could, and spend all day waiting by the phone on Holidays hoping that she'd call.  Not anymore though.  Her mother died on January 28th and she doesn't even know it.   It's hard to notify someone when they don't have an address.  Her family tried to contact the lady who used to accept her mail, but she doesn't have a telephone either and she won't write back.  They asked the LA Police to stop by, and they were informed that no one was home.  The police left a note on the lady's door, but no one has called.

Linda isn't a mental patient, though I can't imagine anyone being in a sound state of mind and choosing the life that she has.  She used to be very smart and very pretty.  She had so much to offer, but... no takers.  Linda was a dancer once.  Ballet, jazz and tap.  She had a teaching degree.  She read thousands of books and was once the web master of a travel page.  Odd, that.  Linda never traveled anywhere herself.
 
Linda is my oldest sister.  We haven't heard from her in 6 months.  She never  cashed the money order that my Mom sent to her at Christmas.  The only phone number she knows is my mom's and it's not in service anymore.  My Mother moved out of her house last July and Linda doesn't even know the new address.  She couldn't contact us if she wanted to.   Maybe someone out there has seen her.  Her name is Linda Buffington.  Her husband's name is Donnie.  She's about 5'4" and weighed about 125 pounds the last time I saw her.  She had shoulder length, gray hair, and green eyes.  She is 56 years old, but she always looked younger than her age.  Her teeth are starting to decay.  She's a heavy smoker and adores cats. 

Can you help me find her?  Write to me.  Thanks.  OnMiOwnNow2@aol.com.

                                           

UPDATE:  Thanks to the efforts of the LA Police Department my sister was found and told about my mother's death.  Sadly... she won't come back home and since my mother is gone, I doubt that we'll ever hear from her again.