-
"It's not a good idea", her mother said.
"Why?" her father asked.
"She will have nothing to do in New York. What she can see there?… the
smoke…the dust…the slums…such an interesting place!"
"She will see the life as it is…"
The girl was standing outside the door, listening to their discussion. She was almost 12 , and everybody called her "Pa's girl". That was the truth - now she wanted so much to travel with him…it didn't matter where…
"Well," Mother said, "but it isn't a picnic. You 're going to visit
the hospital there and to meet Dr.Warvick. And what about her?"
"She'll wait for me for a while, but later we can buy some books for her."
"Well," Mother said again "I'll agree, if you must."
The girl was so excited! Mother let her go!!! She ran downstairs,
screaming aloud:
"I'm going to New York with Pa!"
"Why are you shoutin' like a street kid?" her elder sister asked. "There's
nothing interesting there…"
"You'll never understand me!" said the offended younger sister as she went to her room
to pack…
---------------------------- New York City was more dusty, more noisy than Boston. Much more…But she was there with her Pa, and she was happy.
They came to Warvick's hospital at midday. "Don't be bored." Father told her, "I'll be back in about an hour or two."
She wasn't going to be bored - she had her new and favourite book: "The Life of David Copperfield", by Dickens, and there was more than half of it to read - it will be enough before he'll be back.
…She read all the book through…then looked around…then walked around the hall many times…About 3 hours passed! When her father discusses medical problems, he can forget about everything. She was very annoyed with him, and opened the door and walked away…
She walked slowly, looking around the street. When Pa remembers her, it will be too late to buy the books… But she can do it herself! She has some money in her pocket…or in her handbag? She stopped and opened her handbag… Suddenly she felt somebody snatch it out of her hand. It was the street kid - tall and red-haired.
"It's mine!" she cried, but the boy only laughed.
"IT'S MINE!!!" she screamed again. She pushed him furiously, but he
stopped and raised his hand against her. She was frightened, and ran
away…
She ran. .and ran…there were unknown streets around her, narrow and
dirty. The girl had no idea where she was…
She was still afraid and angry with this awful street kid.
Nobody
ever tried to beat her! She was so angry and frightened, that she couldn't
think of anything except that.
She lifted her head …and stood frozen in horror: the carriage rushed at
full speed straight towards her!
But next moment somebody's hand pushed her out of the way. She fell on the ground,
but quickly stood up looking on her savior …This was a boy about her
age, his bright-blue eyes looked at her with anger and concern at same
time:
"Hey, you," he said, "Do you really want to die? Next time look
where you're going!"
Obviously, he also was a street kid - his clothes looked old and torn,
and his hair was too long and disheveled. But she wasn't afraid of him…
"Are you lost?" he asked.
"No. I'm…I'm just walkin' around…"
"Here?" he wondered, "Around the docks? It's a bad place for girls
like you…And you look very upset…"
"You're right," she sighed, "I've lost my way"
Now he looked on her sympathetically, and she got angry again:
"I don't need your sympathy. One of your friends stole my handbag…"
"Do you remember - what he looks like?" he asked.
She shut her eyes, trying to remember
"He was tall…red wavy hair…blue jacket, too large for him…"
"That's Will," the boy said and then took her hand: "Let's go!"
"Where?" she released her hand. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to give you back your stuff.…Let's go!"
She shrugged her shoulders but followed him obediently…
"Somebody must be looking for you." he said. "You're not from around
here?"
"I'm from Boston, I'm here with my Pa. He's a doctor…And what about
your family?"
"I have no family," he answered shortly, and she felt that it was time
to change the subject: "How can you get my bag? This guy is too big! I
tried to push him…"
"You tried to fight with him?" he smiled, "You're a brave girl."
"My favourite book is in my handbag, it's my gift from Pa. I don't
want to lose it."
"Don't worry," he said…
She didn't worry anymore. He was just a boy her age - but she felt like she was under reliable protection.
The place where they came was very unpleasant. Great heaps of boxes and
dirty sacks were scattered all over, and she was sure that she saw a big
rat, passing by.
There was a little crowd of tattered boys and girls of different ages
sitting there around the fire, and her red-haired offender was amongst them.
"Hey, Will, can you come here for a minute?" the boy asked.
"What do you want?" said Will unfriendly .He still held her bag.
"Give this back to her…"
"WHAT?! You're crazy? It's more than three bucks, it's enough for two
days!"
"Give it back," the boy repeated, "You've frightened her. Will, it's
not right for the men to rob the girls…"
"I thought you were one of us," Will said.
"I am. But I ask you - give it back. I'll take care of todays
meal…promise."
"You're exactly crazy" Will poked her the bag and turned away…
"He wanted to sell your bag and to buy some food for the whole band," the
boy explained.
She was very ashamed…They are hungry…it's awful…She wished she would have thought
better before..
She took off her bracelet:" I'm sorry, I didn't know! I didn't want to
lose Pa's gift, but ..but take this! It's more expensive…"
The boy shook his head stubbornly: "No. Take it back. I'll find a
way."
But she was stubborn too. "If you don't want it - I have some money…"
"No!" he said again.
"I want to give everybody a treat," she declared, "because.. because I'm
hungry too… I'm hungry too… I haven't eaten anything since early this morning.
I'll buy something…wait!"
Thirty minutes later she sat among those street kids by the fire,
holding the rumpled tin cup with hot tea. It was not so clean, but she
drank her tea with fortitude, trying not to look inside the cup.
She
bought some wheat bread and ham, and all the band enjoyed the fresh
meal. Probably, she was happy too…and she wasn't afraid of them anymore.
But then she heard the clock's beat…It was 8 p.m.!!! She jumped up from
the box she was sitting on:
"Oh, my God! My father…"
"Where is he?" her new friend asked.
"He is at the Hospital. It's a large yellow building, and there's a
church near it…"
He nodded: "I know the place. I'll show you the way."
She shook about a dozen dirty hands and then followed her acquainted
boy.
Finally she noticed the hospital building and her father who looked very
nervous running to and fro…
"Thank you" she said.
"You're welcome," the boy answered "It's a pity that you have no other
books…Nobody reads books at the docks. I miss reading…"
"You can read?" she wondered.
"Yes. My Ma taught me…" he quickly turned away, but she noticed that
his eyes were full of tears, "Here is the Hospital. Bye."
"Wait! - she said, "Take it!"
"No," he refused, "it's your father's gift"
"Take it…please," she asked, and he gave up:
"Thank you…Look- your father's calling you!"
Her father ran toward her: "Praise the Lord!" he cried at first…
"Where were you?" he asked a moment later very angrily.
"I'm sorry, Pa! Forgive me, please…I lost my way, and… " she turned
back but the boy had disappeared…She didn't even ask his name!
"Next day they left New York. She decided not to tell her parents about her adventure, or that she spent time with the street kids. It would be too much for her mother, and father was still angry at her…
She remembered this case for a long time, but the years passed, and finally she forgot it…
- ----------------------------
Michaela smiled at her memories, looking at Brian's bookshelf…She
remembered all this again, when she found this book - "The Life of David
Copperfield" by Charles Dickens…
Why hadn't she remembered it before? Why had she never told Sully about it - he
lived in NY in his childhood…like this street kid who helped her…
She feverishly tried to remember the features of this street kid with
unusually good manners and bright blue eyes… When she met Sully the
first time, she thought, that she had only seen such an eye colour once
before, but couldn't remember where…Why had she never remembered it before?!
When Sully comes back from the National Park, she will ask him one
question…
But just now she's sure that she knows the answer…