Chapter 1: Desperate Hopes
page 5
In the hall, there were people, more people than normal. They were crowded around the doorway to grandmother's apartment. There was talk of missing children and possibly adoption for the boy, but the whispers said I myself was too old to be taken care of. I ignored these as much as I could and we got into the elevator.
Then a man came in a long black bag over one shoulder. The smell... it was grandmother being taken away somewhere. We took the ride down the elevator together. One last time I whispered a prayer to God to watch over Grandmother's soul, as I bid my last farewell to her. The man left first, never doing more than glance at us. I don't think he even noticed us standing there. Probably mistaking us for someone else's brats.
We left the apartment building, the bodies of the homeless who lingered like so many lost souls on the streets had been cleared away. Probably afraid of being arrested, there were police cars and a single dingy white car that the body was placed into. My brother skipped down the steps, we'd never really let him outside before. Grandmother had said outside was a dangerous world, a place not fit for young children. I worked the wagon down the steps, as I was working at I felt the load lighten.
I looked behind and froze, a young man in the foreign green peacekeeper's uniform was picking up one end, steadying it so that I could get it down the stairs. He smiled and with a heavy accent said, There you go, little miss run along to your friends and have fun now. He turned back into the apartment. I stared at his back. Never had anyone ever been so kind, I almost expected him to demand the blood, I almost wished he would. He had a cute face and he looked smart and strong.
I turned back around and there was my brother walking out infront of a speeding car. I dropped everything and shouted No! Time itself seemed to stop around me as my love for my brother superseded everything else. The car itself slammed on it's breaks and both of them looked at me, frozen in time for that one second that made itself all the difference in the world. My brother just touching the side of the car on his way across the street. The car driver having slowed just enough to barely miss my brother. I ran over and snatched him up out of harm's way.
I angrily scolded him, Don't do that again, don't you EVER do that again, that's bad, very, very bad... tears dripped down my face. I'd nearly lost my own brother I was angry at his own stupidity I was upset with myself for not watching him more closely.
I started to sob, I led us over to the wagon, I pulled out my backpack and I set him inside the wagon. He needed to be kept safe, I'd wear the backpack and pull the wagon and him in it. Anything to keep him safe. I towed the wagon, it was much heavier with brother in it and my arm ached but then grew numb. Foot infront of the other, we were leaving for the farms as Grandmother had said to. I knew it would take me longer, but that's where we were going to go. It's where we had to go.
As I pulled the wagon along, I thought of one of my early years when Grandma had me go to the schooling. Grandma had had a car back then. I'd seen her car, and had gone heedlessly rushing across the street, right out infront of a schoolbus. The crossing guard had grabbed me by the hood of my coat and pulled me out of harms way. Favor repaid I thought silently to myself. You saved me, I saved my brother. Someday, he'll save somebody too.
In the hall, there were people, more people than normal. They were crowded around the doorway to grandmother's apartment. There was talk of missing children and possibly adoption for the boy, but the whispers said I myself was too old to be taken care of. I ignored these as much as I could and we got into the elevator.
Then a man came in a long black bag over one shoulder. The smell... it was grandmother being taken away somewhere. We took the ride down the elevator together. One last time I whispered a prayer to God to watch over Grandmother's soul, as I bid my last farewell to her. The man left first, never doing more than glance at us. I don't think he even noticed us standing there. Probably mistaking us for someone else's brats.
We left the apartment building, the bodies of the homeless who lingered like so many lost souls on the streets had been cleared away. Probably afraid of being arrested, there were police cars and a single dingy white car that the body was placed into. My brother skipped down the steps, we'd never really let him outside before. Grandmother had said outside was a dangerous world, a place not fit for young children. I worked the wagon down the steps, as I was working at I felt the load lighten.
I looked behind and froze, a young man in the foreign green peacekeeper's uniform was picking up one end, steadying it so that I could get it down the stairs. He smiled and with a heavy accent said, There you go, little miss run along to your friends and have fun now. He turned back into the apartment. I stared at his back. Never had anyone ever been so kind, I almost expected him to demand the blood, I almost wished he would. He had a cute face and he looked smart and strong.
I turned back around and there was my brother walking out infront of a speeding car. I dropped everything and shouted No! Time itself seemed to stop around me as my love for my brother superseded everything else. The car itself slammed on it's breaks and both of them looked at me, frozen in time for that one second that made itself all the difference in the world. My brother just touching the side of the car on his way across the street. The car driver having slowed just enough to barely miss my brother. I ran over and snatched him up out of harm's way.
I angrily scolded him, Don't do that again, don't you EVER do that again, that's bad, very, very bad... tears dripped down my face. I'd nearly lost my own brother I was angry at his own stupidity I was upset with myself for not watching him more closely.
I started to sob, I led us over to the wagon, I pulled out my backpack and I set him inside the wagon. He needed to be kept safe, I'd wear the backpack and pull the wagon and him in it. Anything to keep him safe. I towed the wagon, it was much heavier with brother in it and my arm ached but then grew numb. Foot infront of the other, we were leaving for the farms as Grandmother had said to. I knew it would take me longer, but that's where we were going to go. It's where we had to go.
As I pulled the wagon along, I thought of one of my early years when Grandma had me go to the schooling. Grandma had had a car back then. I'd seen her car, and had gone heedlessly rushing across the street, right out infront of a schoolbus. The crossing guard had grabbed me by the hood of my coat and pulled me out of harms way. Favor repaid I thought silently to myself. You saved me, I saved my brother. Someday, he'll save somebody too.
posted by Skaldi at 7:32 AM
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