“No. Nobody has reported any missing teenagers that fit her description and she didn’t have any identification on her, so we don’t know where to find her next of kin,” a different voice replied.
A moan escaped my lips as I forced my eyes open. After blinking a few times, I was able to focus better. I was lying in a stiff bed in a small room. I noticed that I wasn’t cold for the first time in months. I was so used to waking up shivering in an abandoned building, that being warm was quite the opposite.
Suddenly, a panicked voice came from beside me. “Oh! Nurse! She’s awake!”
I shifted my gaze to the side and saw an older lady with snow-white hair and blue eyes full of worry sitting beside my bed.
She saw me looking at her and she smiled gently. “How are you feeling?
Who was this woman? Where was I? “My head hurts,” I answered, my voice hoarse.
“Hi there.” I forced myself to turn my head so I could see who else was in the room. A plump lady wearing blue scrubs was checking on some machines that were next to me. She had a round face and wore her obviously dyed hair back in a ponytail. “My name is Cindy. Can you tell me yours?”
“Where am I?” I asked.
“You’re in the hospital. Do you remember the accident?”
I thought back to the last thing I remembered. I was walking to 34th Street. I had wanted to see the Macy’s Christmas decorations. But, I hadn’t made it. I was on the corner, getting ready to cross the street, when a car had come towards me.
I nodded. “A car hit me.”
“That’s right.”
“I’m so sorry, dear,” the older lady said. “I lost control of the car.”
“You were driving?”
She nodded. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Yes. I hope you don’t mind that I stayed. I wanted to be with you until your family got here.”
“Oh,” I said, casting my eyes down. Sadness entered my heart. There was nobody to come for me. My mother had died when I was little and my father ran off even earlier than that. My grandmother raised me and since she had passed away six months ago, I had been living on the streets of New York City.
They were both staring at me and I wasn’t sure how to respond. My head was killing me and the rest of my body wasn’t doing any better.
“Do you remember your name?” the nurse asked. “You suffered from a concussion.”
“Chloe.”
“That’s a beautiful name,” the older lady said. “I’m Violet.”
“Do you have a last name, Chloe?” Cindy asked.
Of course, I did. Not that it mattered. There wasn’t anybody to call. “Matthews.”
The nurse nodded as if to say now she’d get some answers. “I’ll make some phone calls.” She hurried out of the room.
Violet stroked my hair. “I’m sure someone will be here soon.”
I knew nobody would. “Thanks…for staying.”
“Of course, dear. What were you doing in the city by yourself?
“Just seeing the Christmas decorations.”
“They are beautiful.” She had a faraway look in her eyes.
Violet and I stared at the silent television hanging on the wall, lost in our own thoughts.
Cindy walked back in. “I haven’t been able to reach anyone. Do you have some numbers I can call?”
“I should go,” I started to sit up. The room began spinning.
“Chloe, you can’t go anywhere right now. You have a concussion and a broken leg.” Cindy gently pushed me back into bed.
Broken leg? I looked down at my legs. Sure enough, one of them was in a cast. “I need to,” I told the nurse, raising my voice.
“Why?” Violet asked.
“I…I…can’t pay to be here.”
“Don’t worry about that, dear. I’m paying for your hospital bills. You’re here because of me.”
A huge sense of gratitude came over me. Tears sprang to my eyes, which made my head hurt even more. “Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. Finally, I closed my eyes and said, “I’m so tired.”
“Rest. I’ll stay here until your family comes.”
I wanted to tell her that nobody was coming, but I didn’t want her to leave. She reminded me of my Grandma and I wanted to hang onto that as long as I could. I snuggled up with the blanket enjoying the warmth, and easily surrendered to the sleep.
* * *
Voices woke me again. “I can’t believe nobody has come. It’s been two days. Someone must be missing her.”
“I can’t find anyone. There’s no address for her anywhere.”
“Maybe she’s from out of town?” Violet suggested.
“We’re checking on that too.”
I heard footsteps come further into the room and a chair slide against the floor next to me. I opened my eyes and looked right into Violet’s.
“Your food is here. Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She wheeled the tray table over. The food didn’t look too appetizing, but my stomach was rumbling. I ate everything quickly. Violet watched me, her eyes curious. I slowed my chewing down and swallowed.
“Chloe…we can’t get a hold of your family. Are you from the area? Or were you here visiting?” she probed.
I hesitated. “Brooklyn.”
“Do you have a phone number?”
I looked down at the last bite of food on my fork. “No.”
“How about an address?”
Avoiding her eyes, I shoved the fork in my mouth and started chewing. She was obviously waiting for an answer. I swallowed and said, “I don’t have one.”
She nodded, almost like she knew that was coming. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” She stood up and left the room.
I fiddled with the tray table in front of me and realized the drawer pulled out. I opened it and a mirror popped up. I stared at my reflection for a while noting the dark circles around my cinnamon-colored eyes. I had a cut on my lip and a bruise on my right cheek.
“Your hair reminds me of my granddaughter’s,” Violet said from the doorway.
I ran my hand through my long mahogany hair. It used to be so pretty and wavy, and now it just fell flat. “How old is your granddaughter?”
Violet glanced out the window. “Fourteen.”
“She’s lucky to have a grandma like you.”
Violet smiled sadly. “Thank you. Chloe, can you be straight with me? Where do you live?”
It was my turn to look out the window. “Out there.”
“Out there? You mean the city?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Do your parents live out there too?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Where’s your mother?”
“Dead.”
“Father?”
“Ran off when I was real little. I don’t remember him.”
She took a few steps closer. “Who raised you?”
I smiled remembering grandma’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, her beautiful paintings, and her giant bear hugs. “My grandmother.”
“How do we get in touch with her?”
I looked down at my hands. “You don’t. She died last summer.”
“Oh.” Violet sighed. “What happened?”
Looking into her eyes, I felt like I could tell her. “She got sick. It came on fast and before I knew it, she died. I…I’ll be eighteen in a few more months and I didn’t want to go into foster care, so I left.”
“You left? You mean you’ve been living on the street by yourself?” She sat down in the chair again.
“Yes.”
“Oh you poor dear. There’s no other family?” she asked.
“No.”
Violet took a deep breath. “You’ll be okay,” she said making the effort to sound reassuring. “Why don’t you rest? I’ll be back in a little.”
After she left, I thought about my grandma. I didn’t even have a picture of her, but I could remember her kind eyes and loving smile. She loved me no matt
er what…even when I got suspended from school for fighting. Grandma believed in me; she knew I’d only hit back to defend myself. And then there was the time a boy was pushing me to go too far. When she found out, she confronted the boy and set him straight.
Tears ran down my cheeks again. I missed her so much. Life wasn’t fair. First my parents, then my grandmother, and now this accident. My leg was hot and itchy. I sat up and tried to get my finger down far enough to reach my itch, but I couldn’t. “UGH!” I yelled frustrated.
Cindy popped her head in. “Everything okay?”
“It itches!”
She smiled sympathetically. “I know. You have to try to redirect your mind.”
I rolled my eyes. Seriously? I’d like to see her try and redirect her mind. “How long will I have to wear it?”
“At least six weeks.”
Six weeks? My mind raced with potential problems. “Will I get crutches?”
“Yes.”
I thought about that. How was I going to get around New York City in crutches? Crutches wouldn’t do well on the ice out there or in the building where I had been staying. What was I going to do? I wouldn’t be able to fight off someone if I was attacked. Six weeks…what was I going to do for six weeks?
“Do you have any other questions?” Cindy asked, still hanging out in the doorway.
“Uh…how long do I have to stay here for?”
“Another day or two.”
“Okay.”
“Yell if you need anything.” She turned and left.
One to two days of warmth and food, then I’d be back out on the street. Maybe I could hide some food to take with me. They had packages of crackers and those silly juice cups. It would help for a couple days.
* * *
Later that day, the hospital had me stand up and start using the crutches. It took me a while to get the hang of it. It confirmed my suspicions that getting around the city would not be easy.
Just as I got back to my room, a neurologist and orthopedist came to check on me. The neurologist, Dr. Vaughn, examined my head and asked me if I had any dizziness or vision problems. The orthopedist, Dr. Grim, took a look at my leg and repeated what the nurse had said about it taking six weeks to heal.
As they went to leave, Dr. Grim said, “Merry Christmas, Chloe.”
Christmas…I had been headed to see the beautiful Christmas decorations Macy’s puts up every year when Violet had hit me with her car. Looking at the white board hanging on the wall, I noticed the date. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve.
Cindy came in to check on me a while later. “The doctors are releasing you tomorrow. Are you sure there isn’t anyone we can call?”
“No.”
“I have a call into child services.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but decided against it. I could sneak out tomorrow morning after another meal and a warm night. Violet didn’t come back that evening. Guess knowing she had stayed around for nothing was enough for her. I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to get involved with anyone like me either.
I slept peacefully that night and at the first sign of daylight, I stood up and looked around the room. In one of the drawers there was a plastic bag to put personal belongings in. Taking it out, I started filling it up. I put a towel, a washcloth, and as much food as I could in it.
I had to rip one leg of my pants to get them on. I wasn’t sure what I’d do for clothes when I was able to get the cast off.
Right after breakfast, I fumbled around with the bag and crutches. Carrying something while using crutches was ridiculous. I made it to the elevator and I went downstairs to the main floor. A huge, completely decorated Christmas tree stood in the center of the front window. At least I got to see one tree this season. There was no way I was going to make it to Rockefeller Center with these crutches.
I was almost out the door when Violet walked in. “Chloe! Did they release you already?”
“Um…no.”
“No? Then why are you…” she paused. “Where are you going?”
I bit my lip. “They were calling child services…”
“Did the doctors release you?”
“They said today.”
She looked at the bag I was carrying. “What’s in there?”
“Food,” I admitted.
She was silent for a minute and a crease appeared across her forehead. “Come sit with me.” She led me over to the Christmas tree. Holiday music was playing over the loudspeakers. “Two years ago, my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter died.”
I met her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. It’s been a very lonely couple of years. I used to take my granddaughter to see the sites in the city every year at Christmastime. The past two years, I’ve been going alone.” She choked on her words and a tear slipped down her cheek. Mustering a smile, she asked, “Why don’t you come with me this time?”
Surprised, I answered, “Right now?”
“Yes. It’s Christmas Eve. Best time to do it.” She paused, waiting on my answer.
“Okay,” I said slowly.
Her face lit up like the Christmas tree next to us and she clapped her hands together. “Wonderful!”
Violet helped me up and we walked right out the front doors. When we were at the edge of the street, she waved her hand and a taxi pulled over. She helped me get in and then got in herself, giving the driver an address.
I watched out the window. The decorations we passed were beautiful. The taxi stopped in front of a restaurant with a brick façade and red awnings. It had a big sign that read ‘Owen’s’.
“Let’s have brunch,” Violet suggested.
Once we ordered our food, she said, “Tell me about your grandmother.”
I smiled as memories flooded back. “She didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She loved everyone and always saw the good in them. Even when my dad left, she’d tell me good things she remembered about him. She was an artist. Often painting or sculpting. And she loved to bake,” I said, my eyes moist.
“She sounds lovely. What do you like to do?”
The question threw me off. I hadn’t done anything I enjoyed in a long time. “I like to read and paint.”
“Did you play any sports or instruments?”
I shook my head. “No. I took art electives.”
“How did you do in school?”
School seemed like it was years ago. “Mostly Bs.”
“That’s good!”
“This would be my senior year,” I said sadly.
Violet sensed my sadness and changed the subject. “Did you have any pets?”
“No. The apartment we lived in didn’t allow pets.” I brushed a strand of hair back behind my ear. “Can I ask you some questions?” I asked skeptically.
“Of course.”
“You don’t have any family left either?”
“No.”
“What happened to your husband?”
Violet played with her ring for a minute before answering. “He was killed on 9/11.”
I looked down and muttered, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. He was a good man and I loved him very much.”
“Where do you live?” I changed the subject.
“Near Freeport,” she answered. “I’ve always lived in that area. I love it there.”
Our food came then and I dived in. The French toast was mouth-watering good. I poured the syrup on top until the plate was flooded. The bacon was perfect, crisp and tasty. We didn’t talk again until we were finished eating.
Violet dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Have you ever been to Radio City Music Hall for their Christmas show?”
“No.”
“Well then, you’re in for a treat.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’re taking me to Radio City Music Hall?”
“I am.” She smiled and her eyes lit up.
Violet paid for the meal and we walked out to hail a cab to go to the show. I took in the scenery as the cab pulled up to
the hall. There was a large Christmas tree made of lights surrounded by soldiers, all lining up on the outside of the building over the Radio City Music Hall sign. There were lights and wreaths hanging from the signs. It was spectacular, even in the daytime.
The show was amazing with the Rockettes and apparently some new special effects. I had never seen anything like it. It was like being in a different world. It was hard to remember that I lived on the streets when I was there.
Since we had eaten brunch, Violet suggested an early dinner. “Then we can see the tree at Rockefeller Center and Macy’s. It’s so much more when it’s all lit up at night.”
“Thank you. This has been amazing.” I rubbed the top part of my leg. It was achy and itchy under the cast.
“Is your leg bothering you?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I have some Tylenol.” She dug a small bottle out of her purse and handed me a couple pills.
“Thanks,” I said and swallowed them.
“You’re a very pretty girl, did you have a boyfriend before you…moved?”
I scoffed at her wording. “Nobody serious. I dated here and there.”
“What about a best friend?”
I shrugged. “I guess I had some friends, but nobody especially close.”
“Nobody who you could call and let know you were okay?”
“Not really.” I thought of some of my friends. I had considered them good friends, but when they didn’t seem to care about my situation, I had written them off.
The steak and potatoes I had for dinner were incredible. I was enjoying my food, but worried about how it would be going back to being hungry all the time. Violet was certainly spoiling me. Maybe she felt guilty about the accident and maybe I was letting her, but it felt so nice to be cared about again.
It was dark when we left the restaurant. We went to Rockefeller Center first where the biggest, most gorgeous Christmas tree stood. I gawked at it for what seemed like a long time. I yearned to go down to the rink and ice skate, but that was impossible with a broken leg. We got a cup of the best hot cocoa I had ever tasted in my life and watched the people skate a little longer.
“Ready to go to Macy’s?” she asked.
I was. But, I also wasn’t looking forward to the night ending. We stood in front of Macy’s staring at the huge word Believe, which was written in lights across the building.
“Do you believe in miracles?” Violet asked me.
“Not anymore,” I responded with a sigh.
We walked around the outside of the store. Each window had a different display. Some were scenes from the movie, “Miracle on 34th Street”. Some were of Santa. It brought tears to my eyes as I remembered the many times I had watched the movie with Grandma.