Ch. 21 - Finding Answers
Mr. Chapman searched long and hard for his precious daughter, Tessa. He went from street to street, alley to alley, town to town, and still nothing. He was in desperate need of help. What he really needed was some guidance, but how he was gonna get it was a complete mystery. It was 10’o clock and still he had had no luck. He stopped on the corner of Maple Street and sat upon the snow covered curb. He could care less that his pants were getting drenched with snow. He was just so incredibly worried. He sat there for a good 15 minutes just thinking about the whole situation. Then, suddenly a thought came to him…Oh my gosh! It’s Christmas next week! Time flies…I guess. Some present I’m giving my children…jeez. Mr. Chapman thought to himself. He was completely hopeless, when out of the blue a hand touched his shoulder.
“Are you alright?” the voice behind him asked. It sounded like the voice of a young girl, and for a moment Mr. Chapman thought it might be his little Tessa, and he quickly turned around.
“Te—oh,” he said, realizing it was just a stranger girl around the age of seven or eight and not his baby girl. The girl looked at him in sympathy and sat beside him in the snow. She had no mittens or coat…but only a thin-knit sweater for a jacket.
“Did you want to talk about it?” she asked, nudging his shoulder. Mr. Chapman heaved a big sigh.
“Well…to tell you the truth, talking about things has not really been improving my luck lately,” he said…staring at his slush-covered shoes.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” the girl said quietly.
“Really?” Mr. Chapman asked astonished, finally turning around to look at the young girl who was staring at him with compassionate eyes. Everyone else practically has forced me into telling them what’s going on. He thought.
“Forcing people into things never got me anywhere, personally,” she said, like she had read his thoughts or something. Her braided blonde hair began to sway in the wind, as Mr. Chapman turned back around to look at the snow.
“Hmmm, that’s a very interesting perspective,” Mr. Chapman mumbled.
“I always thought so,” the young girl said, “I mean, I have no idea what it is that you can’t talk about. I also know for a fact, that it’s none of my business, but,” she said.
“Yeah?” he interrupted, as she smiled.
“I just hope everything works out for you,” she said putting her hand on his shoulder and rising from her seat. Mr. Chapman smiled and was, the first time that night, at a temporary peace.
“Thank-you,” he said, “Say, um—” he started, beginning to turn around again, but his speech ended very quickly. The little girl was gone. “Excuse me? Little girl? Little girl! Miss?” he asked. That’s weird…hmmm. Maybe she had to go home to her family. I mean no little girl should be out this late…especially one that little…and mine too. Mr. Chapman thought, beginning to cry again. He stood up, and headed home. He didn’t know what for, but that girl had a very good point and he was going to try using it and see where it would take him. Thanks…little girl.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Laura had fallen asleep upon Sam’s shoulder as time reached to its highest point. Sam had practically drifted off himself, but even the slightest thought that Laura might not be there when he woke up, terrified him, and so he remained awake, forcing his eyelids open at one point or another.
The driver grinned. Ah…to be young and in love…hmm…
………………………………………………………………………………………………
“So…that’s what’s going on,” Lucy said, finishing up her lengthy tale to her husband, Jack.
“Whoa,” Jack said, staring at the oak designs on the kitchen table.
“That’s all you have to say?” Lucy questioned.
“Um….well,” he started, getting worried.
“I just spent like 3 hours telling you in every specific detail of all that had happened and all you have to say is ‘whoa’ and ‘um…well’?” she asked, astonished.
“Hey, hey! Just settle down, alright?” he said, agitated, “I wasn’t finished!” he said smirking to a certain degree.
“As he smirks…hmm,” Lucy mumbled. Jack rolled his eyes.
“Will you let me finish?” he asked.
“Oh, please do,” she insisted.
“Well, I was going to say that you should just leave it alone.”
“Really, now?” she asked, angrily.
“Yes, you’ve done all you can. I realize you’re suspicious and you have every right to be. But don’t go off and do something you regret, even if you think it’s right at the time. Okay?” Jack asked, waiting for reply. There wasn’t one. Lucy just stared at her fingers fidgeting on the table She knew he was right. And he knew she knew he was right. But she just didn’t want to admit it. “I love you too,” he said, kissing her firm cheek, and exiting the room. Lucy began to pout. Why is he always right…she thought sighing to herself. I guess I’ll just have to let it go then…and with that she also exited the room and headed up to bed, hoping to forget her thoughts until morning and maybe then she would see it in a different light.
“Jack!” she said.
“Yeah?” he answered.
“You’ll wait up for Sam, right?” she asked.
“I’ll be out here,” he called from the living room.
“Alright. I’m going to bed then,” she said.
“Goodnight Sweetheart. I love you,” he said, blowing her a kiss.
“Yeah, I love you too,” she said heaving a sigh and slipping into bed.
“Are you alright?” the voice behind him asked. It sounded like the voice of a young girl, and for a moment Mr. Chapman thought it might be his little Tessa, and he quickly turned around.
“Te—oh,” he said, realizing it was just a stranger girl around the age of seven or eight and not his baby girl. The girl looked at him in sympathy and sat beside him in the snow. She had no mittens or coat…but only a thin-knit sweater for a jacket.
“Did you want to talk about it?” she asked, nudging his shoulder. Mr. Chapman heaved a big sigh.
“Well…to tell you the truth, talking about things has not really been improving my luck lately,” he said…staring at his slush-covered shoes.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” the girl said quietly.
“Really?” Mr. Chapman asked astonished, finally turning around to look at the young girl who was staring at him with compassionate eyes. Everyone else practically has forced me into telling them what’s going on. He thought.
“Forcing people into things never got me anywhere, personally,” she said, like she had read his thoughts or something. Her braided blonde hair began to sway in the wind, as Mr. Chapman turned back around to look at the snow.
“Hmmm, that’s a very interesting perspective,” Mr. Chapman mumbled.
“I always thought so,” the young girl said, “I mean, I have no idea what it is that you can’t talk about. I also know for a fact, that it’s none of my business, but,” she said.
“Yeah?” he interrupted, as she smiled.
“I just hope everything works out for you,” she said putting her hand on his shoulder and rising from her seat. Mr. Chapman smiled and was, the first time that night, at a temporary peace.
“Thank-you,” he said, “Say, um—” he started, beginning to turn around again, but his speech ended very quickly. The little girl was gone. “Excuse me? Little girl? Little girl! Miss?” he asked. That’s weird…hmmm. Maybe she had to go home to her family. I mean no little girl should be out this late…especially one that little…and mine too. Mr. Chapman thought, beginning to cry again. He stood up, and headed home. He didn’t know what for, but that girl had a very good point and he was going to try using it and see where it would take him. Thanks…little girl.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Laura had fallen asleep upon Sam’s shoulder as time reached to its highest point. Sam had practically drifted off himself, but even the slightest thought that Laura might not be there when he woke up, terrified him, and so he remained awake, forcing his eyelids open at one point or another.
The driver grinned. Ah…to be young and in love…hmm…
………………………………………………………………………………………………
“So…that’s what’s going on,” Lucy said, finishing up her lengthy tale to her husband, Jack.
“Whoa,” Jack said, staring at the oak designs on the kitchen table.
“That’s all you have to say?” Lucy questioned.
“Um….well,” he started, getting worried.
“I just spent like 3 hours telling you in every specific detail of all that had happened and all you have to say is ‘whoa’ and ‘um…well’?” she asked, astonished.
“Hey, hey! Just settle down, alright?” he said, agitated, “I wasn’t finished!” he said smirking to a certain degree.
“As he smirks…hmm,” Lucy mumbled. Jack rolled his eyes.
“Will you let me finish?” he asked.
“Oh, please do,” she insisted.
“Well, I was going to say that you should just leave it alone.”
“Really, now?” she asked, angrily.
“Yes, you’ve done all you can. I realize you’re suspicious and you have every right to be. But don’t go off and do something you regret, even if you think it’s right at the time. Okay?” Jack asked, waiting for reply. There wasn’t one. Lucy just stared at her fingers fidgeting on the table She knew he was right. And he knew she knew he was right. But she just didn’t want to admit it. “I love you too,” he said, kissing her firm cheek, and exiting the room. Lucy began to pout. Why is he always right…she thought sighing to herself. I guess I’ll just have to let it go then…and with that she also exited the room and headed up to bed, hoping to forget her thoughts until morning and maybe then she would see it in a different light.
“Jack!” she said.
“Yeah?” he answered.
“You’ll wait up for Sam, right?” she asked.
“I’ll be out here,” he called from the living room.
“Alright. I’m going to bed then,” she said.
“Goodnight Sweetheart. I love you,” he said, blowing her a kiss.
“Yeah, I love you too,” she said heaving a sigh and slipping into bed.
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