Read Free as a Bird Online

Authors: Gina McMurchy-Barber

Tags: #JUV000000, #JUV039150

Free as a Bird (14 page)

Nothin I could do bout feelin scared an lonesome. But I could do somethin bout bein cold. I sat up again an put on all my spare clothes — yup, put em all on till I bulged like a pillow. Dint knowed how I could still be shiverin — but I was. Yup, I jus shivered till every part of me hurt bad.

After a while I layed down again an started wonderin. Yup, I wondered if sleepin in the cold an bein hungry an lonely was really better than bein sent back to Woodlands. I dint have the answer an soon I got too tired of thinkin so much. I musta slept for a long time cause the nex thing I knowed the sky was gettin light again.

I sat up on the bench an watched a lady go by with a cup of somethin steamin hot an munchin on somethin.

She pointed down the road. “Soup kitchen's open. Better hurry — they've got eggs and muffins today.”

Priddy soon other people was walkin toward that place she told me bout. I decided to follow em an see if I could get me some of em eggs an muffins too.

When I got up I suddenly membered my bag. I looked round for it but I dint see it nowhere. I dunno how, but it was gone — yup, wasn't on the bench, wasn't under the bench, wasn't no where round. I dint knowed how I lost it while I was sleepin, but I sure was awful sad bout it. Yup, no more pictures. No more
tic
tic tic
from my clock or my priddy gold necklace from Gramma. I dint have nothin — nope, nothin cept the clothes I was wearin.

I might've stayed there feelin sad, only I was thinkin more bout bein hungry. I left the park an my bench an followed the tired an dirty people. Followed em to a stone buildin with a big Jesus cross on top an a long line of people waitin outside a liddle door.

“Gotta get in line if ya want to eat,” a man said to me. “Or were you expecting the waiter to bring it to you?”

A bunch of em people laughed when the man said that. But I jus stayed there an watched. Yup, watched em people go through the door an then come out holdin a hot drink an somethin to eat.

When the line started gettin shorter, I said to myself, “You bedder get in there, Ruby Jean.” When I went through the liddle door I saw two ladies wearin black scarves an black dresses.

“So sorry, everyone, but we're all out of eggs and muffins for today,” one of the ladies said. “Lots of hot coffee and tea, though.”

Then nother lady asked me, “What would you like, dear?”

I liked bein called dear, but it made me think of Nan.

“How about coffee?” she asked. Nope, dint want that. “Tea?” I nodded. “Sugar?” I nodded again. “Milk?” I nodded one last time.

The tea came oudda a big machine. No warmin the teapot first — nope, jus straight into the cup. That not the right way to make tea a'tall.

“I'm giving you two cups, dear — you look like you need it.” When I was leavin that lady tole me, “God bless you.” She looked at me the way Gramma used to — that made my eyes get water in em an so's I had a hard time seein my way out.

That hot tea made me feel nearly happy an it warmed me inside too. After I finished I dint knowed what to do with myself so I jus started walkin. The streets was quiet — not so many cars an only the dirty poor people walkin bout. Then after a while the sun got high in the sky an there was more people an cars everywhere. Ladies wearin priddy clothes an high heals, an men with ties an briefcases started showin up everywhere.

Dint take long fore my feet were tired an sore again. I couldn't find nother bench to sit on an so's I jus sat down on the cold, hard ground, in front of a buildin. I put my paper cups in front of me cause I was keepin em — yup, so's I could get more tea later from that lady in the black scarf.

A man went by when I was sittin there. But instead of walkin passed me like all the rest, he bent over my cup and throwed somethin inside. Made a clink sound. I looked in my cup an saw some money. I dint knowed why that man did that, but I took the money out an put em in my pocket. After a liddle while of watchin busy people goin this way an that, nother man walked passed an dropped money in my cup. Then a lady did it too. Priddy soon I had a lotta liddle money.

I membered a time when Pops used some coins to get a candy bar oudda a machine. Maybe I could do that too — cept I dint knowed where to find a candy bar machine. That's why I decided to walk round some more an see if I could find one.

At first the only people I saw was the ones in a hurry to go places. Wondered how come I dint see none of em dirty soup kitchen ones. But then after a liddle while I started noticin them too. Yup, they was there … in narrow lanes between buildins or in dirty corners by garbage bins or sittin on benches at bus stops or in the parks. Funny how they was hard to see at first — guess I jus needed to look more careful to see em.

One of em was a lady with a big cart — yup, a cart jus like the one me an Pops used at Spencer's Grocery store. Only her cart wasn't full of food. But she had things in that cart — lotsa things. I followed after her when she went down a narrow street an watched her lookin under garbage can lids. When she found somethin she'd put it in her cart. I followed her for a long time that mornin.

“Whatcha want?” she yelled after a while. I couldn't tell her cause I dint talk no more. “I ain't got nothin for you — go away.” I followed some more cause I thought she was awful interestin. “Well? If ya got something to say, speak up.” Nope, I dint have nothin to say. “Look, don't bug me, kid. I had a rough night. If you've got somethin to trade, let's do business. Otherwise, take off.” Nope, dint have nothin to trade, nothin a'tall.

When the lady pushed her cart toward a busy road I hadda idea she was somebody who knowed things an so I should jus follow her some more. Good thing too cause she was goin back to that soup kitchen. After she got in the line I did too.

“Ya didn't answer me back there,” cart lady said. “Ya got something to trade?” She looked down at my cup full of coins. “Say, I could use some cash. Ya wanna buy somethin off me?” She pulled back the plastic that was coverin her cart. I looked inside — she had clothes, an string, a pair of shoes, a glass jar with brown stuff, a blanket, some books an a pink heart-shaped box.

I petted her green blanket. “Can't have that — it's my best one. But ya can have this other one instead.” She pulled out a blue blanket with rips an a big dirt spot. “I want five bucks for it.” I offered her my cup of money. “Doesn't look like enough — did ya count it?” She was a dirty lady an she growled at me like a angry dog.

When the line started movin I started thinkin bout the tea I was gunna get an if maybe they was given out some eggs an muffins again. “Okay, look, I'll let ya have it for what's in the cup.” I dint answer. “So is it a deal or not?” I held out my cup of money an poured it into her hands. Then she gave me the blanket an turned away. We dint talk no more after that. I hugged my new blanket as the people in front went in the door an then came out with somethin to eat an drink. I was gettin so excited bout havin somethin to eat I felt a liddle dizzy.

When me an the cart lady got to the door she told me, “Stay here an watch my stuff — you owe me that much.” I dint knowed what I owed her, but I did what she said. Other people pushed passed me while I waited an waited. Finally, the cart lady came out. In her hand she had a cup of tea an a sandwich. Jus then my stomach let out a big growl an I knowed it needed a sandwich too. “Okay, I got it from here,” she said an pushed her cart away.

Finally, it was my turn to go inside, but jus as I did I heard somebody say, “Sorry, but that's it for sandwiches today.”

When I walked up to the counter the same lady in black said, “I know — tea with milk and sugar. Right?” I nodded. “You make sure you come earlier next time so you can get something to eat.” I drank that tea awful fast. But it dint help me feel any better — nope, not a'tall.

Jus outside the soup kitchen I nearly fell down on the sidewalk. So that's why I sat down by the door an with my blanket pulled over me I closed my eyes. I decided I was jus gunna wait there … dint knowed for how long … but I was gunna be the first one to get somethin to eat nex time the door opened.

I musta gone to sleep, cause the nex thing I knowed I was waken up to the sound of jinglin keys. For a minute I thought it was Millie come to unlock the big door to my room. I imagined her sayin, “Get up, Ruby Jean. And if you give me any trouble, I'll call the Boys.” Then I opened my eyes an was awful glad it wasn't Millie's keys jinglin a'tall — nope, it was the nice lady in black.

“Good to see you're early this time. That means you're going to get some supper.” I liked how the lady smiled at me, but it made me member how much I was missin Nan an Pops. “I just need to get things set up, dear. Won't be long now.”

Hind me there was some others gettin in line, even the lady with the cart came round the corner. When she saw me she pushed passed all the others an came up to me.

“Ah, there ya are. Thanks for holdin my place.” Then she looked at the man standin hind me. “Well? Make room there, buster. Gotta get in line here with my friend. She was just savin my space while I was makin a trip to the little girl's room.” She looked at me an winked. “That blanket's a good one, eh?” I dint talk to her. But I was glad I had a blanket, specially cause it was gettin cold again with the sun gone away.

Jus then I smelled somethin licious comin oudda the door. Soon as it opened a voice from inside said, “Okay, soups on — come on in.” I walked up to the counter where the lady in black held out a cup an a warm bundle. “That's cream of tomato soup and beef in a bun. Enjoy it, dear.” She smiled at me awful nice, then started talkin to the cart lady hind me. “Hello, Mabel. How did you get at the front of the line so quickly? You didn't bud in, did you?”

“Now, Sister Irene, I haven't done that for a long time. That's my friend there. She saved me a space. Isn't that right?”

I dint answer her. Jus took my food an went outside so‘s I could eat.

That night was cold — yup, awful cold. I wrapped myself in my new blanket an layed on the bench in the park. I liked it there best cause there was light shinin down on me. I felt a lot better too with the pain in my tummy gone away.

I guess bein so tired I musta gone to sleep quick. I sure had lotsa dreams that night, but the one I member most was me standin in the shower at Woodlands, shakin from the cold water they was sprayin on me. Funny thing bout that dream was wakin up an findin raindrops splashin cross my face an makin my blanket all wet.

“For crying out loud, girl! Don't ya have sense to come in out of the rain?” I looked round to see who was talkin so cross at me. “Over here.” I turned an saw a hand wavin at me from under some stairs. “Well, get in here. I ain't gonna hurt you.”

I pulled my blanket round me tight an walked over to see who it was talkin like they knowed me. I dint wanna be standin in the rain all night, but I sure dint knowed if bein under stairs with a stranger was a good idea neither. I tried seein who was under there, but it was too dark.

“It's okay. It's me, Mabel.” Mabel? I dint knowed no Mabel. “I'm the one that gotcha that blanket. See?” Then Mabel showed her face in the lamplight. “C'mon, hurry up. You're making me get all wet.”

I bent down an crawled in under the stairs. First thing I noticed was how quiet it was under them stairs — yup, couldn't hardly hear the rain no more. But the best part was how warm an dry it was under there.

“Pretty nice, eh? This is my special place — nobody's allowed here except me and those I invite. So long as you remember that under the stairs of Pioneer Laundry belongs to Mabel you can sleep here for tonight — got it?” Mabel's voice was growly. I nodded at her. “I'm figuring you ain't been on the street very long. Nobody that's been at this for a while is gonna sleep out on a park bench in the rain — unless, of course, they're an idiot.” I got hot on my face but dint think she could see.

Mabel pushed somethin at me. It was soft an dry. “Here, get that wet blanket off. You can put my parka on for tonight.”

Soon's I put her coat on I started to get warm — as warm as a slice of bread in a toaster. I rubbed my face in the fuzzy collar — it was soft as Gramma's cat, Thomas.

“You ain't much for talkin, are ya, kid?” I dint answer. “Just as well. I'm tired — going back to sleep. See ya in the morning.”

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