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#Post#: 16280--------------------------------------------------
It Happened One Christmas Chapter Eight
By: Jack Date: December 7, 2019, 4:54 pm
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I was feeling a bit bemused as I stepped towards the boy,
pulling off my right glove to shake with him.
Charlie was beaming and seemed happy to see me. I smiled back,
feeling a bit confused since I had no idea who he was.
I quickly slipped my glove back on and looked around. It was
full dark now. Snow was falling less in flurries, and almost
constantly, and an occasional gust would throw a swirl of snow
around the street light, dimming what little light reached us.
“You probably don’t even know me,” Charlie said. “I haven’t
even made seventh grade yet, but I’ve seen you around school.
I’m a huge mystery fan, too. I’d love to be part of the Baker
Street Society one day.”
I hadn’t realized how cold I’d been getting while lost in
thought. While Charlie spoke, I dug into my backpack and pulled
out two of the hand warmer packages. I opened them, getting
them started, and offered one to Charlie. He shook it off, so I
took one in each hand, tucking them into my pockets.
“But what are you doing over here? I thought you lived on the
other side of town.”
“I do,” I admitted. “I just….” I paused, not really sure what
to say. It’s not like I could claim to be out on a leisurely
stroll, but I really didn’t want to admit I was running away… or
why.
Since I’d first noticed him, Charlie’d had a big smile on his
face, but now it disappeared. He looked very serious, but also
more mature, as he looked at me.
“Bailey,” he said, his voice seeming a bit deeper now, but full
of warmth and support. “Is everything okay?”
I looked away from him. He’d said he wasn’t in seventh grade
yet, so he was probably only eleven or twelve. I didn’t know
him at all. Yet I was torn by a sudden desire to share with
him. I turned away, looking across the river and back towards
the train tracks.
I felt his hand on my arm. “Bailey?”
I shook and only managed to suppress a sudden sob. I turned
back to him.
“No. No, I’m not all right.”
I was hesitant, slow at first, but soon I was talking so fast
that I was tripping over my tongue as I ended up telling him the
whole thing - the paddling at school, the upcoming hearing, my
dad picking me up, the whupping for shoplifting I’d gotten once,
and how mad Dad had been when he promised me the ‘worst whipping
ever’, and, finally, how I’d ended up on the bridge.
Charlie listened quietly, not interrupting except to offer brief
noises of sympathy. He looked at me occasionally, but finally
leaned beside me on the parapet, looking out over the snow
falling on the river.
When I was through, he stood there a moment longer, then reached
into his pocket and pulled out two Atomic Fireballs, and offered
me one. He unwrapped one and popped it in his mouth. After a
moment, I did the same.
We were both quiet a few moments before he finally spoke.
“Do you really think running away is the answer?”
“I’m not running away,” I told him.
“Not only does running away do nothing to fix the actual
problem, but where would you go? How would you live?”
“I’m not running away,” I repeated.
“Life on the street’s hard enough in good weather. You have to
beg for food or go dumpster diving for trash that’s not too
horrible. And you have to sleep sometime, so how do you defend
yourself, even if you’re a lot bigger than me and you are. And
sometimes…”
“I’m! Not! Running! Away!”
“Okay, okay, sorry,” he replied, still calm and quiet. “But can
I ask one more question?”
“What?”
“If you’re not running away, what are you doing?”
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#Post#: 16287--------------------------------------------------
Re: It Happened One Christmas Chapter Eight
By: David M. Katz Date: December 8, 2019, 1:01 am
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A crucial chapter!
#Post#: 16295--------------------------------------------------
Re: It Happened One Christmas Chapter Eight
By: db105 Date: December 8, 2019, 9:25 am
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This is like "It's a Wonderful Life"? The boy is called Bailey,
after all. If the other boy was called Clarence instead of
Charlie I'd know for sure 😉
Aww, now I have to wait like everyone else.
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