Reading Rachel

Alexis R. Osborne                                                                          10/10/09
Reading Rachel                                                                                       

                                 Reading Rachel

                                              by Alexis R. Osborne

         I watched her silently, alarmed at the blatant wash of distress

painted on her face. Deep indigo eyes darted searchingly; thin lips set tight,

and her black hair flatly brushed knobby shoulders. My conscience wrestled

with approaching . Her long skinny right arm was bent strangely and the

evergreen tee she wore was ripped, dirtied. A gorefilled, purpling laceration

marred her above the right eye, and she'd lost one of her crystal-beaded green

sandals. what had the poor girl been through? The funny angle of that arm was

a sure sign it was broken, so why did she stand there alone? Her eyes peered

anxiously about from the dark object in her hand to the parking lot, begging to

be acknowleged.  Beneath her, golden faced dandelions spotted the slightly

hilly grasses. The side-lot of the discount food store, All save, met the curb by

her feet. Unfortunately for both of us All save had no public phone.


        Decided, I proceeded in her direction,observing the few shoppers that

braved this dreary summer sunday. Incredibly, the patrons ignored the quiet

girl's pleading eyes. A cotton-haired African gentlemen hobbled on his

glistening metal cane towards the store entrance on the left, closest to the

side lot. Two matronly housewives, clad in paisley head-scarves, herded their

pack of six young kids, rushing them through the sprinkling rain. They walked,

buddy-system style, carefully to the end of the parking lot, looking both ways

before crossing towards the entrance. The adults seemed too busied to

acknowledge me, as it often was with adults in modern society.. The children,

free with limitless time and open curiosity,often peered at me as two of these

did. A tow-headed, brown-eyed girl and her look-a-like younger sister broke

hands to smile innocently and wave. The taller woman, with set frown,snorted

“Gretchen,grab Natalya's hand and stay with us.”


      I advanced towards the lone girl in the side-lot. Perhaps too into her own

distress,it seemed she didn't sense me approaching. I stood before her and

touched her good arm gently. She jolted, as if bitten

“who are y-you?” She looked up at me quizzically.

“Summer, and you”

“R-Rachel Winthrop. Mom is gonna be so mad at me.” her bottom lip quivered,

tears painted thin strokes down her soiled cheeks.

“I  always walk my little sister, Leila home from school. somehow I must've

tripped over a curb or something and hit my head. now I can't find Leila. I

remember getting her from school, but I don't tremember anything past  that. I

can't get a signal from my stupid cell-phone either. ” She wailed

. What is an cell phone, I wondered, never one for technology. I brushed the

thought aside quickly, assuming it was the newest teen fad. Rachel paced

slowly, peering at the store entrance, then her "cell phone" as if this desperate

action would magically solve her problems.

“I should get you to a hospital. Your arm looks broken and that bruise on your

head doesn't look the best either.”

“no,I can't let mom down, we're all she's got. I have to wait here for Leila,

maybe she went in a store...”

“But, you could have a concussion and the hospital can help you find your

family. Leila may have already gone to get help.” I soothingly pleaded.

“ I won't go until I find Leila”

My thoughts compounded as I tried to think of a solution.

“ Rachel, wait here then. I'll bring you some help and we'll try locate your

sister, okay.”

She nodded, though her face was filled with doubt.


         I passed by the store and further into the nearly empty plaza, swiftly

headed towards the wisest man I knew, Harold. I traversed the parking lot so

fast, I felt as if I were flying. The small, boxy green Army recruiter's office

appeared on the horizon, and I habitually proceeded to where he was usually

stationed, by a large, ancient Oak tree that dwarfed the building. Harold was a

short, stocky, but muscular guy, quite fit at eighty-nine. He'd been retired for

years and spent his days trying to discourage young men from enlisting. He'd

loathed experiencing the two wars he'd endured, felt that the young were often

tricked into serving.

         My friend Federico and I had visited Harold together, often. We

secretly wondered if  the wars had driven him a bit mad or if he was spouting

truths, perhaps a mix. The fiery, wise old man was simply engaging and

entertaining.

         Harold's cornflower blue eyes brightened as he spotted me, sparks

of youth steel held tightly in that old weathered body. He was patronizing a

young sandy-haired teen,whose surly aura-ed father ushered him away quickly.

         “Harold, I need your help.” I called rushing beside him.

         “Summer, gal. What can I do for ya?he tipped his fedora. My words

flew out in a breathless rush, as i explained about the girl.

         “unusual” he mused “ well, we'd better get over there then.” he nodded.          
         
      We swiftly propelled ourselves the short span of the lot back to All Save

and found Rachel still there.

         “Rachel, do u remember me ?” I inquired, testing her memory.

         “Sssusan... No, Summer, right?” her eyes grew with hope “Did you

find my sister?”

         “No, I'm sorry I didn't . I brought my friend Harold though, he's a

retired army Seargent.” I explained, gesturing towards him.

         “Hi, Harold, She huffed, beginning to grow impatient in her

confusion, she glared at Harold.

         “Hello there, youngin. looks like you got banged up pretty good.

how come you won't let Summer  Take you to the hospital.?”

         “I already told her...I can't leave without Leila, my sister. I tripped

and hurt myself or something, now I can't find her.” she moaned as she

continued rehashing her story.

         “Do you think Leila might have gone to get help?” Harold's right

shaggy gray brow raised quizzically.

         “I , I don't know. Mom always told us to stay together, why would

she leave me ?” a tear formed in her right eye. Then her expression

changed,obviously distracted from her plight,she peered at me queerly, giving

way for an uncomfortable pause.

         “What are you wearing?” she smirked, ending the silence..

         “Oh, that” I laughed looking down at myself “I'm on my way to star

in a play called “Greensleeves”. I'm playing Anne Boleyn, wife number two of

king Henry VIII. I'm the youngest member of the Greece Town Players” I

proudly answered.

         “Oh, that makes sense.” she nodded, and began fiddling with that

dark metal object, the cell phone again. I wanted to ask what the "cell-phone

did, but my mind drifted, as was often the case, back to Federico. How I

missed him so, it'd been so long since he'd visited with us. For a moment I

was lost in memories of my friend. Harold's words intruded my brain and

brought me back to the present dilemma.. Listening to him question Rachel,

The more I  realized his  eyes told me the truth and he'd figured it out. The girl

was like us, she needed our help.

         “What school are you coming from ?” I heard him begin his

interrogation

         “Mt Read Middle School. my sister goes there too.”

         “I went to the high school” I chimed in.

         “How could you have gone to the high school, you look around

seventeen. Did you transfer out?” her nose scrunched in confusion.

         “No, Rachel.” I began softly, trying to come up with a gentle way to

explain.
         “Harold spoke to me through his gaze. this might be a tough one.

We had to be sure that she wasn't just an open minded child before we helped

her, as with all unusual cases.

         “Summer.” Rachel wailed, impatient.

         “Rachel, this is always hard to accept, so let me say this carefully.

Harold was the one who discovered me. I was wandering around in this

costume still trying to get to that play, my first big role.” I sighed,

reminiscing. “I gave him a really hard time as he tried to convince me, but....”

         “What are you trying to say ?” her pale face awash in fear.

         “Well “ Harold piped up, “ My ole' ticker just gave out one day.. I

was gearing up to give a young whippersnapper the speech... I felt seizing and

the pain was quick-shooting. A pearly-like bright light tried to ambush me, as

it grew. I resisted hard, then the light finally passed. I got up, dusted m'self off

ans went on with ma business,”

Rachel was quiet, chewing this in her mind.

         “I didn't believe until I leaned against a sturdy tree, and fell right

through it instead. ” I volunteered, knowing she was beginning to grasp what

we were saying.

         “Are you saying I'm dead?” Rachel laughed, disbelieving.

         “Well, do ya know how long ya've been here ?” Harold questioned

         “ No, but that doesn't....”

         “ Has anyone but us paid you any mind ?” he interrupted

         “Well, no...” her smile faded again. Harold gazed at her, his

grandfatherly eyes full of empathy. My mind, began to drift again as Federico's

face filed my mind and Harold words droned on behind my thoughts.


         Federico, I sighed. my head filled with a vision of his chiseled olive

face and dark hair. The deep gory bullet-hole piercing his forehead couldn't

diminish his appeal. Federico had helped me feel better about being “dead”.

now he was gone. The white light came back for him some time ago. This

time he didn't fight it, he was ready. I can't wait for my second chance, I

deeply sighed.


         “Summer” Harold's voice broke through my thoughts. It was

uncanny how telepathic we were in this detached state.  “We're going to stay

here and try to help her accept her new state, maybe we can even help her

remember what happened, so at least she'll be free to move from this spot

. We  gotta help learn her new abilities and disabilities too, okay ?” he winked.

“Yes we can't let her stay in shock like this.” I projected back, growing used to

tasks such as these.. I resigned myself to this Rachel, I would help her as

Federico did for me, until my turn to be welcomed into the light.