He had wanted to really he had. It had been his decision to walk up to the first person in the street and say, “can you take me to the police please?”
He’d really intended on doing that, but he’d got no further than a block when he heard someone cry, “Hey look, there’s a blind kid. Do you think it’s the one in the newspapers?”
Jody had faltered and undecided had listened hoping they might say something more.
“What if it is? There’s no reward is there? Just some bloke looking for a blind kid.”
“I heard there was a reward. Hey kid…is your name Jody?”
Jody tried not to act as though the name meant anything to him. It was enough to know that some bloke was looking for him, someone that had put up a reward. It had to be his father, what other man would pay to have him found? Before the group of youths could cross the street Jody had hurried away, walking quickly through the alleys until he was lost to them. Fear for his life kept him hidden after that but he did not return to the brownstones, they were too far away and he knew no easy way of getting back to them where he might not be seen. So he stayed behind the buildings where he was sure to find a morsel to eat, and he kept a plastic bottle topped with water from a fountain he had stumbled upon. But Jody was unhappy and he longed to find the tunnels, or someone who would take him there. Blind, lost and alone, for the first time in many years he was frightened.
Fitfully he slept squashed behind a dumpster. From it he had pulled waste paper and wrapped it around him. His stomach grumbled from hunger but he knew the streets had too many people out and about that might take him to his father. He had to wait till the early hours when most people were sleeping, when he stood more chance of dodging those left on the streets in his hunt for food and the tunnels.
The latter was a daunting prospect. Vincent had found him before. And though Jody tried with his mind to make contact with Vincent, it didn’t appear to work that way and for some reason Vincent wasn’t calling to him.
Maybe he ought to read more into that. Surely if Vincent wanted him back he’d be concentrating hard to bring him back, so why hadn’t he?
The answer of course was that Vincent had been, frantically, but during the time that Jody was sleeping. Their waking times had overlapped and neither had been able to hear the other.
Contemplating his very few options Jody closed his eyes thinking hard. He had to find the tunnels again, and he knew of only one place. Through the park, there were other ways, but it would mean walking into buildings he did not know and asking people he had never met if they had access to the tunnels. However, he also knew that wasn’t what one asked. The tunnels were a secret place and few knew of them. Jody knew it must stay that way. So he had to hope that in his limited opportunity of hunting for food someone associated with the tunnels would see him and return him there. Until then he had to survive the best way he could and avoid being seen by those who would return him to his father.
His dreams were wild and full of longing…on waking his heart plummeted when he sensed his surroundings were of the city. City noises, city smells. His dreams receded time and again, out of reach…as far as the miles themselves…unable to hold on to them. In sleep Jody was happy, so he tried to sleep more often. His mother never seen by his eyes remained immortal in his mind, never aging, never changing. Someone soft and full of life and laughter, full of love for him…Jody hung on to her image night and day, thoughts of her kept him sane.
As the days and nights went by and the terrible fear of his father forced Jody to cower more and more to the back alleys where danger lurked in every corner, where beckoning voices taunted and ridiculed, where hands grasped hold and he wriggled free, kicking and biting, Jody’s optimism gradually faded. Perhaps he was wrong to believe all this time…perhaps his mother had lied…maybe she too had been in on the plan…perhaps no one wanted him at all.
When dreams were all he had, Jody had clung on to them…now even they mocked him…and without the tunnels and Vincent…he wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.
So when one dream was shattered by a voice he heard only ever in those dreams, Jody was elated for mere seconds…’mother!’
He came to quickly, groaned when he realised he’d been dreaming again and closed his eyes once more but the voice came again, calling his name in the distance, his mother calling…Jody opened his eyes, rubbed them, shook himself fully awake and listened…
“JODY…JODY de-ANGELIS…. it’s MUMMY…WHERE ARE YOU?”
That was no dream!
Slipping from behind the dumpster Jody stumbled toward the sound, disorientated. It was loud but its source didn’t appear close…and blindly he hurried the way it had gone.
“JODY…JODY de-ANGELIS…it’s MUMMY…WHERE ARE YOU?”
“IM HERE! IM HERE!” Jody began running, and falling, bumping into street signs, into the corners of buildings, tripping over curbs. Cars thundered toward him screeching to a halt to miss the child that ran in front of them. Angry shouts began and then as they heard the announcement and the child’s response the driver’s began honking their car horns and shouting, “We’ll help you kid, hold on.”
“Listen!” Catherine slowed her car to a halt and grabbed Margarita’s arm. The other woman took the loudspeaker from her face and listened. Cars were honking two blocks away. “Back there!” Catherine cried swinging her vehicle around. They drove toward the sound and Margarita began shouting through the speaker again.
“MUMMY! IM HERE IM HERE” Jody screamed at the top of his voice. He jumped up and down waving his arms in the air. Those watching did so with tears streaming down their cheeks. They’d read this kid’s story in the papers all week, seen it on the news, seconds from now they’d see him reunited with his mother.
“HE’S OVER HERE!” People were leaning out of their cars and shouting as Catherine’s car came around the final corner. Pedestrians were hurrying to form a group around the child. One man swung Jody up into his arms and held him above the crowd shouting, “HE’S HERE. HE’S OVER HERE!”
The streets came to a standstill, everyone poised for the moment except Margarita who threw open the car door and alighting began running to where her son was lifted above the crowd that had gathered.
“JODY!”
“MUMMY!”
The pair fell together laughing and crying and hugging one another, and Margarita couldn’t stop kissing her son, his hair became wet from her tears. Her blouse became wet from his.
Catherine looked on her eyes bright, tears streaming down her face, her smile widening and then joining everyone else as they began cheering and clapping, standing there in the street.
In moments cameras were flashing, as journalists alerted to what had happened began arriving on the scene. It was perhaps the most joyous occasion the city had seen in many years. There would be parties tonight in celebration of a boy who had survived the odds, alone and blind and thousands of miles from home. Questions would be asked, few answers forthcoming, just how many children were there in their midst that went unnoticed for so long? Something should be done to help them.
No one knew that more than Vincent. From where he sat in the whispering gallery he did not hear the joyous commotion in the streets, but he did hear the cries of the afflicted ones. It broke his heart afresh. Be it either by Catherine’s idea or Jody’s whereabouts he would find a way to help them. No more would he sit by and wish he could help, he would do something constructive, and even if it did take a decade or a lifetime, eventually they would know where the voices originated and help would be offered.
Watching the happy reunion Catherine eventually steered Margarita and Jody back to her car, “Come,” she whispered, “We’ll go to my apartment.” Then when she was sure no one could overhear she whispered “Jody, its Catherine, Vincent’s friend. He will be so happy that you have been found. He has been frantic with worry.”
“Catherine?”
“Yes, Catherine.”
“Did you bring my mother here?”
“Sort of. It’s a long story, Jody. Actually, the idea of using the loudspeaker came from Kipper and Geoffrey.” Jody gasped.
Catherine smiled she could understand how he felt. It was the last thing she expected those two to do under the circumstances.
“I didn’t think they liked me.” Jody went on as he was helped into the rear of Catherine’s car.
“I think that changed when you rescued them, Jody.” Catherine told him.
Jody shook his head, “No. I don’t think they like me, that was just gratitude.”
“Even so, that they actually thought about how to help us find you means that they cared enough.” Catherine reminded the boy. Jody thought it over, “Maybe.” He wasn’t convinced, but right then at that moment he didn’t really care. He had his mother back, and she hadn’t let him go. Her arms were around him and that’s where he wanted them to stay.
“So are you two ready? Seat belts on? Good, let’s go.” They waved to the people in the street and another cheer went up, people applauded and cameras flashed. Jody could not see it but he felt the atmosphere was good.
“Are people happy mummy?”
Margarita couldn’t speak, tears coursed down her cheeks and she hugged her son tightly. Catherine replied for her, “Jody…the whole city is going to be happy when they hear you’ve been found. They’ll want to speak with you…” Before she had time to ask, he told her, “I won’t ever tell them about…” Then he stopped as he realised his mother might not know.
“I’ve met Vincent, Jody.” Margarita told him understanding his predicament. Jody relaxed and his mother told Catherine, “The secret is safe with us, Catherine. We promise.”
Catherine smiled her gratitude in the rear view mirror. It didn’t surprise her that Margarita didn’t see it. She was too busy kissing and hugging her son. Fresh tears gathered in Catherine’s eyes she didn’t think she’d ever seen a happier sight.
