Blame it on September

  The jingle meant the truck was going to leave. We hated seeing Jordan disappointed so of course David lifted him out of the swing held him tightly in his arms and ran faster than I ever saw him race before. I ran behind them because I couldn’t run anywhere as fast as David could.

  The truck was putting his signal light on when David ran up and tapped on the window. The man smiled and pulled over to the sidewalk. I had caught up by now and the man was so kind he gave us free ice cream. David left a tip behind though.

  We sat on the sidewalk to finish our ice cream. Afterwards, we decided to go for a walk. I saw the ‘Toys R Us’ sign beside a bus stop. David and I glared at each other and agreed from the looks on our faces we would be taking Jordan to ‘Toys R Us’. On either side of Jordan we each grabbed one of his hands and waited at the stoplight.

  The cars drove by really fast and the crowds of people on the sidewalks were ridiculous. I starred at the light until it turned red, signaling the cars to stop. The little sign lit up, telling us it was safe to walk across. The people there were very busy and didn’t seem to pay attention to anyone around them. They just cared about where they were going except, for this one girl who was slowly helping an elderly man across the street. I didn’t pay close attention, but her red hair caught my eye. She wasn’t very tall and had a larger bone structure. She had a pretty face and she had freckles right under her eyes. The elderly man had a few wrinkles under the eyes and on his forehead. He had thin legs, a big belly and silver gray hair. I noticed his jacket because it was similar to the one Scott was wearing. It was black and had two buttons around the neck. We walked past them quickly and rushed to the other side of the sidewalk.

  We walked past small boutique along the sidewalk until we came to ‘Toys R Us’. Jordan just couldn’t stop smiling and every person who looked at him turned away with the same sparkle in their eye and bright smile.

  David went to the washroom while Jordan and I walked down the aisles to the toy trucks. The trucks seemed to come in every colour and every size. We were amazed at all the toys. I took my phone out of my coat pocket to check the time. It was already 3:30 and Mom told me to be back at the hotel by 4:00pm sharp. There was no way we’d make it back in time, but as long as we were safe I was sure she’d understand.

  David swung around the corner with the time and thought we better get going. I took Jordan’s hand and we started walking out of the store when something caught his eye. It was a wallet. A blue wallet that had the name, “JORDAN” written on the front. The letters were white and the wallet opened up into three sections. It had a little zipper for change, cardholders on both sides and a spot for a picture. He looked at that wallet and his jaw dropped. David didn’t have any more than a penny left from buying the ice cream so I took the wallet from Jordan and went to the checkout desk to purchase it. David and Jordan stood still by the exit door patiently waiting for me.

  “How are you?” The checkout women asked politely.

  “I’m great, thank you.” I answered in a rush since we were pressed for time.

  “That will be $4.56, please” she replied in almost an automatic voice.

  I handed the woman the change and grabbed the wallet from the counter. I opened my purse to take out our family picture and put it inside Jordan’s new wallet behind all the fake cards. Rushing over to them I handed Jordan the wallet. He cautiously put it in his coat pocket. It was quarter to four.

  On our way back to Betty’s Inn we cut through the park. The short cut saved us some time and we made it back at 4:05pm. Mom didn’t really notice.

  Jordan was so tired out from the day he didn’t even show Mom the wallet I bought, which was understandable. Dad was late as usual so we just ordered pizza and packed our stuff since we were leaving tomorrow. Right after Jordan took a few bites of pizza, he lay on top of the windowsill, cuddled his wallet in his arms and fell asleep. Dad walked through the door. He apologized for being late again and sat down beside the pizza. Each of us shared stories about our day. Afterwards, David and I excused ourselves and went back to our room.

  After brushing my teeth, I put on my purple pajama bottoms and gray tank top. Then I collapsed on David’s bed and we both fell asleep watching some teen movie that was playing on television.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning I woke up at ten o’clock, to a text message from Scott who was just confirming about today’s plans. I had totally forgotten it started at eleven and I hadn’t even showered. I texted him back and told him I’d be there. Running to the washroom, I stubbed my toe and noticed a note on the bathroom door.

  Gone to breakfast with fam. Didn’t want to wake you, have fun with Scott and we’ll pick you up at the library at 5 tonight. Don’t worry about your stuff, I took it all except your toothbrush and bag with an outfit in it. Love you, David.

  Glad to know they remembered about today when I didn’t. I went into the washroom, brushed my teeth and turned the water on to a warm temperature. The water was just pouring out from the faucet, I was glad to be out of the shower.

  I dried off and slipped my dark wash jeans on. Then I just grabbed a simple white shirt from my bag and popped it over my head. I had fifteen minutes left to get ready, so I blow dried my hair, straightened it and put my make up on. David left me ten dollars and a banana on the counter so I shoved them in my purse, put my shoes on and ran out the door. As usual, I slid down the stair railing and walked to the front desk to return my hotel key. The woman said my family had already checked out, which was kind of odd, but David did mention he packed up. I assumed they were just going to tour around New York.

  I walked out of Betty’s Inn and made my way to the library. Luckily it was only a ten-minute walk from the hotel. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was enjoying my walk down the sidewalk.

  “Katherine!” A deep voice yelled in the distance. “Over here!”

  It was Scott. I smiled and waved at him as I watched him skip down the stairs.

  “Hey!” I said with a grin on my face.

  “How are you doing?” He asked, almost out of breath.

  “I’m great, let’s get a bite.” I said.

  He agreed since the play didn’t start until one o’clock.

  We just went to a small café across the road from the library. We ordered the breakfast deal with chocolate milk and started talking about school. It turned out we had a lot in common. We both played soccer, piano, and did well in school. Scott didn’t really talk about his family, but I told him about mine. He enjoyed hearing about Jordan and how David and I didn’t mind spending time with him. He loved the fact that we hated seeing him disappointed.

  Scott was very charming for a seventeen-year-old boy. He paid for my breakfast and seemed to care about my family.

  We went to the play put on by the community’s youth group and I had a wonderful time. It was 3:30 by the time the play was over and Scott took me to a place downtown.

  We had to go up a few flight of stairs, but finally we were at the top of a brick building on Delta Street. He reached for my hand to help me up the last few stairs. When I reached the top, nothing got my attention. Then, Scott turned me around and guided me towards a black door. He dug in his jean pocket for a few minutes and finally pulled out an old silver key. He pushed it in the keyhole and jingled it until it turned. When the door opened he removed the key and invited me in the doorway.

  The room we were standing in was dark, but he gently held on to my hand and led me down a dimly lit hallway. When we came to another door at the end of the hallway, he smiled at me and then opened it, allowing me to go through. When he opened the door, I was exposed to an aquarium of fish, cages of rodents and countless numbers of cats and dogs. They were beautiful. Scott explained that there worked her and took care of these animals early before school and late evenings. He showed me all of the animals and we were having some laughs. I wasn’t paying attention to the time, but it was already ten to five. I apologized and helped lock up the pet shop.
br />   Somehow, we managed to get back to the library on time. We waited at the steps for an hour, but there was no sign of my family. Rain started to drizzle from the sky and within ten minutes a thunderstorm started. Scott suggested we go inside, but I refused. I was worried about my family. Mom was never this late. I texted David numerous times, but he didn’t reply. There was nothing I could do, but worry.

  Scott was really comforting. He took me inside and told me the librarian would understand if we stayed over night. He went to the closet to fetch some blankets and he came back with two hot chocolates and blankets underneath his arms. I smiled at him.

  “Thanks, Scott. I’m just really overwhelmed. I don’t know where my family are, I mean what could have happened?” I started to sob.

  Scott placed the hot chocolates on the desk beside him, looked into my eyes and wrapped his arms around me. All he said was,

  “Don’t worry, everything will work out. Things always work out.”

  I didn’t reply. We sat there and I cried in his arms for hours until I fell asleep.

  Chapter 5

  “Katherine, wake up! Katherine, you have to wake up now!”

  “Ugh” I stretched.

  Scott pulled me to my feet and hurried out the door locking it behind us. We crossed the road to the little café across the street. It was nice of him to treat me to breakfast again. I tried not to think about my family possibly being dead because I didn’t want to start crying again. I stayed strong until we finished breakfast. I went to the washroom to freshen up, while Scott paid for our meals. I had no idea where to go from here. I took a deep breath and walked out of the washroom, forgetting that Scott was waiting for me.

  When I walked out of the washroom Scott was just standing there with a big bright smile on his face, I didn’t understand how he could always be so happy. He pushed opened the door and we walked down the road.

  I could tell he didn’t know what to say, so I broke the silence and suggested we go to the hospital and see if they knew something about my family. He thought that was a good idea, but he had to do some things first.

  First we went to the Pet Shop. I fed the animals while he cleaned out the cages and tanks. It was already after lunch, but I was determined to get to the hospital. Scott called in another guy to the Pet Shop and explained that there was an emergency. He left the newbie with a list of things to do and we were out the door in a blink of an eye.

  Scott whistled and managed to get a taxi to pull over. We jumped in and Scott gave directions to the nearest hospital. All I could think about was Jordan. His smile. His laugh. His hair. The wallet. Flashbacks of our memories, it was all coming back.

  Chapter 6

  Finally, we made it to the hospital. I ran inside without waiting for Scott to pay. He caught up quickly though and together we rushed to the front desk. I told them my name was Katherine Stewart and explained that my family didn’t show up last night at the library. I rambled on and on, until she asked me to sit in the waiting room for a moment while she went to speak to another nurse.

  It was difficult to wait in those squishy padded chairs. The sitting room was packed with people of all ages and the place was filled with a stuffy elderly smell. Nurses and youth workers were walking by in a hurry traveling to their destinations. I was getting all worked up again and tears were starting to fill my eyes when I saw the young boys with their parents. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind.

  “Katherine Stewart” the speaker called over the PA.

  I hurried over to the front desk with Scott right behind me. I stood there with tears rolling down my face when she informed me that my family has been killed in a car accident yesterday afternoon around 4:30, near Delta Street. Two family members were rushed to a hospital about an hour away from here and the reports were sent to this hospital. They weren’t sure what two family members stayed on life support for a few hours, but two of them did. Unfortunately, they died during the night. A transfer truck was backing up when they were about to turn and was hit.

  I felt Scott’s hand rest on my shoulder as I fell to my knees. I screamed and cried more than I ever have had before. Everyone in the hospital stopped what they were doing and stood there with eyes on me. The nurses behind the front desk came out and helped me to the back room.

  Scott stayed outside the door and slid down the wall on his back. A boy I just met had helped me through a tragic accident, buying me food and caring for me. Luckily, I was raised to always receive help from others. But why, why would he help me? I needed to know why he was still here. After I calmed down a bit, the nurses sent Scott into my room. He told me that the nurses thought it would be best if I stayed the night because coping can be a very difficult and emotional process. I didn’t want to, but he convinced me to. His reaction kind of scared me when I said I didn’t want to, so I decided it wasn’t a good time to ask why he was staying with me through this. It was getting late and he told me he’d be here tomorrow after work.

  I was dozing off as he walked through the door. I was exhausted and within five minutes I was asleep.

  Chapter 7

  I realized different nurses were in the hospital room with me while I was sleeping because when I woke up a nurse was just sitting there reading a book. She noticed I was awake and asked me some questions and left the room.

  I was tired and the room smelt like an elderly home. I got up out of the hospital bed and used the washroom. I walked out and a tray of food was sitting on a little table over my bed. I didn’t feel like eating, but I sipped my juice and ate my toast because I knew how Mom would feel if I skipped breakfast. I went back to sleep until Scott arrived and woke me up.

  He told me I could stay with him and his Dad for a while if I agreed to go to counselling every week. As much as I didn’t like the counselling idea, I knew it was best. I signed out of the hospital with Scott and registered for weekly counselling.

  We decided to walk home since Scott had the evening off of work. I explained that I had no family left to tell about the accident and my best friends moved to a private school last semester and we lost touch over the months. There was nowhere I could go and there was only a week left of school plus I finished exams.

  “We’ll take things one day at a time,” he whispered.

  I looked at him, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I decided to ask.

  “Scott, how can you be so kind to me? I just met you four days ago and you already bought me meals, comforted me when I needed someone and now you’re taking me in! Why?” I desperately needed to know.

  Scott took a deep breath and paused for a few minutes.” I know what’s it like to lose family. I didn’t have anyone there for me when I needed it and my father always taught me to take care of others before myself. When he was first diagnosed with cancer he told me we were just going to take it one day at a time. Well he’s the last of my family and he’s still staying strong. He usually stays with Sarah she’s a foster mother, down the street from Betty’s Inn, but I try to visit him when I’m not working. I talked to him about you and he just wants you healthy so you can have the spare room in our apartment and he’s going to stay at Sarah’s.”

  “I’m sorry Scott, I’ll be here for you th—“ He cut me off.

  “We’ll be there for each other” he corrected me.

  It was beginning to rain again and we still had another mile to go so we stopped at a burger joint along the sidewalk. Scott ordered us each a burger and a shake. We ate in silence. After we were done we walked back to the apartment in the rain. He dug in his hand in his jean pocket and easily slid the key through the slot, which opened the door.

  I stepped inside. There was a small shoe rack and a mat on the floor. Straight ahead was a small staircase that led to the apartment. We went up the stairs and I took my shoes off after Scott did. He turned the lights on and told me to make myself comfortable and gave me a quick tour.

  The bathroom was down the hall first and only door to your right. My room wa
s the second room on the left and his was the first. The kitchen was behind the living room and the living room was an opened room connected to everything.

  I thanked Scott and told him I’m going straight to bed. He went to the shower and I found my way to my temporary room. It was nice. The room had a bedside table, dresser, double bed and a plant in the corner. I lay down on my new bed, softer than it appeared to be. I closed my eyes, and I was out.

  Chapter 8

  It had been two months of counselling and I felt it was time to start looking for a job. I had to move on, my family was gone and investigators were working on the case. I wanted to know the truck driver who killed my family. I wanted to face him and just hear him apologize.

  Scott had been working a lot more during the summer trying to pay for the medication and support needed for his Dad. He didn’t like to talk about his Dad, but he did tell me that he had been getting a lot worse. He was expected to die anytime now and was sent to the hospital a few days before.

  I decided to take a shower since I had the apartment to myself. I turned the radio on and finished getting ready. It was ten o’clock by the time I was out the door. I went to the library to photocopy my resume.

  The librarian was so kind to me, but I think it was because she knew Scott really well. I talked to her for a few minutes and she gave me a few places in the community that were hiring. I traveled around town all day handing out my resume. I was hoping to get a call as soon as possible to help Scott.

  I was on my way home when an ambulance went by. It reminded me of the night my family was killed, but I just kept walking. When I got back to the apartment I checked my phone. Something happened. I missed ten phone calls and fifteen texts from Scott. Just when I was about to call him back he called again. He told me not to worry, but he was at the hospital and didn’t know when he’d be home. I wanted to question him, but knowing Scott that wouldn’t be a smart decision.