A penny lost, A penny found
Darkness enveloped the city as night settled in. Fog hung around like a heavy blanket. Lighted windows high up on buildings shone like fireflies, winking to each other as sillhouttes passed behind them. Cars honking at red lights and the clutter of shops closing for the day ramped up the cacophony of the night's arrival.
Mathew Finn was a busy man. But today was special. He smiled a little as he stood at the window of his 10th floor office and gazed out at the foggy skyline and flickering lights below. His fingers found the little velvet ring box in his pocket and his smile grew. Switching off the light and grabbing his coat, he walked out of his office, instructing the secretary to lock up. His steps had a spring to them and his eyes held a bit of boyish nervousness as he took a deep breath and stepped into the beautiful night. He didn't grumble about the crowded pavement today, and even threw a penny and a smile an urchin's way. Stopping by the florist's shop, he had gotten a bouquet of a dozen red roses and let out a shaky laugh as he pictured himself getting down on one knee before the fair lady he was courting, Gloria Williams.
Huck was cradling Lilly in his thin arms. Her four year old frame seemed to weigh even less today, thought the nine year old boy, and his brow furrowed. Lilly squirmed in his arms and he heard her stomach grumbling. Or was it his? He wrapped the rag of a blanket around her tightly and cooed to her. As she finally settled down again, he looked at the people passing by them, trudging through the sidewalk as if two starving orphans were the least of their concerns. Huck looked disdainfully at the can in front of him, still empty. Anger, sadness and desolation surged through him as he fought to keep the tears at bay. Huck didn't like begging, and he'd work for small shops as often as he could. But he couldn't leave Lilly alone too much and he hadn't gotten work today. Stroking Lilly's soft blonde hair, he remembered how he had found her crying on the steps of their orphanage and smiled. He'd thought she was an angel, her eyes a pretty crystal blue and her blonde hair, a halo around her dirt-smeared, but beautiful face. Then he remembered the fire at the orphanage, which had thrown them out to the mercy of the streets. The smile replaced with a frown, he bent down to take the empty tin and find a warm corner in an alley to sleep. Thats when he heard the sound. A metallic clash, but it was music to his ears. He looked into the tin and found a penny. A penny! Huck could sing for joy. He searched for the blessed hand which had thrown it and found a rich gentleman smiling back at him. Huck looked at the man as he walked away with a bunch of red roses and smiled, wishing well for the kind man as only a child's innocent soul could.
Catherine sat at her desk, still wearing the damp coat from her walk, camera in hand. A young and energetic journalist, she had proven to be a natural, and had climbed the ladder at one of the prominent newspapers of the city pretty fast. Her ambitions settling like the dust on her first and faithful camera, she was yearning for something more when a sound lecture from her boss on how her work was becoming 'uninteresting' and 'too predictable' had sent her fuming to the park, where she fiddled with her camera, and finally gave up framing yet another lifeless picture. Cursing herself for spending the whole evening outside, she had made her way back to her apartment through the bustling crowds. That is when she saw a sight that warmed her heart like hot chocolate on a winter eve. A suit-clad man was throwing a penny into a beggar boy's tin can. But that wasn't what made Catherine unconciously focus her camera on the scene. It wasn't the boy's face infused with such pure joy, it wasn't how he looked at the man's retreating back with innocent gratitude, no, it was how his eyes flickered from the penny to the little angel sleeping in his thin arms with a look of tender love tinged with a sadness beyond his age, that made her capture the scene on her film. Now one hour later, she was seated at her desk, staring at the picture with a gentle smile on her face when the phone rang.
"Catherine Williams?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"I am calling from St.Mary's Hospital. Are you the sister of Gloria Williams?"
Catherine's heart sped up. "Yes I am. What happened?"
"Your sister was brought in a few minutes ago. She is in a critical condition. You are the only listed family member, so it is best if you get here as soon as possible. I'm afraid her condition is very grave."
Mathew Finn's car raced through the wet streets. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. His brow had a furious frown, but his eyes were desperate. How could he not be, when his world was tumbling down around him? The phone call from Gloria's sister had crushed his heart, which belonged to a certain woman who was dyi-No! He banished the thought from his head and slammed his foot on the accelerator once more, ignoring the rain and fog and the screeching sounds of his tyres on the slick road. But his headlights were too dim, his thoughts too frenzied, and he didn't notice the small figure of a boy crossing the road. He missed the figure at a hair's breadth but didn't slow down, for every second that passed was ticking away in a failing heart on a bed in St.Mary's Hospital.
Huck was happy. For once, he didn't mind the rain drenching his clothes or his bare feet sloshing in the puddles. He was grinning at the stars and crossing the road, for he had got two slices of bread and a shiny red apple, Lilly's favourite, with the penny. He hadn't been happy about using the penny, it wasn't his, but one look at Lilly's tired face and hungry eyes had set him off running to the grocer's. He'd told Lilly to stay in the church, at their usual spot. In his hurry to see the little angel's face as he gave her the apple, Huck didn't notice the car coming full-speed towards him. Heart in his mouth, he jumped away in the last second and the car missed him at a hair's breadth. Frozen to the spot, the ragged breath he finally drew in was let out in a sigh of disappointment when he saw one of the two slices of bread, lying crushed on the road. He felt like his little heart had been crushed too. He must have dropped the bread when he saw the speeding car and it seemed like the tyres had run over it. He took one last look at it, turned, and ran back to Lilly.
Gloria Williams was lying on the hospital bed, her blonde curls spread like a halo around her beautiful face. The fire at her apartment was unexpected, an accident. She had worn her new red dress for the special date Mathew had asked her to. She loved him, and had a hunch that he might ask for her hand tonight. Gloria was happy, yes, but guilt had made her heart heavy and her smile sad. She had wanted to tell Mathew before he proposed. And now, as she felt life slipping away, she knew she had to tell someone. "Ca-Cather-"
"Yes Gloria, what do you need? Are you in pain?"
"Cathy, I-I need to- to tell you something. Promise me you will tell Mathew..Please..."
"Of course Glow, of course, darling.."
"I-I have a child."
"A child?"
"Yes, before..before I came here..Lilly, my angel.." A loving smile graced her lips. "She is beautiful, Cathy, she.." A lone tear slid down her cheek "I...I abandoned her. An orphanage.. In the newspapers, two moths ago, the orphanage burned down, Cath...Please..Promise me you'll protect her..Oh! I love her...Lilly..."
And then those pretty blue eyes, clear as crystal, closed forever.
Huck raced up the church steps as fast as his legs could carry him. His heart fell as he saw the large wooden doors were closed. Then panic set in. "Lilly!! Lill!!!!" He raced to the doors and pounded on them with all his might. Oh, what if she was trapped inside? The thought made him pound harder and he almost didn't hear the frail little voice that called "Huck! Hucky! I'm here!!" Huck's heart soared when he heard the angelic voice. He turned around to find Lilly sitting outside, on the steps. "Lilly!! Why are ya out here, angel?" "Oh Hucky, the new pastor was closing the doors, I was afraid ya wouldn't find me in there, so I sat here. Oh Hucky, what is that?" Lilly's eyes shone as she looked at the brown paper bag Huck had kept dry, inspite of the rain. "Oh this? This is for ye, angel." Huck said, taking the apple and the slice of bread from the bag and giving it to Lilly. Her little face lit up with happiness as she tenderly touched the shiny red apple, as if she couldnt believe it was really there. Huck laughed. And as they sat there under the twinkling stars, and Lilly munched on her apple and ate her bread, Huck didn't mind that his slice of bread was lost, or feel that his stomach was empty, for his heart was full of the joy reflected in Lilly's pretty blue eyes, clear as crystal, his angel, who he swore to protect, forever.
