Mitchum's conscience.
March 7th 1985.
Mitchum was having a very bad day His assistant had just handed in her notice. Saying she couldn't work for him anymore. His Wife had told him he had to go to some sort of dinner, One of his newspapers lost a major contract . Then his son's school had rung him, telling him that Logan had been in a fight. To sum up Mitchum was having a bad day.
So he decided he needed to leave the office for half an hour and find a decent cup of coffee. Walking down the street in the middle of Hartford it was cold and grey, with misty rain coming down.
He saw a small coffee shop and made his way in, he was so deep in thought he didn't notice a young girl walking near him and walked straight into her. Spilling and Dropping the coffee she was holding.
"Damn it." She said crossly. Dabbing at the coffee stain on her top.
"Oh I am sorry. Are you alright?" Mitchum asked.
"Well apart from spilling coffee on myself I am fabulous." the young girl said sarcastically.
"Are you okay?" She asked looking up for the first time.
Mitchum noticed she had extremely dark red hair, almost black. Periwinkle blue eyes and bright pink lips. He also noticed that she looked extremely tired and drawn. She had deep shadows under her eyes. She also looked like she hadn't eaten in a week. "Yes, I am fine. Nothing the dry cleaner can't fix. Can I buy you another cup of coffee?" Mitchum asked politely. He didn't know why he was being so polite, It was completely unlike him. But he was struck by the young girl how she looked like she had aged far beyond her years. She couldn't have been more then seventeen. Not much older than his baby sister.
"No no I'm fine, thanks anyway." She said straightening up, she went and sat down at the table behind him and mitchum went to order his coffee, picking out a large doughnut at the same time. As he was waiting for his order, his eyes went back to the young girl who he had bumped into. She was sat at a table by the window with books spread out across it. Next to her was a babies pram. Unconsciously the young woman was rocking the pram back and form whilst reading and writing notes.
The barrister came up and handed Mitchum his coffee and doughnut. "Hey could you tell me who that girl is over there with the baby?" Mitchum asked the Barrister.
"She is a girl that goes to the G.E.D classes at the community college once a week. She comes in about half past twelve each Thursday, stays for a few hours studying. Then she leaves. She only ever has one half cup of coffee and even then she counts the pennies out. We think she must be some homeless teenage mum. But we give her credit. The little baby in the pram is always well behaved. Never cries." The Barrister said.
"Is that all?" The barrister asked. Looking at Mitchum. Mitchum nodded then made his way to an empty table across the room, staring at the young woman.
For half an hour Mitchum watched as the young woman who was studying intently. Something distracted her and she picked up the baby from the pram and was comforting it whilst looking through a baby bag. Slowly and carefully she fed the baby. Once she fed the baby and placed it back in the pram she clearly sighed, pushed her hair from her face and went back to studying. Rubbing her eyes slightly.
Mitchum made his decision there and then. He stood up and went over to the Barrister who had served him earlier.
"Hi, urm here is ten dollars, could you make sure that young woman has a large coffee and a sandwich please and the baby has some milk. Make sure she doesn't know who its from." Mitchum said handing over the Ten dollar bill. The Barrister smiled and nodded. Quickly making up the order.
Mitchum turns round and leaves, whilst walking all the way back to the office Mitchum couldn't help but think how fortunate he really was all his problems seemed to shrink in comparison . Thinking about that young woman and knowing how much power and money he had Mitchum made a decision that he would start a small foundation for homeless education.
Walking into his office he sat behind his desk and picked up a pen and a piece of paper writing down his ideas for the charity.
Twenty one years later.
Twenty one years since he bumped into the young teenager girl on that dull grey Thursday. Over the years it had raised over three million dollars and went on to establish rehab facilities and shelters for pregnant teenagers. Mitchum was known to the world as a ruthless business man,
very few knew of his charitable side which is how he liked to keep it. As he came home from a grualing day at the office he knew he'd have to deal with a horrid family dinner. His son was bringing home a girl for the family to meet. Mitchum dreaded what kind of dolt his son would bring home.
As he walked through the door he could hear raised voices and saw his son storming out of the dining room, a young woman running by his side. It was then he stopped dead in his tracks. Staring out at him was the teenage girl again. The same Periwinkle blue eyes, same hair , even the same pink lips.
'No it couldn't be' he thought to himself. "Logan is dinner still going on?" Mitchum asked unable to take his eyes off the young woman.
Logan said something but Mitchum didn't hear. Suddenly being brought back to reality he could smell his wife had been smoking. Rolling his eyes and resiting the urge to bang his head against the marble pillar next to him, He turned to ask what had happened but logan was already half way out the door. The young woman stood there "It was nice to meet you. I'm sorry." She said
The she sprinted off after Logan.
Mitchum smiled. 'Least I know they were okay' he thought as he braced himself against the onslaught .