Hey guys! Long time no see. With the new season of The Handmaids tale coming up I remembered that I was writing this and that I left you all of a cliff hanger. Sorry about the disappearance, creativity and life got in the way. So, the long awaited chapter 7. Enjoy, and thanks for sticking with it this long.
The sound of a bell, the door bell, as I entered the café. People sitting in tables, talking like there isn't a care in the world. But there is a care, I have a care, me and my parents have a care. I am sure they do too but they are just not showing it. They all have someone they care for down there, we all do, I do.
"I can help who is next!" I step forward. The young girl who is working at the counter looks to be no older than 17, having a job. Down there women can't have jobs.
"What can I get you?" I snap out of my head.
"Uh.. Can I get three chocolate croissants and a diet Coke, Coke, and a water."
"We only sell Pepsi products miss." Of course they do.
"Pepsi's fine, thank you." I hand her the money and wait for my order. When they call my name I grab my items and quickly head out the door. The sun shines bright on my face as I make my way out to the street. The street is bustling with cars as usual for the eight o'clock hour. But I just walk down the sidewalk to head back to my apartment.
The walk is nice on this warm summer day. I pass by the park where children play on the play structure, the swings, the slide. I see the memorial in the center of the park where people have placed photos of loved ones who were lost or taken during the coup. I have a photo placed there too, I am sure it is covered up by the countless of other photos, missing posters, flowers and gifts that lay about the memorial. We all wish for their safe return home, we all wish that they are alive, but no one knows for certain if they are alive or not.
I turn the key into my apartment and open the door. I hear someone in the kitchen, probably mom, and the noise of the TV is on in our living room, probably dad. Placing the croissants and drinks on the kitchen counter, I see my mother placing dishes we washed the night before in their proper places. The kitchen is small, smaller than the one we had back home, but it makes due for the three of us. The kitchen is set up like a square, leaving one end open for entrance and exits. Cabinets overhang the counter tops, we put small lights underneath them to add light while we cook. We have a counter facing the living room with chairs on the opposite side where we like to eat our breakfast or do some work.
"Heidi, your home." She says as she notices my entrance.
"Yeah, I just went out to grab us some breakfast." I respond. There is a soft smile on her face that is comforting.
"Thank you. Tim!" She calls dad over from the living room. The news is turned on. With all of the talk about the sudden departure of that Gilead Commander and his wife and the recent discovery of women's letters, that's all the news has talked about. That's all they really can talk about. I see dad on the couch watching the news discuss the letters. There was a protest today about Gilead, a group of women standing on a small stage reading out the women's letters. None are from who we are looking for, we read them all online, none are from her. But still, dad sits eagerly watching, listening, hoping that they forgot one or that a new one came in. He is so hopeful, we are all so hopeful.
We move towards the dinning room table that sits by the entrance to the kitchen. Documents and photos are covering the table, documents that we hope will help us find her and photos of her from the time before, the very little that we have. Mom stacks up some of the papers and pictures into a pile, clearing away a small place for us to eat together as a family.
We eat in silence mostly, the noise of the news station playing in the background gives us the conversation we need. We eat our croissant, drink our drinks, and sit in silent. Mom looks over some of the documents again, incase she missed something. We all know she didn't, but to keep us all sane we let her continue. I look at the tv as I eat, I see hundreds, maybe thousands of girls me and my sisters age protesting against a country we fled from. I should be there, me and my sister should be there, we all should be there. We sit in silent, watching, reading, remembering.
The phone interrupts our silence. I go up to get it, knowing well that mom and dad get a little too hopeful that its the American government with some news that they found her. We all know that it usually isn't, just some scam caller that tells us that they have some inquiries about our cars extended warranty. This time though, its different. I answer the call and the response on the other end isn't automated.
"Hello, my name is Rachel Tapping from the American refugee sector of Little America and I am calling for Miss Heidi Hanes."
"This is her" I respond back. I have met Tapping before, though only for a short while. I met with her when I escaped and when my parents flew over here from Germany. She handles the Gilead refugees who flee to here, she knows information. Gosh, could she know, does she have?
"I have some information down at the sector that I think you would be interesting in seeing." My heart skips a beat, I must have shown the shock on my face as mom askes who is calling. "Its the...uh... refugee sector, they have some information." I respond as I cover the voice box of the phone. Mom and dads face stare back at me in shock. We haven't received news from them at all and we don't know if it is good or bad.
"How soon do you want me there?" I ask Tapping, hoping she wants me there now.
"As soon as you can get here." She responds. I thank her, tell her I will be right over, and hang up. Mom and dad want to come too, I see the urge in their walk, but we all know that they have work and can't miss it. I give them a hug before I go and close the door behind me. We have a car, I could take the car, but it would be much quicker if I walk.
I run down the street. All I can hear is the sound of my heart beat as I run through the streets and through the park. I run up the stairs of the building that is reserved for the Little America government and make it to the third floor where the refugee sector is. By the time I open the door I am sweating and breathing heavily, I haven't ran like that since I escaped. I work my way down the busy hallway full of missing posters on the walls and dozens of people sitting on benches waiting for their name to be called. At the other end, the door opens and I see miss Tapping at the entrance. "Heidi?" She calls out. I hear groans of some people, disappointed that their name isn't called, but I move forward and the door closes behind us.
"I am so glad you were able to get here on such a short notice," she says to me as we make our way to one of the many conference rooms on this floor.
"I am just glad that you called. What is it? Is it? Is she?" I can feel my heart beating faster with each question I ask, the anxiety eating away at my stomach. She leads me into a room and closes the door behind me. The room is nice, small, in one corner the new American flag stands on a pole with its two stars shaded in, not the fifty we once knew and loved. A conference table and chairs sit in the center of the room, and on the table a manila envelope.
"Heidi, I have called you here today as a name on your list has been found in one of our recent searches." I barely hear what she is saying as all I can hear is the sound of my own heart beating nervously in my chest. I say nothing as I look down at the folder. She gestures her head in a way that gives me approval to open it, and I do. Inside is only a photo, a photo of a young woman with brown hair tied into a bun and bright green eyes wearing a white dress. She stands next to a young man wearing a nice suit, I don't recognize him, nor the couple standing behind them. But I recognize the girl, my sister, Kyra.
Got a little taste what it is like up north. Hopefully will be writing more soon with the excitement of the new season coming out and my rewatching of the series. Hope you are enjoying the story so far.
-K