TO THE MOON AND BACK -- PART TWO
Maddie pulled her car into its parking space, and started the steep climb up the hill. She loved this part of the day, and always took the time to enjoy her surroundings in the last moments before entering her home. She loved Russian Hill with its quaint old houses, and caring neighbors who had made them feel like they'd really found their place in the world. As she approached the house, she shook her head in wonder – this great little house would have fit into the living room of the L.A. mansion. Yet it was a rich house – full of joy and laughter – lived in and real!! David would never believe what a turn her life had taken!!
Oh God, David again! She wanted, needed a clear head to mull this situation over. If she closed her eyes, she could conjure up the picture of his handsome face, smirking at her as if he were standing beside her.
"No way, buster," she muttered to herself, "This is MY turf –stay out!". With a determined expression, she shoved David out of her mind , and pulled open the front door.
"Hi, anybody home?" she called out. Receiving only silence in response, she walked to the kitchen. On the table, she found the note.
M ---
Did you remember about the meeting? We'll be there until
7 o'clock. Julie and I will eat with you after.
Love,
Zack
She smiled, and turned to the refrigerator. Her meeting with David had made her seriously late…they would be here shortly. She removed the casserole dish, and placed it in the oven. Macaroni and cheese -- those two would eat macaroni and cheese for every meal if she didn't intervene. She set the temperature, and the timer, and returned to the refrigerator for a glass of wine.
She took it with her into the bedroom, where she quickly removed her suit, and changed into faded jeans and a San Francisco zoo sweatshirt. She padded downstairs in her bare feet, and went into the den.
Sidestepping the pile of books leaning precariously against the sofa, she settled into the armchair, and propped her feet up. She raised her glass and sat quietly while the liquid relaxation flowed through her body.
Peace was easy to come by here –quiet was much rarer. But today quiet was not her friend – it left too much room for the haunting thoughts that were threatening.
Well, she faced her threats head on now – older and wiser, well at least she thought so.
And David was a threat – how could she explain to him what all this meant to her? Could he, would he understand the road she had taken? Her life was miles away from what it had been before – not just physically, but in every possible way. She looked down at her outfit…..11 years ago, she hadn't even owned a pair of jeans.
She glanced over at the framed photograph on the end table – the large green house in Zhengzhou where Maddie Hayes had been reborn…………………
After the ringing phone had driven her from her home, she had taken an interminably long flight to Beijing. Maddie had spent the entire trip alternating between tears and mind numbing sleep. As the plane landed, she was convinced that she had made the worst mistake of her life – or at least one of the top ten. Alone, thousands of miles from anybody who cared, in a foreign country where she didn't speak the language…….this was evasion at its finest. For someone who prided herself on preparation and organization, this was a daunting proposition. Maybe she should just turn around and go home.
As she alit from the plane, and looked around her, she found her confidence returning. "Hey you," she lectured herself, "Get a backbone. Don't underestimate yourself. Move on and find out the reason you are here."
Her mood continued to improve as she hailed a taxi, and observed with fascination the swirling crowds of people. By the time she arrived at the Beijing Hilton, she was caught up in the frenzy that went on around her.
She checked in and was shown to a beautiful room on the third floor, overlooking a picturesque square. She laid down on the bed and was instantly asleep. Her old and new worlds blended into a curious mix in her dreams……………..David Addison – being swallowed whole by a Chinese dragon…..drinking sake out of a cup being held by a beautiful woman…….. wearing a rattan hat and pulling a rickshaw!! It was actually a relief to awaken in the morning.
She forced herself into treating this trip as if it were an adventure. She saw all of the tourist attractions in Beijing – the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall. She left the hotel each day at dawn , and wandered the city, entranced by the ancient mysteries of China.
Her nights however were a different story. These were the times she felt achingly alone –oceans away from the familiar parts of her life, both past and present. She penned post cards to the Blue Moon staff, to her parents, and after much hesitation, to David.
"Addison," she wrote, "I decided to visit the ancient treasures before I became one . I guess it's part of getting on with my life. I feel like I'm on the verge of something. Maybe I'm being a drama queen – but I think I'm here for a reason. Confuscius
says, "I wish you peace.".
Fondly, Maddie
She had agonized over the words, and had hovered over the mailbox for a few tense moments before dropping the card in. "Well, that's that," she said, and walked slowly away. The tears sliding down here cheeks were involuntary, and signaled to her the end of a long sad tale.
After several weeks, she had felt the city begin to close in on her. She decided to rent a car, and branch out into the countryside. She headed south, and drove country roads through small towns and villages. The people were friendly and pleasant, although the English speaking were few and far between.
She entered a small town with a sign that said "Zhengzhou". It was a typical Chinese village, and Maddie was proceeding to drive onward, when she slammed into a large hole in the road, and heard the familiar thump, thump of a flat tire.
She pulled the car over in front of a large green home, and prayed the inhabitants spoke English. She had a feeling that she was in for some difficulty in resolving this situation. Changing tires was not her strong point – she recalled a rainy morning tire change on the L.A. freeway several years ago. No, that certainly had not been her finest moment.
As she knocked on the door, she noticed a small gold plate that read "Children's Welfare Institute". Her knock was answered by a smiling Chinese woman whose face clouded with confusion as Maddie asked, "Do you speak English?" It was apparent that she didn't, but her face brightened. She held up a finger to Maddie as if to say "Wait a minute", and disappeared up a flight of stairs.
Maddie stood waiting for a moment, and then her detective skills took over. There were curious sounds coming from behind the door across the hall. It was slightly ajar, and losing the battle with her curiosity, she pushed it open.
She gasped as she took in the sight –babies – dozens of them, each in its own crib!!!
There must have been a hundred of them, and they all appeared to be under two years of age. She must have made a bizarre sight, standing there with her mouth open, taking in the sights and sounds. She felt a familiar ache in the pit of her stomach, a feeling that seemed to come back each time she thought of babies in general…or her lost baby in particular. God, they were beautiful……babies laughing, crying, sleeping, playing – a veritable little city of sweet little people.
A noise behind her caused her to turn, and she observed a tall woman with a no nonsense expression approaching. When she spoke, it was with a clipped British accent, "Is there something I can help you with?"
Maddie stared for a moment, then shook her head as if awakening from a trance. She smile, " I'm sorry. I'm Maddie Hayes. I was driving and got a flat tire. I was hoping I could find a telephone, or someone who could help me."
"Of course, Miss Hayes. I'm Betsy Davidson, and these" – she gestured around the room—are the girls."
Maddie: The girls?? I'm not sure what I've stumbled into here. What is this place?
Who are all these babies?
Betsy : This is the Children's Welfare Institute – a place you Yanks would call an
Orphanage.
Maddie: All these babies are orphans?
Betsy: Well technically speaking, at least. By law, each family may have only one child.
These are the throwaways.
Maddie: Throwaways –what do you mean?
Betsy: They're girls…..quite a sin in China. Many families want a boy baby for their
Only child. We find our girls on our doorsteps, alleys, left at the hospital – all
In need of care.
Maddie: How horrible! Look at those faces. Who could do such a thing?
Betsy: Well, it's far more humanitarian than in the old days. Then girl babies were
Taken up into the mountains to die.
She leaned over to pick up a whimpering infant, and was immediately rewarded with a large toothless smile. "We're doing okay, aren't we angel? Don't be shy, Miss Hayes. There are plenty to go around."
Maddie stared at her in amazement. "Call me Maddie, please. I don't know. I've never felt that I'd be too good with babies. I haven't had much experience."
"Lesson one", remarked Betsy, and plopped the little girl into Maddie's arms. She settled into the crook of her arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her little almond shaped eyes danced as she reached for Maddie's necklace.
Maddie: (hesitantly) Hi! What's your name?
Betsy: Well my girls may be wonderful, but I'm afraid she's quite a ways from telling you her name. That's Amanda Lee and she's 6 months old.
Maddie: Well, hello Amanda Lee. I'm Maddie Hayes and I'm 48 years old.
Betsy: Look out, Maddie, here come the troops.
A half a dozen toddling babies headed down the room pursued by two Chinese women in nurse's uniforms. Betsy turned to one of the women, spoke in rapid Chinese, and turned back to Maddie.
Betsy: Maddie, I just asked May to have her husband change your tire. He is our
Caretaker, and handyman.
Maddie: Oh how wonderful. I would like to pay him.
Betsy: Please don't offer. He would be insulted.
Maddie: What can I do to repay you for your kindness?
Betsy: You'll repay your debt in no time if you help with playtime.
Maddie: If you think I can help, I'd be glad to try.
That was the beginning of Maddie's love affair with the orphanage. She returned day after day, the rental car piled high with diapers, toys, baby clothes. She became an eager volunteer…changing diapers, comforting crying infants and cheering on the toddlers who were beginning to take their first steps. She relocated to a hotel that was a manageable commuting distance……it seemed unimaginable that she miss a single day. She had always been single minded when she put her mind to something, but her preoccupation with the orphanage seemed to be bordering on obsession. It was something she worried about , alone in her hotel room each evening. She loved her work with the children, but she truly couldn't see much progress. Someone needed to do something to find loving homes for these babies. Thus the plan was hatched……….Maddie would return to the United States, and set up an advocacy organization to help families arrange for the adoption of these children, and others like them throughout China. Betsy was surprised, then delighted when Maddie explained her plan. The organization would have no political connections, rather it would function on an advisory level to assist prospective adoptive families. It would be self supporting, but not profitable, with excess proceeds used to offset costs of maintaining the orphans.
On the day that Maddie left, she spent precious moments with each little girl, trying to imprint each tiny face on her brain. She hugged Betsy tightly, and promised that she would return soon. The two women had become true friends, and they shared the commitment to make happy lives for these babies a reality.
It took almost a year of research, licenses, and outrageous lawyer's fees but finally everything was in order. They had decided that the best location for the agency was San Francisco…..the support of a large Chinese population would give them good contacts to start out, and they assumed that they would increase their numbers by word of mouth. They chose the name , "Reaching for the Moon" to signify the hope that all their clients would achieve their hearts' desire. Once the business decisions were made, it amazed Maddie how quickly she upended her personal life………..the house was sold, goodbyes were said, and Maddie was ready to begin the third career of her life..
On her last day in L.A. she stopped by Blue Moon. There was a new receptionist at the front desk, and Maddie was impressed with the smooth running of the office. She greeted the office staff ,and talked a bit about her move. Agnes beckoned her from what had once been her office, and she was surprised to see two desks sitting side by side.
Maddie: Agnes, look what you've done here. This is really different.
Agnes: Yeah, Bert and I found that it was much easier working in here together. We've turned the other office into a library and research center.
Maddie: But isn't it confining……..being together all the time.
Agnes: It doesn't seem to be a problem for us. Every thing is going very well.
Maddie: I guess you just picked the right partner.
Agnes: I could say the same thing to you…………even though it didn't turn out the way
I expected.
Maddie: (hesitantly) Have you heard anything from him??
Agnes: Not for about 6 months now….and don't think we haven't looked. I guess when
Mr. Addison decides to get lost, he stays lost.
Maddie: Oh well, I'm sure he's OK. I f you find him, you might tell him I was
Concerned about him.
Agnes raised her eyebrow, then seemed to think better than to respond. They hugged, wished each other well, and Maddie Hayes walked out of Blue Moon Investigations for the last time.
Maddie awakened from her reverie with a start. She stretched in the chair and looked at her watch. 7:30, they should be here any minute. And she still had no idea what she was going to do about the arranged meeting with David.
She took the last sip of wine from her glass, and realized that a familiar tune was playing on the radio. The words bored into her heart:
No tears, and no fears
Remember there's always tomorrow
So what if we have to part
Well, we'll be together again
Your kiss and your smile
Are memories I'll treasure forever
So try thinking with your heart
And you'll see we'll be together again.
Voices from beyond…………since China she had become a believer in things that were destined to happen. The words to the song helped to convince her. She and David had unfinished business. She owed him the meeting………….she owed herself the meeting.
Just then the peace of the early evening was shattered by the slamming of the front door, and the earth shattering voice that shrieked, "MOM, are you home?"
END OF PART TWO