"Master Conlon?" I whispered opening his door. "Master Conlon are you in
here?"
"Boy? Is that you? Aye, come in lad, come in." I quietly closed the door. "Sit down son."
"No, thanks, but no. I'm on my way Master Conlon."
"On your way are you. Och. quitting this town like you quit school?"
"Listen, I know you said running' away from your problems don't fix 'em, but I ain't trying ta fix 'em. I'm trying ta leave em behind." I looked to him but he had no reply. "Anyway, I just came to give you back your key," I said taking the string off my neck and handing it to him.
"Och, no son. That's yours now. The invitation still stands, for who knows when you'll be coming back to visit me? Surely when you do you'll be needing that key. Besides you're still me favorite student, lad. But och, you know that." I nodded.
"Goodbye Master Conlon." His old drained face and frail limbs couldn't hold out for much longer. The tears behind my eyes begged to surface. I jerked them away and stared blankly at him. I turned and headed for the door, prepared to close it and move on.
"Lad?" I turned to him. "Say hello to New York for me," he winked and a smile replaced my scowl. He always did know me.
The all-encompassing crowd at the train station generated the idea. There were so many people I feared I was lost. Lost. I pondered the thought for a moment. I don't know how I did it without tears, but they believed me.
"My. my. my mother!" I whined, stuttering when possible. The man took hold of my hand and calmed me repeating, there, there. I looked up at him with pleading eyes. "She. she has my, my, ticket," I looked sorrowfully at the ground. There, there. "And, and I'm sure she already got on. I was, I was following her. And I, and I got lost. And now I don't have a mother!" I yelled.
"Oh my child, don't get upset. We will find you're mother. There, there now. There, there," he comforted. I allowed him to take me into his arms. "Will you let me onboard? Because my mother, she's on there. I know she is, and she. she has my ticket. I'm too little to hold my own she says. So." "There, there son. Of course we will let you onboard. Now what is your name son. We can check." Quickly I interrupted as if I hadn't heard him ask. "I know which one we are in. She told me, my mother did. But I'd have to see it to remember." "Alright son, let's go then." If I hadn't been forcing a frown I would have smiled. He took me by the hand and led me down the asiles of the train. We passed by all the occupied cabins until I spied a vacant one.
"That's it!" I told him letting go of his hand and running. He smiled and let me look inside. "This is the one!" I examined the room and saw a small black purse on the table. I panicked and fright restricted me. He stared at the purse and started to walk towards it when I blurted it out. "Mother's purse, oh this is the right cabin. Thank you sir. I'll be alright now," I smiled tensely through my apprehension. He nodded and left me. I was relieved until I came to the realization that I could not stay in this cabin with the owner of the black purse.
She wasn't like I predicted. I gained enough pity from her to earn a place to stay. She was heartbroken by my story and she certainly hoped I would find my mother after we arrived. And of course she would let me stay, for if she had a lost son wouldn't she want a woman to do they same? I said she would, and she agreed.
I sat on the bed and was discomforted. I reached in my pocket and found the pocket-knife. In the midst of my confusion and strong emotions caused by my departure I had forgotten to return it. I flipped it over in my hands, reading the engraving. Conlon. I couldn't return it now, besides he'd probably let me keep it anyway. I put it away before too many memories surfaced.
She came in the room with tea and bread. I must have looked eager for she laughed and said there was plenty. I smiled weakly, and that's when she asked my name. I could feel the aprhension growing and I looked away from her haunting gaze. I swallowed what was left of my mouthful. Then, remembering the knife hidden safely in my pocket I looked at her and smirked. "Conlon."
"Boy? Is that you? Aye, come in lad, come in." I quietly closed the door. "Sit down son."
"No, thanks, but no. I'm on my way Master Conlon."
"On your way are you. Och. quitting this town like you quit school?"
"Listen, I know you said running' away from your problems don't fix 'em, but I ain't trying ta fix 'em. I'm trying ta leave em behind." I looked to him but he had no reply. "Anyway, I just came to give you back your key," I said taking the string off my neck and handing it to him.
"Och, no son. That's yours now. The invitation still stands, for who knows when you'll be coming back to visit me? Surely when you do you'll be needing that key. Besides you're still me favorite student, lad. But och, you know that." I nodded.
"Goodbye Master Conlon." His old drained face and frail limbs couldn't hold out for much longer. The tears behind my eyes begged to surface. I jerked them away and stared blankly at him. I turned and headed for the door, prepared to close it and move on.
"Lad?" I turned to him. "Say hello to New York for me," he winked and a smile replaced my scowl. He always did know me.
The all-encompassing crowd at the train station generated the idea. There were so many people I feared I was lost. Lost. I pondered the thought for a moment. I don't know how I did it without tears, but they believed me.
"My. my. my mother!" I whined, stuttering when possible. The man took hold of my hand and calmed me repeating, there, there. I looked up at him with pleading eyes. "She. she has my, my, ticket," I looked sorrowfully at the ground. There, there. "And, and I'm sure she already got on. I was, I was following her. And I, and I got lost. And now I don't have a mother!" I yelled.
"Oh my child, don't get upset. We will find you're mother. There, there now. There, there," he comforted. I allowed him to take me into his arms. "Will you let me onboard? Because my mother, she's on there. I know she is, and she. she has my ticket. I'm too little to hold my own she says. So." "There, there son. Of course we will let you onboard. Now what is your name son. We can check." Quickly I interrupted as if I hadn't heard him ask. "I know which one we are in. She told me, my mother did. But I'd have to see it to remember." "Alright son, let's go then." If I hadn't been forcing a frown I would have smiled. He took me by the hand and led me down the asiles of the train. We passed by all the occupied cabins until I spied a vacant one.
"That's it!" I told him letting go of his hand and running. He smiled and let me look inside. "This is the one!" I examined the room and saw a small black purse on the table. I panicked and fright restricted me. He stared at the purse and started to walk towards it when I blurted it out. "Mother's purse, oh this is the right cabin. Thank you sir. I'll be alright now," I smiled tensely through my apprehension. He nodded and left me. I was relieved until I came to the realization that I could not stay in this cabin with the owner of the black purse.
She wasn't like I predicted. I gained enough pity from her to earn a place to stay. She was heartbroken by my story and she certainly hoped I would find my mother after we arrived. And of course she would let me stay, for if she had a lost son wouldn't she want a woman to do they same? I said she would, and she agreed.
I sat on the bed and was discomforted. I reached in my pocket and found the pocket-knife. In the midst of my confusion and strong emotions caused by my departure I had forgotten to return it. I flipped it over in my hands, reading the engraving. Conlon. I couldn't return it now, besides he'd probably let me keep it anyway. I put it away before too many memories surfaced.
She came in the room with tea and bread. I must have looked eager for she laughed and said there was plenty. I smiled weakly, and that's when she asked my name. I could feel the aprhension growing and I looked away from her haunting gaze. I swallowed what was left of my mouthful. Then, remembering the knife hidden safely in my pocket I looked at her and smirked. "Conlon."
