A day of work and fun

Matilda was excited. Today the home took a trip down to Central Park. She hadn't been down there in sometime. What she liked the most was that she could get away from all the stares and kids that didn't understand her. Not that she understood herself but at least she could find a spot near the several patches of trees and spend time with the animals here in the park.

As the kids took off and the adults followed, Matilda did just that. She slipped away from all the noise and found herself a small patch of trees with a small cove a mid them if one could get past the bushes. Which she had no problem in doing. Among the trees were the squirrels and birds and a few ducks nests. She pulled out her packed lunch and as the animals saw her spread the bread into crumbs for them, they came scurrying around to be near her. "Now no fighting. There is a bit for each of you. I even brought fruit. Oh and there is lettuce for the ducks also." Her voice was soft and sweet as she whispered to the animals that came to her.

Matilda enjoyed the sunny day. With winter finally loosing it's claim she could be outside all the time taking care of the animals that really needed her. With a sudden start she looked up, eyes bugged out of her head as she looked at the woman that just knelt down next to her. A bit startled in her voice she replies "Uh...yeah" Her voice barely above a whisper. "They need me to help them sometimes." She looked over the red-headed figure, wondering what brought her towards Matilda. People didn't come to her, no one was ever drawn to her. "Uh....why are you here? Do you want to feed them too?" She held a grape in her hand towards the woman. "The squirrels like them." She wasn't sure what was going on, but she didn't mind a friend who didn't scare off the animals. She was glad that someone else took notice in them. All to often in her small world animals were always taken for granted, so maybe someone shared her love. Wouldn't that be nice she thought as she held the grape waiting, a shy smile upon the young child's face.

Matilda wasn't sure why the woman asked to sit, it wasn't as it she owned the spot or even the fact that she hadn't already sat down. She just slightly shrugged her shoulders at the question and watched the squirrel take the grape. At the same time a beautiful brown mallard came to Matilda for the last little bit of bread. Her ducklings would be hatched soon. "Here you go pretty mama. Your babies are going to be so lucky. Take good care of them okay." She smiled at the duck and looked to the woman speaking. "Um, well not really. The home brought us here today since it is the last day of spring break. We go back to school on Monday. We are closer to Brooklyn then here." Not sure as to why she suddenly just told this stranger where they were from or what they were doing at the park. She shouldn't even be talking to her. But she seemed to like the animals, so maybe it wasn't that bad? She wasn't sure herself? "Do you like the animals also?" She asked in a small squeaky voice.

Prison? Did she say prison? Matilda could totally see both the home and school as both. Isolated, alone, confused, never having a friend. She thought even in prison the loners had someone to back them up? Didn't they? "I try." She wasn't sure what else to say to the stranger. But the stranger then added more. "They do have good conversations. Sometimes.." She brought her face close to the woman speaking in a small whisper, with a sudden glow about her. "I pretend that they do talk and we have full conversations. I wish...but don't tell anyone...they think I am weird enough...I wish I could be an animal. They have such beautiful lives." She smiled, sharing something deep inside of her wasn't something she did often, if ever. And to do that with a stranger not only felt good but awe inspiring to her. Like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

But she shook her head, it wasn't like the books and stories she read. She knew it wasn't possible, but a small 11 year old girl could dream right?

Matilda's eyes went wide. Wolfy? Did she mean an actual wolf? Was that possible to be so close to one? And to fly?!? Oh would she love to fly up high in the sky. Matilda's eyes started to water a little bit. And she huffed and stood up. She wasn't sure why she felt like crying. She just wanted to run away and cry because she knew that a dream like that would be impossible. But this woman, this woman gave into the small child's dream. "I...I.." She couldn't speak and tears just flowed out of her green orbs and off her rosy yet pale skin to land softly on the earth below her feet. She just stood there. Astonished, shocked, amazed? Amazed might be the better word in her mind. That someone actually believed in her. Could think she could be something other than the dredged homeless child with no real future.

"You, you have a wolf? Like as a friend?" She cleared her mind a bit and though she wanted to sit back down, she did kinda of scare off the animals that she managed to gather around her. So she really didn't feel like going back to the grass.

She looked at the picture, it looked more like a giant dog, a huge dog that she could ride like a pony. She imagined putting a saddle on the dog and chuckled softly. She properly shouldn't share that thought though. "He is a beautiful dog. He looks so happy if you look into his eyes. I bet you and him are really close." She smiled at the picture listening to this woman's words. "I have besties all over. The animals near the home are all my friends. The boys are mean to them though so I help them stay hidden and away from them. I wanted to punch them the other day. I was.." and she just started to ramble on about what happened with the boys and the kittens and started crying again for the babies. "But I helped their mom find a new home. They are good now though." She smiled. She was proud for standing up to them even if they called her names. She didn't care. "If I do anything great in my life, it will be for them. Maybe I will open a home for them with a big back yard where all the unwanted and unloved animals could live. Then they would be happy because someone loves them and takes care of them. That would be great, right?" She looked the lady and smiled with hope in her eyes thinking about the day when she could finally do just that. She started to think maybe that wouldn't be a bad dream at all to have. Something she could look forward to. Maybe tomorrow she could go to the local library and read about animals and what they need each day and how much space they need, oh and maybe houses too. She could look into building them each their own houses. When she was older of course.

Matilda didn't know what to say or do in that moment. She spoke to her, pulled something out and offered it to the girl. A journal. Her own? She couldn't form words to express her excitement or her gratitude. No one had given her anything in her life even her parents didn't give anything. She wondered for a brief moment if they named her, she never asked if she had a name before being tossed aside. As quick as the thought came through though she pushed it aside. "I...I.." She couldn't form the words and just ran into the woman's arms giving her a big hug and between the tears of joy and the sobs in her throat she finally managed to whisper "Thank...thank you." She would do just that. She couldn't wait. She would first draw the squirrel that this woman fed with her grape, then she would draw the kittens and their mother. There was so much to do, she couldn't wait to get started. She wondered briefly if the adults from the home and the other kids were around. She lost track of time sitting her for, she didn't know how much time was passed. She glanced around looking for them while still holding on to this stranger who had given her more kindness then she ever knew.

She took the card that was handed her and read it out loud. "Tea gan?" (Tea-gain is how she pronounces it) She looked up and smiled and put the card into the front of the journal. "Maybe if I am able to get a computer one day I will email you." She watched as the woman stood up and brushed the leaves and sticks from her clothes. "Um. sure. I guess." She was kind of sad to leave to go look for them, but knew she needed to find them so she could get back to her home, the meager place that it was. But at least she had a roof over her head right? Walking out of the clearing with the woman's hand in her's, she moved back towards the side walk. "Thank you for spending time with me even though I don't know you." She looked up at the woman with a sparkle in her eyes, the green in them changing to a hazel brown now that the animals were gone.

Glancing around she wondered if she would spot anyone right away but without seeing anyone, she figured they moved further along down the path to the playground. "I can go find them on my own. I am sure you have to go. They are properly down the path at the playground if not getting ready to head back at the bus."

"Thank you for the cards." She took the other and put it with the first. "T does seem easy." Though she did wonder what she meant by 'the big sky' Maybe she meant she had to get on a plane and take a flight home. Now that she thinks about it, she does have a different voice. Not like everyone else around here. "Um, no, I am good. I don't want you to miss your flight." She smiled and waved. "I will be fine. I am use to being alone." Her eyes flashing a bit of sadness as she looked at Ms. T. She would remember her and maybe one day soon she could write her. That would be lovely. Of course who knows, maybe once she leaves she won't remember Matilda. Maybe in her mind, it was her one good deed. She saw that in a lot of the adults that walked the city. Then again, she didn't come off that way, so maybe, just maybe fate would smile down upon the child for once.

With a wave she dropped the woman's hand and took off down the path in search of her group.

Running down the path towards the playground she became a bit frantic. Looking around she saw no children. She realized that the sun had already begun to set. There were couples walking their dogs or taking carriage ride and the homeless coming out to find good sleeping spots for the night. When did the time escape her? Why hadn't the group looked for her? Did they really not care about her. She started to cry, not a loud cry, but a soft somber escaped her throat. How would she ever find her way home. She had only ever been here during the summers and only when the group home brought her. It was at least an hour bus ride through the insane traffic and it wasn't like she owned a cell phone. She crumbled on the path, her legs folding up beneath her. Why was she always the one left behind. On the play ground at school, at the home, by her parents did no one care? Why was she even born. She wished she had never brought into this miserable world. She sniffled into the blank book in her arms. As if a light bulb went off.

"Ms. T.!" She gasped out loud without even realizing. Maybe she hasn't left yet. Maybe she can help me. She had been the only one in her life that had ever been nice to her. She even called her a champion to the animals and her eyes had this light about her. Stumbling to grasp her balance as she scrambled back to her feet, Matilda took off running in the other direction, yelling. "MS. T!? Ms. Teagan!?! MS. T.!?" She couldn't find her where she had left her, was she still there. She kept running down the path hoping that this one soul hadn't also given up all up on her.

Through her sniffles and water covered eyes she saw Ms. T turn towards her, her heart leaping with happiness. She is sputtering over her words as she tries to control her breathing her voice shaking with the crying and loneliness she felt just moments before. "I...." sniff "I..." tries to wipe the tears from her eyes as she sees Ms. T. kneeling in front of her. "They...they left." She turns into a muddle mess of sobs again as she leans into Ms. T. "I...I don't know how to get back to the home." She couldn't control the tears running down her cheeks at this point but she felt safe with this woman and she couldn't explain why, she just did. Always alone, but for once this woman seemed lie a small flickering light off in the distance that was almost reachable in her mind.

Embracing in the first real hug of her young life she enjoyed the warmth, her tears being wiped away lightly by the kind woman. Taking her hand when she stood she smiled. "Um it's by the water, called Ohel Children's Home but there are two of them I know that. I can tell you when we get there. I know what it looks like but I don't know how to get there. It is off 16th.." She racked her brain for the actual address. This home was only one of many she had been to and she had only been at this one for a few months, but she remembered the number because she couldn't wait to be 16 and be able to some day runaway and never look back. Hopefully by then if she studied real hard she could graduate and get a scholarship some where and leave this place with horrible memories.

She walked with the woman until the exited the park. The noise out here seeming to startle her for a moment. One wouldn't know in the park from the sounds that outside of the gates, it was a very different scene. Cars seeming to never end, taxi's painting the city yellow and the pathways filled with people moving non-stop. She clung to Ms. T's hand like her life depended on it not wanting to get pulled into the crowd. Did she said food? Drinks? Matilda only just realized that she was thirsty and maybe a bit hungry but she couldn't ask this very kind woman for that. Just getting her back was like a breathe of fresh air to her. "Um... I am good. You are doing so much already." She watched and waited as the woman pulled her phone out, Matilda hoping maybe she was calling a ride. She briefly wondered if the woman didn't know she could just stick her hand out to call a taxi, maybe she was calling a private ride?

A small shy like smile appeared on her face as Ms. T walked her into the small market on then corner. Picking up some water and coffee she went down the isle with her. "Um..okay." She said with that bright smile every time she heard Ms T call her a champion, she loved that word for some reason. As she looked at the items on the shelves, she grabbed herself a small nuitrgrain bar, she loved them and rearly ever got them and even then they were never the strawberry ones like the one in her hand. "Thank you Ms. T. These are my favorites. You should try one too." She picked on up for her in hopes that she would try it.