GENTLE IS THE RAIN

GENTLE IS THE RAIN

But it can chill to the bone

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It had been a warm day in April when Tessie Montgomery stormed out of her parents’ apartment. It wasn’t the first time, so they assumed it wouldn’t be the last. Although she was only six, the little girl had a mind of her own. She wanted to go to the park! Being close to dinner time, her mother said no. Tessie stomped her foot and walked out the door.

“Marty, maybe I should go after her,” her mother said.

“Julie, you know this isn’t the first time. She’s bound to walk through that same door in a matter of minutes.”

“That’s so true. How many times has she done this in the past year? Two, three?”

“Honey, try seven! I think. Actually, it’s been so often, I’ve lost count and punishing her has never done any good. She’s a rebellious child with a mind of her own. I really don’t know what else we can do but let her find our own way.”

Tessie never came home that night. The search was on for this little dark-haired six-year-old.

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Tessie walked through the park. She loved this time of year when the breezes were gentle, and families would be out with their children and pets. She hoped that one day, someday, her family would find her. She admitted to herself that she wandered further than intended and soon realized that she didn’t know the way home, and it terrified her.

She felt like she walked forever. Whenever the though of asking for help, she remembered what she learned from her parents: “Stranger, danger” and so approached no one.

Time passed. Too much time passed.

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Through the years, although Tessie didn’t own many things: one summer dress, one pair of long pants for colder weather, a jacket, one pair of worn shoes, one pair of boots, one raggy blanket and two plastic garbage bags, she felt she didn’t need more than what she had. In one bag, she kept her clean clothes, in the other, she placed her freshly rinsed ones to carry back to where she kept her little hide-away.

No one ever questioned her when she wandered through the park. In fact, very few people noticed her. She did her best to stay clean. She’d seen others her age, whose faces were smeared with dirt and grime. Not only did they look dirty, but they also smelled dirty. As young as Tessie was, she didn’t want to become like them. “I won’t look dirty like that when my family finds me,” she often thought.

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Tessie was worried. She realized that her clothes were getting tighter; her shoes felt smaller. “I need clothes. I’m growing! What am I going to do?” At night, she’d look through the dumpsters that sat outside the clothing stores. She knew that at times, as styles changed, an item or two might get tossed away. She scoured the trash bins behind the little shops like Good Will and the Salvation Army.

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As she walked through the park in her somewhat-new-old- summer dress, she felt the first splash of the spring drizzle fall on her bare arms. “Better get back,” she thought and began walking toward the park’s exit.

She reached the halfway mark to her little “hole in the wall” and the sky opened. What began as a light spring drizzle, became a fire-eating torrent of raindrops that felt like sharp needle pricks as they seemed to stab the skin.

“Ouch! That hurt!” she almost cried aloud. She looked at her arms. “No blood, so that’s a good thing.” She began to run.

Now, fully drenched as if she’d bathed in her clothes, she finally saw the gate that led to the tiny dark alley where the smaller wooden door sat waiting for her.

She scurried inside the small opening, stripped off her wet clothes and wrapped herself in her blanket. Her body shook and shivered until her teeth chattered. Finally, after what seemed to be forever, exhaustion overcame her, and she slept.

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Now, thirteen, Tessie stopped wondering if her parents would ever find her. She hated the life she was now living. Hated the opinion she had of herself. But, still not having any idea how to get home, tried to make the best of the unpleasant situation.

“I’ll make myself better. Somehow! Someway! Someday!” It became her mantra.

On a hot summer day, just before her fourteenth birthday, she decided to visit the local library and enjoy the cool air encased inside.

“While I’m here, I might as well see what, if anything I can read.” She knew her skills were horribly limited but still, had enough ambition to try.

As she wandered down each aisle, one of the librarians noticed and approached her.

“Hi, there. Looking for something special?”

“Not really,” she replied, “just looking.”

The woman kept staring at Tessie and knew she looked familiar but couldn’t remember why. She said, “Well, if you need any help, I’ll be at my desk over there.” She pointed to an old wooden desk, then turned and walked away.

As she did, another librarian rushed over, “Annie, Annie. That girl! I’ve seen her before. I know who she is!”

Annie’s eyes widened. “Felicia, who is she?”

Felicia pulled Annie’s hand toward the office and pointed to a large bulletin board.

There on the wall, was pinned a photo of a small child who wandered away from her home seven years earlier.

Wish fingers crossed, they hoped, as they dialed the phone number, that it hadn’t changed.

“Hello?” said the female voice on the other end.

“Hello, Are you Tessie’s mom? I know where she is!”