The Fire Escape

The sunset began to lay over the city. I shifted closer to the cold window. The bus rocked my body into a coma. The quiet chatters on the bus quieted the voices in my head. My wired earbuds fell and clanked against the metal seat. I shoved one earbud into my ear and the other into my pocket with my phone.

“Stop requested.” The bus announced.

A teenage girl and a toddler used the pole in front of me to hold on while the bus pulled over to the side. I took a quick peek at the time on my phone. I stared at the smiles of the posters plastered at the front of the bus. Those days, smiles made me cringe. The chatter on the bus didn’t bother me, oh but the laughter did. The bus stopped and the young mom and toddler walked up to the front to pay before exiting. It was weird. I’d never see those people again. I’d never see any of these people again. A cold draft floated on board when the bus doors opened. I zippered up my black hoodie. I fiddled with the ends of my braids. They needed to come out, but that didn’t really matter. I rested my head back on the window, even though it was still cold. I closed my eyes, but then my phone started to buzz inside of my dark, linty pocket. I couldn’t hear it ringing in my headphones. The earbuds were cheap, I must admit. The wire probably had a short in them. I quickly unlinked them from the headphone jack. I sat them on the empty seat beside me. Maybe they could be someone’s cool find, I didn’t have any use for them anymore.

“Hey, Wisdom! Charlie, here. How are ya?” Charlie said in a chippery voice. I met Charlie a couple years back at an after school program at one of our local elementary schools. Her and I had become really tight after bonding over our love of seafood and Caribbean music. I could smell her bouncy ginger curls over the phone. It always smelt like fresh linen and I always wondered if she shampooed with Tide.

“I’m hanging in there, Char.” I couldn’t be mad at her no matter how hard I tried. I never told her, but she was one of my closest friends. “Is it Donovan? He didn’t hit you again did he?” She asked with a tinge of anger in her voice.

“No, no. I’m fine.” I lied. Underneath my makeup was a red mark on my mahogany skin. I touched it and flinched in pain. An older gentleman walked by and grinned. For whatever reason, I grinned back. Under that makeup was a depressed soul.

“Stop requested,” the bus announced again. Cars impatiently zipped past the bus as it pulled over to the side.

“Remember that I’m always here for you girl. Anyway, I was calling you for a favor. I just met this kid at a family get-together the other day and he started crying. I’m talking about a red face and snotty nose. It was pretty bad-” she said until I caught her off, so I thought. I could hear her talking, as I held the phone away from my ear. I guess she didn’t hear me. I had an unsettling feeling when a small group of teenage boys came closer to my seat. I kept eye contact with one of them that had a hat on. I put my head down and pretended to look through my phone. That’s when the one I was eyeing, snatched my wired earbuds from the seat beside me. I pretended not to notice. I heard the boys snicker in the back. It made me crack a small smile. He had no idea that he just stole broken headphones.

I put the phone back up to my ear. “Yea, so I was just wondering if you could talk to him, please? His name is- oh wait, I already said what his name is. Sorry, it’s been a long day. I just thought you’d be the perfect person to talk to him because of everything that you went through with your uncle. Plus he’s really into fine art and something else I forget.” I forgot how much Charlie could talk.

“Yea, sure. Text me his number. I have another call coming in. Seeya.” I hung up before she could get another word in. I had no intentions of helping a depressed boy who’s name I didn’t even know. Especially when I’m depressed. I don’t think he would want my advice or maybe he would. His family definitely wouldn’t want me to talk to him. I pull the yellow string on the bus. I told a mall cop beside me that the kid in the back stole my headphones. He ran up to the driver and explained to him what happened. The driver called out the boys in front of everyone. Classic and embarrassing. I snuck out of the doors without paying.

Luckily, for me my destination was right around the corner from the bus stop. I took in the beautiful brick buildings in front of me for the last time, that is until I heard a “Ayo, girl with the braids! What’s your problem?!” It was the boys from the bus. I guess they got kicked off. I ran to the first building in front of me and around to the side where the fire escape stairs were. Think. Think. Think. I took my black bookbag off and took out a really long rope. I never intended to use it for that, but some things are multi-use. I used all of my might and threw the rope over the railing. The end of it didn’t reach down far enough, so I jumped up and grasped the end and we both fell to the ground. I tied both ends to the metal plates on the sidewalk. I had never climbed a rope, but I have done rock climbing before. How different could it be? I struggled to climb up the rope, but I was almost to the landing when the three boys got close. The tall one attempted to climb the rope. He fell to the ground, but tried again. The other two boys flicked me off and called me out of my name. I made it to the landing of the first flight of stairs. I didn’t have time to rest. I swung my bookbag off again and took out a knife. I saw off the rope while they desperately tried to get to me. I finally was able to cut the second string and the boy fell from higher up this time. He yelped in pain.

“I’m calling the cops. They’re on their way.” I threatened and they ran away in fear. I sighed. I wasn’t expecting to do what I needed to do right here. I took it as a sign. I was making my own fire escape. I picked my bookbag up and headed up to the top flight of steps. I sat down. I pulled out my phone and sent a few texts.

“Mom, I’ve always hated your spaghetti. And you look really nice in blue.”

“Dad, please get new glasses. And it’s never too late to adopt another kid.”

“Eugene. I quit. I’ve always hated your attitude more than the actual job.”

“Donovan, my dreadful love. You’re the cause of it all. I’m finally standing my ground. I’m breaking up with you.”

The darkness really started to creep in over my head and inside of me. I ignored the calls and texts coming in from the people I had just texted. I fiddled with the ends of my hair. I hoped that this building was vacant, but then again, I didn’t care. I looked at my options. I had a knife, pills, and a gun; a gun that my dad gave me in case of an emergency. This was definitely urgent. I went to the camera on my phone, and gave my brightest smile. I’ve never noticed how white and pretty my teeth actually were. I snapped the photo and posted it to social media. At least they would remember a happy Wisdom, even if it was all just a front.

I reached my hand in my bag and clutched onto the cold gun. Then there was music coming from the window in front of me and a tap on the window. There was a wide grinned teenager staring at me. A familiar face. He opened his window. A musty teenage boy odor hit me in my nose. “Bro, is that Wisdom Walker? Wisdom, it’s me Lin Chang! I haven’t seen you graduated high school. Can you believe I’m a senior now?”

This could not be happening to me. “Hi, Lin. What are you doing here?” As if I was the one that should’ve been asking that question.

“This is my spot. Well, technically it’s my parents' spot. I didn’t know you lived in this building now. You wanna come inside?” He brushed his hand over his messy jet black hair. He still had a pouty nose, but his face looked much more mature. He had on our high school’s t-shirt. I couldn’t believe it had been five years since I left that place.

I cleared my throat. “No, I’m good Lin. Just trying to get some fresh air.”

“I haven’t seen you in forever Wisdom. I can’t let you go without catching up. You sure don’t want to come inside? It’s starting to get pretty drafty out here. I made Shrimp. I’m home alone”

“It’s okay,” I said quietly. He scrunched his face up, and I immediately remembered that he was hard of hearing. He turned up his hearing aid.

“Hold on, let me turn my music down a bit.” He disappeared out of his window and navy blue curtains fell down. I quickly reached my hand down and grabbed the gun again. Lin came back to the window with a sketch pad in his hand.”

“Hey, Wisdom. It’s kind of weird, but I was just thinking about you today. Remember when we used to talk about fine art, pencil drawing and all of those things back then? You were the only nice kid to me. You were my best friend. Anyway, I’ve been watching this killer documentary on barn owls and I drew one up. You like it?” He said to me showing me his sketch of a beautiful white and caramel barn owl.

“I was reading up on them and everything. They represent transformation, and wisdom. That’s what made me think of you. Um, you sure you don’t want to come in? I’m home alone. I’ve been alone for about a week. If you don’t, I can come out.”

“Lin, I’m fine. Thank you. I was just about to go back down actually. Your drawing is beautiful by the way.”

He climbed out. “Can I talk to you about something? I remember I could always talk to you about anything. You see it’s my parents’... they-” He began before I cut him off.

“I’m sorry, but I have a lot going on myself.”

“Nah, no worries. I just wanted your opinion. I’ve been having a rough time and and-” he trailed off.

“No disrespect, but I really would enjoy this time alone.” He nodded his head and stepped back inside. I hadn’t felt bad in a long while. He came back with an umbrella because it started drizzling. I thanked him. He shut his window and his rock music started back up. I sighed a sigh of relief. I reached for the gun for the third time. I pulled out and pointed it to my head and heard a loud pop sound. I screamed and touched my head. I didn’t pull the trigger. It sounded like it came from inside of Lin’s room. I tapped on the window. Nothing. I opened the window, luckily he didn’t lock it. I pushed the curtains out of the way, and there stood a messy living room with Lin lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. I started to hyperventilate. That’s when I reached for my phone. I started panicking. My deaf uncle took his own life a few years back. I clicked on Charlie’s message and called the number that she gave me. I put the phone up to my ear and Lin’s phone started to vibrate from the end table. I stuck my head back out and puked over the railing.

“Who?” I heard a high pitched voice yell. My stomach turned into fluttering butterflies. Did someone see what happened? Did they think that I did it? I looked up and saw an owl that looked just like the one from Lin’s drawing.

“Who?” It asked me again, but this time sadly and desperately.