Finding Nelly Read online

  Finding Nelly

  Katie Lockwood

  Finding Nelly

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  A teaser from “To Win his Heart”

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  Chapter One

  Many years ago…

  “Ma, are you ok?” Nelly asked as she gently tugged on her mom’s feeble arm hanging off the bed. She didn’t even bother to wipe the string of tears that were pouring continuously from her eyes.

  “I am fine, darling. Now, I don’t want you to worry too much. It’s just a cold. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a day or two. Run along now, before a mouse gets your biscuits from the cupboard.”

  Nelly was almost fooled. She even got up, turned around and began walking towards the door. But as soon as she turned back and stole one last glance at her mother, Nelly felt guilty for almost leaving her alone. She was worried for her mother as she’d never seen her in that kind of state. Nelly’s earliest memories of her mother were of a strong and elegant lady that took pride in her appearance.

  And now, all that she could see was a scary shadow of her mother’s former self–and it scared her. Nelly was confused, and for a moment, she thought it best to call her neighbors for help. But since she was just but a little girl, she didn’t know how to go about it. Besides, the last thing she wanted was for her mom to be taken away. She didn’t like the idea of living with the neighbors when her momma was away. The last thing Nelly wanted was for them to cast pitiful glances at her.

  Nelly walked back to the room and sat next to her mother’s bed. Her mother, who hadn’t eaten anything for a few days, had already passed out. Nelly would occasionally stand up and put her index finger across her mother’s nose just to make sure she was still breathing.

  The room was dark and stuffy, save for the tiny beams of sunlight that stole through the spaces between the curtains. The room was generally empty, except for the small wooden bed, a nightstand, and a wardrobe. The wardrobe was situated on the furthest side of the room, leaving a lot of room for Nelly and her mother to dance during the happier days.

  Nelly missed seeing her mother normal, and all she could do at the moment was say a little prayer for her whenever she could.

  Her little stomach rumbled, startling her for a moment. Nelly grabbed on her belly and wanted to cry but then stopped the moment she realized the possibility of upsetting her mom. Her belly rumbled again, this time louder than the first time. Nelly knew that she had to eat. She reluctantly left in search of food.

  There were still remnants of the food one of the kind neighbors had brought over two afternoons before. Nelly took a quick sniff of it and began eating hungrily once she realized it was still fresh. After having a quick bite, Nelly walked straight to the kitchen and, placing a stool in front of the sink, she climbed on top of it with a mug in hand.

  She gulped the water down and drew some more for her mother. As she clambered down carefully and began walking towards her mother’s room, she heard someone shouting at the door while banging on the door.

  Nelly froze for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. Her mother always warned her against talking to strangers, let alone allowing them into the house. And judging from the angry voice that was coming from outside, the man did sound like a stranger, despite it sounding familiar at the same time. Was that mommy’s boss?

  “Cathy! You need to open this door right now! I need a proper explanation why you haven’t shown up at work in a week! I don’t pay you to take vacations, you know. I demand a full explanation right this instance!”

  It was her mother’s boss, Mr. Howard. The tall, skinny man who was always in shiny, oversized suits always looked the same whenever she saw him. But never in Nelly’s short life had he ever looked or sounded angry. He always smiled at Nelly every time she accompanied her mother at work. Her work was different, she knew that much, but it was also exciting to be around the fun people she worked with.

  Mr. Howard banged on the door a second time. But before he could utter another threat, one of the neighbors yelled at him to keep it down, reminding him that there was a little girl living there. It had some effect on Mr. Howards, who stopped knocking and shouting almost immediately.

  Nelly could tell that it was the kind neighbor who brought some food over the other day, and for a moment, she felt a sense of relief flowing over her terrified body. She took a couple moments to calm down before returning to her mother’s bedroom with food in her hands.

  Mrs. Bower wasn’t looking too good. Her breathing had intensified, and countless beads of sweat droplets were already forming on her forehead. Her hair was a far cry from the elegant style that Nelly was used to seeing. But that was the least of her concerns. At the moment, all Nelly wanted was to save her mother from whatever was troubling her. She shook her mother in an attempt to get her to wake up.

  For a moment, Nelly thought her mother was dead. But as soon as she shook her again, she opened her eyes. They were bloodshot and scary. But in the midst of everything, her mother managed a smile. She clearly wasn’t herself.

  “Please eat something, mama,” Nelly said in the voice she used when her mother had what she called ‘her episodes.’

  Nelly was reluctant, but she felt she needed to obey her mother as not doing so was most likely to trigger her further.

  “Will you be ok on your own?”

  “I will, sweetie. Now hurry along. I need to sleep.”

  Nelly went straight to her bedroom and sat on her bed. She was tired, but didn’t know how much until she lay down and closed her eyes.

  Someone shook her gently out of her sleep, in what felt like only minutes later, giving her time to collect herself. Standing beside her bed was a large woman. She was staring directly at her with a smile on her face. The smile did absolutely nothing to make Nelly comfortable. The lady had a greasy chin, and a hairy mole under her brown lips. Judging from her formal dressing, Nelly could tell that the stranger was someone official.

  “Where is my mother?”

  “Now don’t be scared, child. I’m here to make sure that you are taken good care of, understood?”

  “But I want my mother!” Nelly insisted.

  The fake-looking smile on the mean lady’s face disappeared and, in its place, she scowled at Nelly. She picked her up her from the bed and carried her towards the door. Nelly wanted to scream and kick, but she was so confused, she just surrendered. The fat lady was so strong that she picked Nelly up with one hand while the other hand grabbed on her little suitcase that appeared already packed.

  As Nelly was carried across the living room, she caught a glimpse of two burly men dressed in white coats carrying her mother towards the door. That’s when she began kicking and scratching. The men had just stuck her mother with a shot, and her mother slumped in the men’s hands.

  All of her screaming, kicking, and scratching did nothing to set her free. If anything, it only gave the fat lady a reason to clench her claw-like fingers around Nelly’s tender arms, hurting her in the process. All the commotion had brought all the neighbors out. From their looks, Nelly could tell that they all felt sorry for her. But they didn’t do anything to help, either.

  Nelly was bundled into a carriage together with her little suitcase while her mother was stretchered into a different looking one that sped away as soon as the two men shod in white coats got in behind her. Nelly wanted to cry, but the shock was too overwhelming for her. She was confused as the lady who was seated next to her in the carriage, did little to console her. She was as mean as they came and Nell
y didn’t like her, not that the lady cared at all.

  The journey lasted about a day, and when they got to their destination, the carriage stopped. The lady helped Nelly down and for the first time, she took a moment to enjoy a breath of fresh air. Finally, the old lady turned around to face her. There it was again, the fake smile that didn’t fool Nelly the first time.

  “You have no reason to be scared, little one. You’ll only be here for a while until your mom is feeling a lot better. Once she recovers, we will make sure that the two of you are reunited.”

  “But I want my mama.”

  The fat lady didn’t even pretend to hear, let alone care about answering. Her attention shifted to a young man who looked a bit friendlier than her. The man, who had his sleeves rolled and some flour all over his hands, came over and greeted them cheerfully.

  “I brought you a new one. Can you take good care of her until we find a proper home for her?”

  “Sure.” Then turning to Nelly, the kind man asked her for her name. But Nelly wasn’t having any of it.

  “I am not an orphan. I have a mama. I don’t belong here.”

  “We know, dear. And we will make sure you are reunited as soon as she feels well. Now, do us all a favor and stay for a few days, will you? I have biscuits and hot chocolate for you. Sound good? Looks like you could use some food.”

  Nelly loved biscuits and hot chocolate, so she agreed to go with the kind man. But she still had her qualms about the building in front of her. She knew what it was, an orphanage, but couldn’t figure out why she needed to be there.

  The first night was scary. The building was big and gloomy. The walls were made of low-grade bricks and most of the windows that were broken were covered with papers that did little to nothing to stop the ranging night winds from punishing the little ones. The kind man gave the children extra blankets that had just been donated, and it did help a bit.

  Nelly wasn’t happy, and she kept reminding the kind man that she didn’t belong in an orphanage. And after it was clear that no one was paying attention to her, Nelly shifted her pleas to fellow children who cared to listen. But it didn’t take long for her to realize that no one cared. Finally, Nelly figured it best to keep quiet and save her energy.

  Two days after Nelly’s arrival, the kind man walked to her tiny metal bed pushed to the furthest corner of the orphanage. In his hands was a well pressed dress with a bible. Nelly looked askance at the kind man who took the liberty to explain that they were moving her to the country just for a few days. He assured her she’d be fine, knew these were difficult times, but that she’d be okay. Nelly trusted him. She could tell when adults were deceitful, even when they thought they were fooling her. She was hesitant but felt a bit better.

  Nelly and fifteen other children found themselves at the train station later that morning. Most of the children were coming from different orphanages and just like Nelly, they all looked somewhat nervous. The kind caretaker assured them that they were being relocated to good homes. And with that, he was gone. Nelly didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye.

  The train pulled up short a few minutes later and a tall man dressed in black with a cross around his neck and a kind face stepped down to greet the children. She could tell right away he was another good one.

  As he approached the children, he smiled and gestured them to gather around. They did. He then told them what the kind caretaker had already told them. The older kids looked like they accepted it all, probably knowing more about their situation. It was Nelly’s first time leaving the city, and she couldn’t completely calm her nerves. Life with her mother hadn’t always been easy, but it was all she knew. Who would take care of her mama while she was gone?

  Nelly may be young, but right then and there she resolved to take care of herself no matter what. She would trust those who truly seemed interested in helping her, and not just themselves. She knew adults didn’t always mean what they said or show their true intentions by what they said. She watched their face for clues. Their actions, too, spoke louder than words. Her mother wasn’t the only one who had taught her that. She loved her mother, and her mother loved her, but she was going to have to be tough for a little longer until they got back together.

  She only hoped she could be as tough as some of those older kids. They didn’t seem as scared. Just sad. But she didn’t want to stay sad, either. Nelly decided right there and then she would be as independent as she could from then on.

  Nelly could take care of herself.

  Chapter Two

  Nelly sat by the window and was glancing outside while clutching her little fingers tightly around her suitcase handle. The breathtaking scenery had at least taken her mind from the worry on what was to come, and for that Nelly was grateful. The trees and large tracts of space felt strangely peaceful as most of the kids aboard the orphan train grew up in the city.

  They rode quietly for hours, eyes glued outside the windows, recording just about everything that they saw. And after about an hour or so, the buildings seemed to have disappeared and, in their place, a thick layer of tree line. The tree line was so thick that Nelly couldn’t see through them.

  Her neck was starting to hurt from peeking out so much, so she laid back and closed her eyes. The nice man was seated nearby, so Nelly figured that he would wake her up when it was finally time to get off the train. Besides, she was so tired for lack of proper sleep with the few rats heard running inside the orphanage keeping her up at times.

  The journey on the train lasted three days. They had a few stops for snacks and relieving themselves before getting back on the train. After the first day, Nelly just wanted to sleep and not be disturbed. Some of the children tried holding conversations with her, but Nelly only politely turned away. She was tired and felt sad. All she wanted was to see her mother. If that wasn’t possible, then someone could come over and tell her that everything was going to be ok. Unfortunately, no one was willing to tell her anything, and that made her thoughtful the rest of the trip.

  Finally, someone tapped Nelly on the shoulder, pulling her back from her unending daydreams and worry. They’d finally reached their destination, and Nelly couldn’t wait to see where they’d been travelling. As soon as Nelly got off the train, the first thing that caught her eye were the people who were waiting for them. They dressed much differently to the people in the city. But they looked incredibly happy and were indeed friendly as she approached. The women didn’t have makeup on, and their hair was either tied into a bun, ponytail, or cut shot.

  The men looked stronger, most donning bushy beards as opposed to the men in New York who took time to groom their beards. The tall man was talking to the country folk who seemed too excited to see him. He then looked over his shoulder and gestured for Nelly to come over to where one couple stood waiting. The three looked extremely excited for her to be there.

  “Hello there. You must be Nelly. I’m Penny. And this man is Percy, my husband. We are so happy to have you in our home for a while. I know this must feel so new to you. But we’ll make it as comfortable as possible for you.”

  The country lady didn’t have any makeup or heeled shoes, but she seemed nice. Nelly liked her from the get-go, but she still wasn’t sure about living with them. The tall man bent over to Nelly and assured her that Percy and Penny would look after her well until her mother was well enough to get her back. Nelly reluctantly agreed to go back with the couple to their farm.

  They helped put Nelly’s little suitcase at the back of their cart and off they went. The two couldn’t help but talk about how amazing it was to finally have a girl around the house. Apparently, the couple had grown children who had to leave and start their own lives. They were so happy to have her in their home. Their love seemed so genuine that Nelly could almost feel it. It was different from the last number of days, and she felt comfortable enough to let her guard down and finally relax. She knew she could trust these two as well.

  Their farm was about an hour from the train st
ation, and Nelly fell in love as soon as they got there. Nelly didn’t know how much she could enjoy animals until she was introduced to the pig farm and then to the stable where Penny and Percy had a few horses. They promised Nelly they’d help her on the horse when she felt comfortable, and she could ride the horse as they walked beside it.

  She bonded quick with the couple, and after some time Nelly felt at home with her newly adopted family. They didn’t have much of the things she was used to, but at least they showered her with so much love. The couple would also pray for Nelly’s mother to fully recover every night after dinner, which made Nelly love them even more. She was given a few chores but never too much as she was still little, and she thought they gave it to her to make her feel important, which it did.

  Six months later and it felt like home. She even made a few new friends from the neighboring farms who attended the same church as Penny and Percy.

  One afternoon as Nelly was playing with her friends in the fields near the tracks, she caught a glimpse of the man who had brought her to the country half a year ago approach her house. She stood there, wondering what brought him back. Her mother? She missed her every day, but life was so free here. And she felt far more independent and confident at their house than in the city.

  Her thoughts were confirmed when she saw Penny frown while the man spoke to the couple. After a moment of trying to make sense of their words from a distance, Nelly made her way to the three of them.

  As soon as they saw her, they put on those smiles adults did when they meant to make you feel better. She listened as they explained it was time to leave. She would miss it there, for sure. And miss her guardians dearly.

  She had so many questions, but she’d learned never to bother the adults with too many questions because she was unlikely to get the answers she was seeking. And just like that, she left, back on the road, again.

  Just like it was the first time, Nelly kept herself busy either by staring outside the window or sleeping, wondering if she’d ever see those two again, until finally, they arrived back in the city.