Excerpt
It was a sweltering day in June when Tiffany ambled into the small cafe next to the bus station Paul had told her to meet him. She plopped her backpack down and squeezed her dingy body into a booth as the sweat poured from her brow. She was starving and hoping to bargain for a glass of iced tea. She had only a few pennies to her name.
As she sat savoring the free tea, she took out her favorite picture. It was the picture of her brother, which she prized. It was the only valuable article she had left. She had kept it sacred over the years. Staring at this picture, her mind swept back to the past. She could still see her brother and fathers eyes filled with tears as her mom grabbed her hand and whisked her out the door away from her brother whom she had loved more than anyone
If this was her brother, she could rest assure he would help her. Spending her seventeenth birthday all alone, sleeping on a park bench, had caused her to be extremely depressed. She had been through so many difficulties her mind would not let her believe she may be finding her brother.
What if this fellow isnt your brother? If he is, what if he doesnt like your looks, youre not exactly a lovely fair maiden dressed like a boy, her mind raced.
Tiffany still disguised as a boy, Samuel, yearned to go back to being herself. This was not a possibility, as she was in continual fear of Frank and his men, who was still lurking around searching for her. She knew that if they found her, and being she knew so much about their criminal activities, she would be a corpse, just like her mother. She wished she could feel secure enough to get rid of the boy garb, but she had lost all of her girl clothes.
She just hoped that her brother would accept her as she is, if indeed this man was her brother.
Tiffanys thoughts depressed her, but the idea of possibly seeing her brother again was causing happy tears to fall from her face.
Things are going to be different now, she vowed. Seeing Paul again was going to be wonderful, she had at least a slim glimmer of hope. She knew he would protect her.
Remembering how she always gave him a treat when he would help her, she suddenly thought about the orange she had kept in her backpack. She had to have something to give him when she met him again. She reached inside her backpack and brought out the orange.
As Tiffany anxiously waited with tears falling, she could barely see others in the restaurant. Suddenly she spied a good-looking, well-dressed man in a booth nearby, peering around as if looking for someone. That fellow looks like the picture in the newspaper. He must be my brother, she said to no one, as her heart started pounding.
Tiffany, grabbing the orange, slid cautiously out of the booth. Realizing that this man didnt recognize her, she quickly removed her floppy hat and let down her hair. With downward eyes, and feeling shame from her past, she awkwardly ambled toward Paul, very unsure of herself at that moment, as she slowly held out the orange to him.
She was relieved that Paul recognized her, as he accepted the orange she held out to him with a smile and hug. She knew then that this was indeed her brother.
When Tiffany was finally able to look Paul directly into his eyes, she said, I am Tiffany, your sister. I have been hoping and praying that you would truly be my brother.
Tiffany was not sure what he would say or do. She knew that she eventually would have to tell him about their mother with all the details, she knew that this was something she was able to do at this time; she just wanted her brother to hold her as he used to so many years ago.
Seeing Tiffanys pain and awkwardness, Paul met her midway, and said, as he cautiously drew her into his arms, You are my Tiffany. I am so happy you are here. I have missed you so much.
I am so happy to see you again, Tiffany said. The tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she felt the comforting arms of her brother encircle her. She hung on to him as if she was going to lose him again. The sweat of her un-bathed body apparently did not seem to bother him. As he hugged her back, she could feel his warm tears brush against her neck.
Tiffanys weeping intense, as tears left smudges down her face. As Paul tenderly wiped away the smudges, she knew that this was indeed her brother. She had not felt any love like this from any man since she was three years old.
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