Forever Chicago

My cell phone rang early the next morning.

“Kodie?” Jeannie said on one end, sounding distressed, I heard a screaming little girl in the background.

“I hate to do this, but could you come in for a minute, really quick, it’s important though?” she breathed heavy.

“Sure,” I said, I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a lululemon jacket.

“What’s wrong?” Jonathan said rolling over.

“I don’t know,” I said slipping my nike sneaker’s on, “Jeannie wants me to come in, I think it’s Rose.”

“Do want me to go with you?” he said concernedly.

“No, I’m sure it’s fine.” I said sweetly kissing him as I left.

As I walked into the hospital I quickly realized it wasn’t fine. Rose’s screams could be heard all the way down the hall.

I ran down the hallway to Rose’s room, where I found Jeannie standing over her trying to rub her back as Rose screamed at the top of lungs clutching locks of blonde hair.

“It’s all gone!” she screamed.

“We can’t get her to calm down, it’s barely fallen out.” Jeannie said.

“Rose,” I said kneeling beside her.

Rose’s hair had been so long to start, the loss had only brought it to just before her shoulders, but to Rose, that was unacceptable. The tips of her hair had turned a muddy brown color from the medicine.

“Why? Why do I have to have this stupid disease!” she cried, “Now I’m ugly and my mom will never come back!”

“Rose,” I said, “You are beautiful, look this is just hair,” I said stroking the blonde locks in her hands.

“By my mom always said my hair was the prettiest things about me.” She said.

“Rose it’s just hair, see” I said picking up a pair of scissors on the table, I grabbed a lock of my own hair and cut it to the same length as Rose, I continued the process until my hair fell just over my shoulders at the same length as Rose’s.

“Now,” I said, “Am I the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen or what?”

She giggled, “No.”

“Kodie do you think my mom is ever going to come back?” she asked.

A quiet moment passed, “I hope so kiddo.” I said before giving her a hug.

“Hey have you seen Rose’s mother at all?” I said to Jeannie as I walked by the front desk.

“No, not since Monday.” She said.

“Do you have a copy of Rose’s file?” I asked.

“Oh no, I know that look.” She said, “What are you up to now?”

“Nothing,” I laughed as I placed Rose’s file in my bag and headed home.
…
“Everything okay?” Jonathan asked, “did you cut you hair?” he smirked.

“Oh,” I had completely forgotten, “Yeah, Rose’s hair fell out from her treatment, she freaked out a little so, I cut mine too.”

“You are amazing.” He smiled pulling me into him.

“And you gotta help me.” I said pulling the folder out of my bag,

“What’s that?” he said.

“I’m trying to find Rose’s mother. Rose keeps asking about her.” I said.

“Are you sure?” Jonathan said, “I mean she could be anywhere by now.”

“True, but I don’t think she’d go far.”

We started out at the first address listed in Rose’s folder.

“This is creepy.” Jonathan said as we drove down a tiny ally way, on the eastern side of Chicago.Dirty clothes hung across from building to building, and the entire area was filled with an old, musty scent.

“This is it” I said as we pulled in front of a tiny, townhouse, enclosed by a metal chain link fence.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jon said.

“No.” I laughed getting out of the car.

I knocked on the door which was so worn down it looked as if it was ready to break in half.

After a few minutes an elderly, black woman came to the door.

“Hello,” I said,

“What do ya’ll want?” she snarled.

“Well, I’m looking for this woman I said, do you know her?” I said pulling a picture of Rose’s mother out.

“Dorris.” The lady snarled, “Nasty ol’ hag never learned how to pay rent.”

“So you do know her?” I said, “Do you know where we can find her?”

“Evicted her on Tuesday, if I know any better she’s at that shack up the street with Jameson.
He takes in all those little white ladies, who can’t keep their head on straight.” She said.

“Thank you.” I said as we returned to the car.

“She was nice.” Jonathan laughed as we drove away. I laughed for a minute before saying,

“Thank you,” I looked at his sweet face, “for doing this with me.”

“Hey you got it babe.” He said grabbing my hand.

We pulled up to an even sketchier shack, men pondering around the outside.

Jonathan stayed closely behind me, his hand on my back as we walked up to the door.

A large, black man answered the door,

“What do you want?” he barked.

“I’m looking for this woman.” I said pulling the picture out once again.

“That bitch.” He said, “She probably up at the crack house up over the hills.”

“Thank you,” I said.

The final location was by far the most frightening. It looked like an black, tarred over barn house.

“You think people really live here?” I said.

“I hope not.” Jonathan said as we walked up to the front door.

“What you want?” a short, black woman answered the door.

“Do you know this woman?” I asked, pulling out the picture one final time.

She grunted, “Dorris!” she yelled, “some little blonde girl here to visit you!”

The door closed and a few minutes passed before a tiny, blonde woman came to the door, she was sheer white, sweat ran down her forehead, she was dressed only in a tank top and mini skirt, scars and needle pricks covered her arms.

“Dorris,” I said,

“Hey, you’re that nurse.” She said puffing her cigarette, “Oh and who is this hunk of man
behind you, how you doin’ sweetie” she said looking at Jonathan.

“Dorris,” I said, “You’re daughter is looking for you, why haven’t you been to the hospital all
week?”

“I been busy.” She said.

“Dorris your daughter is dying!” I snapped, “she’s 9 years old, she’s scared, and she wants her mother. Do you want to go see her because I can only lie about you for so long.”

“Let the little shit rot.” She said before slamming the door.

I stood staring aimlessly at the door.

“Kodie,” Jonathan said putting an arm around my shoulder, “Come on.”

“You okay?” he said as we got back in the car.

“She doesn’t care about her own daughter.” I said in amazement, “How does she not care?” I was angry and upset and confused.

“Some people just don’t know what they have” He said grabbing my hand, “Rose is really lucky to have you, so am I,”

I smiled while dabbing a tear out of my eye.

As we drove home, my phone rang.

“Hey,” Riley said on one end, “It’s Rose, she’s really not doing well.”

Jonathan made an abrubt u-turn as we sped for the hospital.

“Where is she?” I yelled as we ran through the doors.

“ICU, go!” Riley yelled.

“Rose?” I said as we entered her room.

Rose was hooked up to tubes, and machines, all working desperatley to keep her alive.

“Blinken?” she whispered.

“Hey,” I whispered kneeling beside her, “How ya feeling Winken?”

“Not too good.” She mummed, “Is my mom here?”

I looked back at Jonathan, as he stared down at Rose.

“You know Winken I just talked to your Mom, and um, she said she loves you and she misses you a lot, but she just can’t come see you right now, but I’m here okay, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Kodie,” she said,

“Yeah sweetie?”

“I wish you were my mom.” She stared straight up at the ceiling unable to move.

A tear rolled down my cheek as I kissed her little hand.

Rose clung to life around 1am, she stirred,

“Kodie? Can you sing my song?”

I smiled.
"Winken, Blinken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe.
Sailed off on a river of crystal light,Into a sea of dew.
“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”The old moon asked the three.
“We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in the beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!”
Said Winken, Blinken, and Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe.And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fishThat lived in the beautiful sea.
”Now cast your nets wherever you wish—
Never afeard are we.”
So cried the stars to the fisherman three,
Winken, Blinken, and Nod,
How ya feelin Winken?”

Rose’s pale blue eyes gently fell together. Her rosey lips released the last pump of breath she had preserved.

The machine flat lined, and Rose was gone.

Notes

thank you all who are reading!