RETURN TO SHORT WORKS
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

One Tragic Incident
 
 

 

 

Text Box: Every morning I would see both of them hand in hand, big brother and little sister walking up Nereid Avenue to catch the train. He couldn’t be more than eight years old, and she looked to be about six. I imagined their mommy kissing both of them on their little foreheads every morning before leaving for school. I imagined her pulling Brian aside reminding him to mind his little sister because she was still innocent to the ways of the streets. He would smile and dispel her concerns with a reassuring smile that little boys give to their mothers letting them know that they are big boys now and there’s no need to worry. Watching a child is tasking even for an adult, far less an eight year old child like Brian charged with watching his gregarious sister, Angie. She was definitely a candidate for Ridlin and would talk frenziedly to Brian about important matters to kids, but an annoyance to most adults. Brian was the always the picture of patience with his sister and his chubby round face never betrayed any internal stress caused by Angie’s nonstop chatter. He was the big brother that every boy should be to his little sister or brother. Danger lurked all around them on the busy streets, but Brian ever the watchful big brother made sure no harm came to his little sister. When I think of that Brian, overprotective and loving, a sadness for the man he could have become overwhelms me, and I can’t allow my mind to linger to those better days before that one tragic incident. He was a child of great promise, and the adults in the neighborhood knew him as Brain Man. Even though he was smart as a whip he avoided the pitfalls of most smart kids who got Text Box: teased unmercifully by their peers. He was cool with everyone from the geeks to the kids who thought they were gangsters in the making. Brian was always his own child, and followed his own path. These days when I see him walking down Nereid talking to himself; the tragedy of that day comes flooding back to me. Since that day Angie was abducted a piece of his heart died, and his mind seemed to stop functioning. He still lived at home with his mother, and she still believed that both her kids would someday return to her. But age and time had worn her down and she seemed to accept the fact that Angie would never return. Brian on the other hand would visit that same spot by the gas station everyday on Nereid Avenue looking for clues to Angie’s disappearance. He would replay the events of those five minutes over in his mind searching for a clue that he had missed the day before. Maybe a face lost in the shadows would jog his memory or some clue Angie might have tried to give him warning him of the impending danger. Everyday Brian would torture his soul with that day, and each day he would sink deeper and deeper into depression. His mother fearing that he might one day take his life tried getting Brian to take Prozac, but he refused. He feared taking the drug would somehow make him forget Angie. He had already let her down that day, and the least he could do to keep her alive was to remember her everyday. Brian wasn’t too experienced with the ladies. The girls he dated soon grew weary of his overprotective nature, and they all knew what happened to his sister and sympathized, but every girl wants to be first in her man’s eyes; clearly Angie owned Brian’s heart and there would be room for no one else. He had long ago accepted this and when they tried Text Box: to make excuses for not returning phone calls or being busy, he never got upset because he knew he was the one to blame. Blame came easily for Brian, and he accepted it without question. There would come a day on the 20th anniversary of Angie’s disappearance that Brian would find himself again lost in the memories of that day, and on this day he was so overcome with grief that he stood out in the cold until he almost froze to death. He wished for death as he had done for the last 20 years, but instead Nadege walked into his life on that cold day. She had spotted him from the #41 bus, and like everyone else in the neighborhood, she knew his story and envied Angie anytime she would see her and Brian walking home together. She was an only child, and often wished that Brian was her brother. Nadege got off the bus and made her way to Brian. He didn’t have on a coat so she took off her Pea Coat, gloves and scarf and dressed him warmly. In a few minutes they had walked back to her apartment on Monticello Avenue, and Brian was enjoying a hot cup of Cocoa tea and homemade chicken soup. Nadege was of Caribbean descent and her apartment always smelled of spicy food. Her mother once said to her that all someone had to do was inhale the scent of her apartment daily without eating and they would gain weight. She was the picture of health. Her long black hair framed her oval shaped face, and people felt invited when they were in her company. For the first time in years, Brian felt as if he was safe at home. He kept drinking his tea and allowed himself to relax in his new surroundings. The apartment was adorned with a few religious paintings and a Bible lay open on the couch next to him. It was opened to a passage about forgiveness, and Brian began to read it without noticing that Text Box: Nadege was standing behind him. She had committed the passage to memory, and wasn’t surprised when Brian was brought to tears. In her arms he wept openly without quite understanding why, but knowing she understood the depths of his pain. For the rest of the night and into the wee hours of the morning they spoke about Angie, their lives and the little things that go unsaid when life gets too busy. When Brian left Angie’s apartment there was a peace in his heart he hadn’t felt in years. He looked forward to seeing her during the evenings and attending church with her on Sundays. He was a new man and the old Brian that had been locked away for so many years came out for air. The world was once again beautiful and new to Brian. He had found himself again and was in love. He couldn’t help but fall in love with Nadege. She had the smile of an angel and her touch felt like the sun, full of warmth and energy. In a few years, Brian and Nadege would get engaged and marry. Soon after, a new life was created inside of her and beautiful baby girl would be born. The baby’s name was an obvious one to both of them. Brian would never find out what happened to his little sister all those years ago on Nereid Avenue, and sometimes when he walks by that same spot he says a silent prayer for her. A prayer that she didn’t suffer, and in those moments of her abduction, that somehow God was watching over her as he had been watching over him all these years. He quickened his steps to get home. Nadege and Angie had dinner waiting. Dean Jéan-Pierre 12:18am 12-11-05