by Tim Merriman
As the morning turned into afternoon, Ilan and Rosa conspired and laughed at their zeal for a strange set of ideas. He was getting caught up in the story, beyond his work of a journalist. He was intrigued at how easily these youngsters had captured the heart and mind of a talented journalist who was at the top of her career. But as he got to know the kids through the course of the day, he realized he was also being seduced by their candor and passion for their mission. He found himself taking charge of ordering in Greek food for lunch and Chinese food for dinner, to ensure the kids were getting the full flavor of New York. In between making phone calls and working with Rosa, he watched The Wizard of Oz on the DVD and was regaled with stories of living amongst African wildlife from Masozi. He looked up occasionally to find Ramla watching him silently and frequently called on Daudi for advice on what to put on the signs he and Rosa were creating. By the end of the day, he was completely enchanted.
Chapter Sixteen
It was midnight when Ilan left for the night, promising to return the next day after picking up the signs they had e-mailed to the local print shop. The kids had long since headed for bed, and Rosa fell asleep on the couch with her laptop open on the floor beneath her.
When the kids woke the next morning, they were not surprised to see Rosa sprawled on the sofa. They thought perhaps they could turn on the TV quietly and let her sleep. But as soon as Judy Garland launched into Over the Rainbow, Rosa lifted her eyelids and rejoined the living. She headed to Starbucks on the street below and brought back a bag of scones, Danishes, bagels, and juice for them to enjoy while watching the show.
At nine-thirty, she left the kids with the TV and headed to the airport. The cab ride to La Guardia took almost an hour and she was still early by forty-five minutes so she grabbed a cup of coffee, found a table, and pulled a piece of hotel stationery and a marker from her bag. She made a sign with Nancy’s name on it just for fun. She always felt like a celebrity when a driver met her at the airport with a sign, and no one deserved that more than Nancy just now.
The flight was on time and when Nancy came through security rolling a small carry-on bag, Rosa waved the sign and caught her eye.
As they hugged in the melee of cross traffic, Nancy said, “Nice touch,” pointing to the sign. “Thank God you came out to meet me. I might have found the hotel, but I’m a little frazzled after pulling things together so quickly. I checked my portable sewing machine so we still have to get to baggage. And I have a suitcase filled with the stuff you wanted. Honestly, I’m a mess. A four-year-old kicked my seat the whole way here. How do you do this road warrior thing?” She was out of breath from talking and walking.
“I am so glad to see you, Nancy. Consider yourself part of the adventure at this point. There’s still lots to do. Let’s get that luggage and catch a cab.” They got to baggage claim and waited twenty minutes for the bags to come out. They figured out how to load the sewing machine on top of the suitcase and turned around to find a tall man holding a sign that said, “Rosa and Nancy.”
“This has got to be a bizarre coincidence. I don’t have any ride arranged, but let’s ask just in case.” Rosa went up to the man, but before she could speak he held out his hand and took the heavy suitcase with the sewing machine box perched on top.
“Miss Carson. You are lovelier than your photo,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
“Uh, thank you. How in the world . . . ”
“Compliments of Global Press. Ilan suggested I tell you that time is precious. Your limousine awaits you. Call me Mickey,” he explained, directing them toward the street.
“I’m impressed, Aunt Rosa. This is way cool,” Nancy gushed. “I didn’t realize how important you are.”
“Neither did I. This is a first. But I never put anything past Ilan. I already owe him a lot.”
Mickey tipped a red cap to take the carry-on bag from Nancy and the heavier luggage from him and soon had the ladies installed in the back seat of a stretch Cadillac.
“Dear ladies, there is sparkling water, soft drinks, and more in the mini-fridge. Please help yourselves.”
Nancy laughed and said, “You don’t look much like a Mickey, sir, but thanks for the ride and great drinks.”
“Ah, but Mickey is a noble name and well-used. Think of the mouse, Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees, and that wonderful song devoted entirely to me.”
In unison, Rosa and Nancy immediately began the refrain “Mickey, Mickey, you’re so fine. You’re so fine, you blow my mind. Hey, Mickey.”
“See how that works, ladies? It rarely fails me,” Mickey remarked. “I’ll put up the privacy glass, and leave you to catch up, but if you need anything, please just press the intercom.” Nancy had never been in a limousine before and took a minute to ooh and aah before getting to the reason for the trip. She turned to Rosa, noting how stressed her aunt looked.
“How are the kids, Aunt Rosa? And where are they? Did you leave them alone in this big city?”
“They’re fine. I don’t worry about them running off again anymore. And after what they’ve already been through, I think New York thugs would have to look out for themselves against those three. They’re amazing. Right now, they’re curled up on the couch in our suite, temporarily enthralled with the DVD player. I think they’re glad to have some down time, frankly.”
The car drove up through Harlem toward Manhattan and turned toward midtown, then swerved suddenly into a quiet side street. Ilan bounded out of a building past the doorman, holding a package wrapped in brown paper from the print shop. Mickey quickly opened the rear door for Ilan and he slid into the seat on the side by the street, handing off the package to Mickey to put in the trunk.
“Nancy. You must be Nancy. I’ve heard only great things about you and your hometown. I’m Ilan,” he explained, extending a handshake before Rosa could introduce him.
“How did you manage this, Ilan?” Rosa asked.
“You have the senior editor’s rapt attention. He would have sent a chariot pulled by four white horses, had one been available.”
“I only get the limo treatment when I’m photographing someone important,” Rosa explained. “I could get used to this.”
“I’m just going to expect this every time I meet you somewhere, Aunt Rosa,” Nancy laughed. “So what’s next?”
The limo pulled into the front door of their hotel and Mickey escorted them to the door, while a bellhop retrieved Nancy’s luggage. In moments, they were at the door of Rosa’s suite. Rosa unlocked the door and said, “Hey kids. I’ve brought something even better than food this time.” She expected Masozi to say there was nothing better, but instead, she heard only silence. She ran from room to room and the kids were nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, no. This can’t be happening again. They wouldn’t run from me now. Why would they run?” Rosa was beside herself.
“Don’t panic. Let’s look for a note,” Nancy suggested.
“They’ve never lived like us, Nancy. I don’t think it would occur to them to leave a note.”
Ilan noticed the red light blinking on the phone and pointed it out to Rosa.
“Check that,” he said, fighting his own concern.
Rosa called the message number and was amazed to hear Masozi’s voice. “Miss Rosa. We have not run away. Please do not worry. We became very hungry again and went to find a corned beef sandwich. The man at the front desk helped us leave this message. We have a bellman as a chaperone and will return very soon.”
Rosa sank into the chair, relief flooding through her.
“What is it? Was it them? Are they okay?” Nancy pushed for information.
“Yeh, they’re fine. They got hungry and went out for lunch. Good grief. I’ll make a lousy mom for sure.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. How many teenage boys actually leave their mom a message to let them know where they’ve gone? And how many actually think to take care of themselves if they’re hungry? Usually, they’ll either expect you to wait on them hand and foot or the
y’ll just disappear on you for hours and are shocked to find you might worry. You’ve done a good thing, teaching them how to find their own food here. They’re fine, so let’s just give them a few minutes to get back before we start to panic,” Ilan suggested. Just as he finished speaking, the door opened and the kids came in, proudly carrying bags full of food.
“We have corned beef, Miss Rosa,” Masozi announced with a huge grin. “You are in great luck. We brought enough for everyone,” he said, chuckling with delight. “Daudi still had the money from the Witt brothers. We put it to very good use. Someone new is here, but that is okay. We have plenty of food.”
“Good job, Masozi. This is my niece, Nancy. Nancy, these are my friends, Masozi, Daudi, and Ramla.”
Nancy shook the hand of each and said, “I’ve heard so much about each of you that I feel like I know you already. I’m here to help as I can. So what do we do?”
“It is a very big pleasure to meet you, Miss Nancy.” Daudi said, giving his most disarming smile.
“Time to eat and then go to work, my friends. We have a lot to do to be ready for a five o’clock performance,” Rosa suggested.
They settled down to enjoy the delicious deli sandwiches and chips while Rosa explained the schedule of events she had arranged. Nancy was astonished at what they planned, but found her tasks simple enough. She just had to get the costumes ready and she’d done plenty of that preparing her kids for school plays and Halloween over the years. This time it was for bigger stakes, but she knew what to do. Ilan explained that he had half a dozen colleagues coming to help. Every major media outlet would get an e-mail at four o’clock and most would have a reporter on the scene within minutes. Television studios were getting a fifteen-minute lead on the newspapers. They wanted as much coverage as they could get when the kids arrived at the U.N. just as the delegates would leave for the day to go to their hotels.
By three o’clock, the suite had been transformed to Oz. Rosa could hardly believe what she was seeing.
“Oh my, Ramla. You’re absolutely beautiful as Dorothy. That dress is perfect,” Rosa exclaimed.
“Straight out of the Judy Garland movie, don’t you think?” Nancy explained.
Masozi jumped out of the bedroom in his best silver-chested, funnel-headed imitation of the Tinman. “I am the Tinman, am I not?” he challenged.
“You are he,” Ilan assured him. “How did you do this so fast, Nancy? It’s truly remarkable.”
“I’ve been whipping up fast costumes for years. You can’t live with three kids, five nieces and nephews, and a Sunday school class without learning to sew or drive the van. I’m not wild about driving, but I’m a sewer extraordinaire,” she quipped.
“That you are, my dear,” Rosa said. She peeked into the bedroom and found the Lion admiring himself in the mirror.
“Daudi. Ohmigosh. You are clearly king of the beasts. That is fantastic.”
“Thank you Miss Rosa. I feel very . . . special. That’s it. I feel special. I am ready to meet Kamau Akama or the entire world.”
“Well, the world is more likely, via television. Let’s go over our plan and get the signs in order. We’ve got to go over at four-twenty and get situated. Ilan, do you have the limo and Mickey standing by?”
“I’ll get him on the cell phone and have him here the minute you want him.”
Rosa and Daudi sat down together and talked over their plans in detail including what he might say when questioned by the media. She gave him a card she had prepared with detailed facts about children in Africa who were homeless, maimed, and suffering with illnesses. He knew the personal stories too well, but she wanted him to have the numbers in mind also. He read over them, committing the details to memory.
He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Miss Rosa, rehearsing what to say is a good idea, but I am thinking that I must speak from my heart. Mamere told me that the truth is more powerful than a bull elephant. She said I must always find the story in my heart and reveal that.”
“To thine ownself be true. You’re right, Daudi. I know you’re living with more frustration than most people will ever know. Just hear Mamere’s voice, trust what she’s telling you, and we’ll be fine,” Rosa assured him. She went to check on Nancy who was still fussing over details.
Nancy put the finishing touches on the costumes and then surprised Rosa by holding up one for her. It was Nancy’s high school formal converted into the Good Witch Glinda’s spectacular garb.
“This is stunning. Can I get into this, Nancy?” Rosa asked.
“I’m bigger than you, Aunt Rosa. Most likely we’ll pin you into that puppy and you’ll still look better than I did at the prom. That was some night. I remember Paul smelled like bird dogs and had on camouflage pants under a tux coat.”
“You’re amazing, Nancy,” she laughed, hugging her niece. “I hope I haven’t lured you into anything that’s going to cause problems for you. The kids are illegal aliens and I’ve been sheltering them. You just get out of the way in the crowd and get yourself right back to Illinois if something goes wrong. Don’t stay and try to protect me in any way. Ilan and I know attorneys who can help if we need them. Do you understand me?”
“Aunt Rosa. I’m thrilled to be here, and glad to help in any way that I can, but I’ll do what you say. Not to worry. Now get in there and get dressed.”
Rosa went into her bedroom and changed quickly. Nancy helped all of them with makeup and they were ready to roll by four o’clock. Ilan gathered the signs and they trooped down the elevator closest to the rear exit in the alley. Right on cue, Mickey was holding open the limo door, next to a line of stinking dumpsters. The limo cruised out into traffic and crawled its way to a staging area near the United Nations. They had Ilan’s press sign in the windshield, allowing them to wait there.
Ilan climbed out of the crowded limo and found his friends from GP while Rosa gave the group in the limo last-minute instructions.
“Daudi, Masozi, and Ramla will each carry a sign and walk back and forth from that parking sign to this area by the trash can. Nancy, you stay between the kids and the limo. You and Mickey need to keep eye contact. If the kids are in trouble from anyone or anything, get them in the limo quickly and Mickey knows what to do from there. I’m going to stick close to Daudi. Ramla, I’m counting on you to keep watch for anybody in a uniform moving in to stop us. Whatever you do, don’t let go of Masozi. Are we ready?” Everyone nodded.
Ilan returned and tapped on the window. It was time. He could see delegates streaming out of the doors from the U.N. building. Security guards were everywhere but focused on the more expected threats. This was the moment of truth. They were standing at the gates of the Emerald City, asking to be heard by the great and powerful Oz.
“Zero hour, my friends. Let’s go.”
* * *
Rosa led the way as Ilan issued signs to each of them. Ramla’s sign read children are dying. hear their voices before it’s too late. Masozi’s sign read children are dying while the world remains blind to injustice. Daudi’s sign read come to nyc now. fight disease, not each other. Rosa’s sign had the message 18 million orphans need a safe home.
Rosa could see news cameras near the steps of the U.N. building. She recognized a New York Times reporter who was working her way toward them.
“It’s showtime everyone. Get ready.”
Masozi and Ramla held hands and carried their signs. The costumes did the trick, getting immediate attention from the hundreds of cameras trained on the doors of the U.N. building. TV cameras converged on them as they got to the steps where the first delegates appeared. Masozi was enjoying saying jambo, hello in Swahili, to anyone and everyone who passed. Finally a man in a dashiki returned his jambo and stopped to talk to Masozi for a moment in Swahili. Ramla hung on to Masozi’s hand and watched in all directions, knowing her role was essential.
Crowds of reporters had converged on Daudi, having been told by Ilan that the Lion was the spokesperson for the group. Good Witch Gli
nda hovered at his shoulder, ready to whisk him away if necessary.
A GNN microphone was thrust toward Daudi and the reporter asked, “Why are you kids picketing this U.N. event?”
Daudi looked at Rosa for confidence and plunged into his message.
“We have come to America from Africa. I am Daudi and I have been HIV-positive since birth. Masozi, the Tinman, lost his eyes and a leg to land mines. Ramla saw her family murdered. We are glad to know important people have come to talk here about the problems of children like us, but the world must do more. Talk alone will not restore our homes or our lives.”
Another reporter interrupted, “But what exactly do you expect them to do?”
“We came to bring a message to those who make decisions, but we have not been allowed to speak here. The money that goes to finance war bombs and the planes that carry them could be spent on food, education, clothing, and medicine. We have come to ask leaders of the world to bring us peace. We ask for peace. We ask for peace.” Daudi repeated himself in frustration, knowing there was no time to explain in detail the circumstances of the children he knew personally. The effect was fascinating. The attitude of the journalists turned from somewhat skeptical to genuine curiosity.
“What’s up with the costumes? Is that some sort of message, too?”
Rosa caught Daudi’s eye and winked at him, the agreed upon signal to make the ask.
“Any coward can fight when backed into a corner. The hyena teaches us this. It takes more courage to find peace. The lion represents courage. We want the lions of the world to come to New York. Meet us in Central Park tomorrow. In a peaceful world, we can take care of each other instead of killing each other. Tomorrow, we will speak of peace. We ask everyone who cares to meet in Central Park at noon tomorrow,” Daudi answered solemnly. His dignity, even in the Lion costume, was evident. He was handling himself and these news-hungry journalists like a seasoned professional. Rosa felt Ramla’s hand tugging on her gown.