“Sorry,” he replied with a smirk.
The man with the clipboard motioned for everyone to gather around him, so Madison and Andrew followed suit. Andrew held on to the railing and held Madison close to him as they waited for everyone to gather around. Once everyone had meandered over to the guard, he began speaking in a tour guide manner.
“New York City purchased Hart Island in 1868 to serve as its Potter’s Field. A place of burial for unknown or indigent people. It is the tenth Potter’s Field in the City’s history. Previous New York City Potter’s Fields were located at the current sites of Washington Square, Bellevue Hospital, Madison Square, the New York City Public Library, Wards Island and Randall's Island.”
Andrew cringed slightly at that last site but the guard continued his rehearsed speech.
“It is estimated that over one million people have been buried on Hart’s Island. In New York City, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, known as OCME, transfers unclaimed remains to the Department of Corrections for burial on Hart Island. While Hart Island is open to members of the public, it is only done on a limited basis.” He waved his hand towards the boat. “Obviously, this is not a passenger vessel. Its primary purpose is to transport vehicles used by the OCME to carry the deceased to Hart Island for burial.”
Madison looked up at Andrew and he cocked his head and smirked knowingly.
“On Hart Island, there are no utilities; therefore, amenities such as restrooms and water fountains are not available, which is the primary reason our visits are monthly and for a short period of time. As visitors, you cannot go directly to the gravesite because there are no individual graves on Hart Island.”
Madison had remembered reading that and was annoyed by it. She hated that Randall was just buried in some mass grave.
“Near the dock on Hart Island, there is an area with a gazebo for reflection. You may pay your respects there. We will stay on the island for thirty minutes. You will not be allowed to wander anywhere. Since Hart Island is run by the Department of Corrections, there will be armed guards on site who will escort you off the island should you choose to ignore my instructions.”
Madison felt Andrew blow out a breath.
“Any questions?”
“Can I leave flowers in the gazebo?” Madison asked.
“No, I’m sorry, you can’t. Any other questions?” he asked, turning to the crowd. “We should arrive shortly.” He finished and stepped through the crowd.
“Okay, you were right on both counts.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I know you wanted to leave the flowers for Randall.”
“Damn DOC,” she muttered.
“Yep,” he said resting his chin on her head.
“WOW! Andrew, do you see that sign?” Madison asked stunned.
Andrew turned and sighed. “Yes.”
The sign simply said, PRISON: KEEP OUT. It elicited an unusual feeling within Andrew. Going somewhere that was full of guards, where inmates dug the graves. He wondered if he had gone to jail in New York if he would have dug graves as well. Madison turned around abruptly. Her face was strained.
“I’m sorry. This is probably... weird for you. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
His brow furrowed. “I’m not sure how I feel right now so...” he blew out a breath as he saw them approaching the dock, “Let’s just see how it goes.”
She nodded as the ferry docked along the shore. Soon they were once again treading across the weary plank. Madison realized as they were stepping off that there was another plank further down that was much bigger and looked sturdier. She decided that must be where the vehicles board the ferry. The guard with the clipboard led them down a short walkway until they reached a large gazebo area.
“This isn’t much of a gazebo,” Madison mused aloud.
“I would imagine that they don’t care much about how the homeless are buried,” Andrew replied with a shrug.
“That’s not right,” Madison said as she walked toward the railing of the gazebo.
They couldn’t see very much, but what they could was a bit disheartening. In the distance, there were men working, prisoners from Riker’s Island assigned to burial duty. Andrew’s eyes zeroed in on them. It had been two years since Randall died. As Andrew’s eyes scanned the horizon, he wondered what hole he was in. Was it near where the men were digging at the moment or were they working on the next batch of graves? He paused his inner musings when he heard Madison begin to speak.
“Randall, I know that we never met and I apologize for that. It was not a reflection on you but I didn’t want to hone in on your relationship with Andrew. I’m sorry we didn’t find out about your death sooner so that we could have given you a decent burial. You deserved so much better than this. Thank you so much for being a bright spot in Andrew’s life while we were out here.”
Madison looked up at Andrew and smiled before stepping away from him. Andrew looked out again, watching the men digging the mass grave. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. He could feel tears under the surface and wasn’t about to let them loose. He gripped the edge of the railing, dropping his head and breathing out several times. The words he wanted to say were in his head but he wasn’t able to give them voice.
“You crying, White boy?”
Andrew’s head shot up and he hesitantly turned towards the familiar voice. Standing right next to him was Randall, dressed in a dirty pair of pants, ratty t-shirt, and a flimsy pair of Converse that were coming apart at the seams. His hair was nappy and his facial hair was in desperate need of a trim. He looked exactly as he did the last time Andrew had seen him. Andrew glanced around and it didn’t appear that anyone else noticed him.
“Randall?” Andrew asked meekly.
“How many brothers you know?”
Andrew smirked and then became serious. “I must be going crazy.”
Randall laughed loudly, and, once again, Andrew glanced around to see if anyone noticed what was happening, but everyone was distracted by other things. Madison was looking at her phone and other people were either praying or staring out absently. It was very clear that Randall was not really there. He was merely a figment of his imagination, yet, he appeared so real. Andrew watched him for a moment before he said what his mind refused to say earlier.
“I’m sorry I didn’t check on you sooner. I was so wrapped up in my own shit that …” Andrew looked down and sighed before meeting his eyes once again. “I could have gotten you help. You could have stayed with me and Madison. She wouldn’t have cared.”
Randall shook his head. “Yeah, you definitely gone crazy,” he said with a chuckle before he became serious. “There was nothing you could have done. My path was set a long time ago.”
“I wouldn’t have let you die on the street though,” Andrew said, looking down. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“I know, you would have done your best to fight fate but you can’t fight that shit.”
“But...”
“Andrew,” Randall said, cutting him off. “You need to let that shit go!”
Andrew didn’t reply. He always had a hard time letting go of things. He let the thoughts ruminate in his brain until they became infectious, thwarting the positive from emerging. Drugs were his way of escaping the disease of negativity. When that no longer worked, art became his saving grace. That is until Madison came along. She gave him hope for a better life.
“Thank you for making me feel worthwhile, like I was actually somebody,” Randall said in a softer tone.
Andrew looked up and there were tears in his eyes. He blinked several times trying to hold back the flood of emotions that wanted to be released. Randall moved a bit closer to him. Something he never did in real life. They had always respected the boundaries of the streets. Randall looked him directly in the eyes.
“Nobody gave a shit about an old drunk like me,” he said intently while Andrew nodded. Randall then smiled a toothless grin at him. “Nobody but you, White Boy.” Andrew smiled
.
“I miss you,” Andrew said as he felt the wetness rolling down his cheeks.
“I miss you, too. Now you keep an eye on that pretty lady over there and get her the hell off this shitty island.”
Andrew glanced over his shoulder and saw Madison looking at him curiously. He turned back around to say something to Randall but he was gone. Andrew looked all around and then leaned over the railing slightly. He heard quick footsteps and felt hands on his shoulder pulling him away from the railing.
“Sir, you can’t do that,” the prison guard said.
Andrew raised his hands and Madison immediately darted over to him. The guards stepped back and Madison ran into his open arms. He buried his head in her hair. He suddenly felt cold, cold and vulnerable. At the moment, he wanted off the island. The sooner the better. The island was messing with his brain, making him see things. He felt very unsettled. By the time the guard called for them to board, Andrew and Madison were the first in line.
Madison knew that something was going on with Andrew but she also knew that now wasn’t the time or place to talk about it. She wanted to kick herself for planning this excursion in the first place. Andrew certainly didn’t look better off. There was no sense of closure in the way he was carrying himself at the moment. If anything, he seemed scared and distressed.
“Baby, I’m kind of hungry,” she said as she saw they were getting close to shore. “Can we grab something before we jump on the MTA? I checked the schedule and we have a little over an hour.”
He nodded as the ferry began its docking procedures. Once off the boat, he led her back to City Island Boulevard and they looked up and down the street. There were a lot of restaurants to choose from. Madison wanted to go somewhere quirky and not too serious, something that might put a smile on his face. She grinned as she spotted one that might fit the bill.
“How about that one?”
He looked to where she was pointing and shrugged. It was as good a spot as any of them. They headed over to Sammy’s Fish Box and Andrew immediately grinned as they stepped inside. The place was bright and almost gaudy with its solid red booths and fish decorations hanging in various places. There were a few people inside enjoying a midday meal, none paid them any mind.
“Two?” the hostess asked and Andrew nodded, motioning towards the section where the booths were.
They slid inside and Madison looked at the menu. Everything sounded delicious. “Helios, how about we split the Seafood Combo Platter?”
He let his eyes scroll through the menu, stopping on the bolded red lettering. “Yeah, that will work. Do you want a bowl of clam chowder with it?”
She nodded. “That sounds good.”
“There’s three different kinds listed. Which one do you want?” Andrew asked confused.
“Umm, just get me the New England one.”
Andrew grinned. She almost always bought New York menu items if given the chance, but apparently that didn’t apply to chowder. Once they placed their order, Andrew fiddled with his napkin until their drinks arrived.
“I wonder how Elias’s closing went today,” Madison said, trying to get Andrew to talk.
“I’m sure he nailed it. He really knows what he’s doing.”
“Then, I guess he’ll be here in a few days, huh?”
“Yeah, Jayden said his dad booked his flight already. I wish Jayden and Callie could come as well.”
“Oh, me too.” Madison waved her hand slightly. “Callie would love this place.”
Andrew laughed. “She would. Could you imagine Connor here?”
“Oh good lord. I don’t think New York could handle our little Connor.”
“No, definitely not,” Andrew felt a shift in his mood. Thinking about his friends made him realize how good he had it. That he couldn’t focus on what should have happened with Randall but what was happening now, in the present.
“We should make it back to the hotel in plenty of time for our phone call with Elias.”
Andrew nodded and glanced at the large fish hanging not far from them. “I saw Randall,” he turned to her. “On the island.”
“Really?” she asked. When he nodded, she continued, “I’m sure that’s common, Andrew.” He shrugged and looked down, so she added, “Did he say anything to you?”
“He told me that there wasn’t anything I could have done.”
“That’s true, Helios.”
“I suppose.”
The waitress brought their soups and Madison dipped her spoon in. “That place was kind of creepy, like Ghost Hunters’ creepy.”
Andrew laughed. “It was.”
“I bet they have all kinds of ghosts haunting there. Callie would have had a field day,” she said as she shook her body in an exaggerated fashion.
He grinned. “I don’t think we need to go back for anything. I said my goodbye so I think I’m good.”
Madison nodded. “I’m glad to hear that, baby.”
He leaned over the table and kissed her when she met him halfway. “Thank you for insisting I go. It was the right thing to do.”
Madison’s entire face lit up as she nodded.
16 Art And Life
Andrew and Madison sat in front of her computer screen waiting for Callie and Jayden to pick up. With the three-hour time difference, they figured it was better to check in with their friends in the morning versus the evening. With that in mind, they spoke to them via Skype every morning like clockwork. Finally, a sleepy looking Jayden answered the phone. He was still in what appeared to be his pajamas. Callie, on the other hand, was cheerful in her matching short set. She was holding Ellie so that she was facing the computer, and waving Ellie’s hand at her Godparents. Both Andrew and Madison smiled with joy.
“Good morning, East Coasters,” Callie said in her chipper voice.
“Good morning, West Coasters,” Madison replied with a giggle.
Both Andrew and Jayden rolled their eyes simultaneously.
“She seems to grow more every time I see her,” Madison said, amazed.
“I know right! Her doctor said she’s gained another pound.” Callie kissed Ellie’s cheek.
“Are we opening the shop late?” Andrew asked, crossing his arms.
Jayden smirked and flipped him off. “I’m letting the manic one open.”
Andrew chuckled. “Well that ought to be interesting.”
“Hey, he said I could trust him to be responsible for the shop. I couldn’t say no. He had that bouncing puppy thing going on,” Jayden stated as he folded his arms like a dog and bounced, which Ellie found quite amusing.
Andrew shook his head, laughing. “Did he get Butch’s bike done?”
“The part we needed didn’t come in but it should be here today. We’re gonna work on it together.”
Andrew nodded. “Man, I wish we were done out here so we could get the hell back there,” he glanced at Madison who gave him a half smile.
“We miss you guys so much,” Madison added.
“We miss you, too,” Callie stated, making a pouty face.
‘Hopefully my dad can resolve all this shit when he gets to New York tomorrow.”
Madison nodded. “I hope so, too.”
“I tried to come out with him, ya know, for moral support but he wouldn’t let me. He kind of got pissed off.”
“Really, why?” Andrew questioned.
Jayden shrugged. “I don’t know, something about him not wanting to worry about me and that I would distract him from taking care of you guys 'cause he’d be apprehensive about me being there.”
“Is he concerned about something?” Madison asked uneasily. She had not gotten that impression from their conversations.
“He doesn’t tell me much about the details of your case, Madison, but when I talked to my other dad he said it was because the attorneys out there won’t give Dad the files. Best case, my dad said it’s a ploy, so that Dad won’t be able to represent you adequately.”
“And, worst case?” Andrew asked, ev
en though he had a suspicion what that could be.
Jayden shrugged and looked down. He sighed before looking at his friends. “Worst case, the attorneys are dirty and need time to doctor the files.”
“Jesus,” Madison blurted out.
They were all quiet for a long moment, contemplating the meaning of everything that was happening. If Elias was concerned, that had both Andrew and Madison concerned. Andrew snatched Madison’s hand in his. She looked up at him, her lip firmly placed between her teeth. Neither liked the second option. If the attorneys were crooked as well, how would Elias get Madison out of this?
“It’s going to be okay,” Andrew said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
Ellie giggled and caused everyone to turn her way. She had latched her hand on to one of Callie’s long earrings and was proceeding to tug on Callie’s ear while Callie tried desperately to unlock the little girl’s tight grip. Freeing herself, she placed a set of play keys in Ellie’s hand, which immediately went into her mouth.
“Elias knows what he’s doing,” Callie said determinedly. “I trust him completely.”
Madison nodded. “We do, too.”
Callie repositioned Ellie and smiled at her friends. “Now, what are you two up to today? Are you staying indoors or are you gonna hit the town?”
“We...” Madison started, squeezing Andrew’s hand, “are going to the Museum of Modern Art. It’s been ages since I’ve gone and Andrew never has.”
“Ohhh, that sounds exciting,” Callie stated, bouncing Ellie on her knee.
“It should be cool and it beats being cooped up in this small room all day,” Andrew added.
“Yes, and it’s a museum, nothing bad happens in museums,” Madison said as Andrew smirked.
“Well, in that one movie, the art work came to life,” Jayden added with a knowing look.
Madison snorted. “Well, if one of Picasso’s sculptures comes to life I’m getting the hell out of there.”
“Yeah, one ghost experience is enough,” Andrew laughed.
“You had a ghost experience?” Jayden questioned.
“Is your hotel haunted?” Callie asked excitedly.
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