Hope Is Love

by Hubbard, Sylvia

  "Do you want the food?" he asked.

  Before she refused, she watched as he opened one of the containers up to eggs, sausages, pancakes and hash browns. Snatching the container, she grumbled, "Thanks."

  He watched her closely as she went over to the farthest corner by the heater and didn't bother to get a fork as she dug her fingers hungrily into the food. She didn't care about being proper as she stuffed her mouth so full she could barely chew.

  The food was like eating heaven on earth and she thought she would pass out from the joy her taste buds were experiencing as she took down more and more food.

  "You should breathe as you eat," he noted amused. "Sometimes chewing helps too."

  She turned her back to him and continued stuffing the food in her mouth hating him more for being responsible for the joy she was feeling.

  "I really am sorry for not waking you. I didn't think you would care."

  By this time she was done with her food and turned back to him. "I was worried about my reward," she lied. "Not you."

  "Oh yes," he said. "I stand corrected."

  Jona frowned not sure if he was making fun of her or not because she couldn’t understand him. It was a little bit frustrating and usually in these situations when she didn’t understand people, she would just go away, yet she didn’t want to just leave him. Oddly, she wanted to know what he was exactly saying, but was too proud to ask. “Are you talking proper to make me feel stupid or do you just talk like that on purpose?"

  He looked insulted. "I'm not trying to make you feel stupid, Hope."

  Looking at his food, she said, "Are you going to eat all that?"

  "Actually this is a lot of food. I'm full-" He stopped as she snatched his container away and quickly ate his food.

  "We should go," she said, using the back of her sleeve to wipe her mouth.

  "Go where?" he asked handing her a napkin for her to use.

  She looked at the napkin for a moment tempted to take it, but then defiantly shook her head, before answering him, "The police."

  He looked only slightly perturbed before putting the napkin away and followed her out of the fort after she turned off the heater and the light. She packed away the plate and even the dishes and then covered them with a heavy plastic. Once they were outside of the fort, she covered this with a painters clothe and then put junk all around to make it look as if someone had thrown a whole bunch of junk in the corner of the basement and no one would dare look through it.

  "Do you do this all the time?" he questioned.

  "This is an abandoned home," she explained. "I have to make sure if anyone comes around here, they don't steal all the stuff it took me forever to get."

  He only nodded again, but there was a troubled look in his eye as if he wished for something.

  She knew he wanted to pity her, but since she told him not to, he could only bite his tongue. Grabbing her coat, she slipped it on ignoring the smell of the street, but saw him frown hard because he was repulsed by the odor from the coat.

  "Why do you wear that filthy thing?" he questioned.

  "Because this coat keeps the bums off me and if I sleep out there on the street, I don't have to worry about some man raping me."

  "The smell will kill him," he said offended holding his sleeve over his nose. "It's making my eyes water."

  She smirked knowing that was the point of the horrible coat.

  He followed her out, but not close and she almost giggled at his revulsion to her coat. Hopefully, this meant he was getting better and soon he would be able to remember.

  She was surprised he helped her pull the door close and it was easy to put her trap lock on her barrier. They walked to the alley together and she was feeling a lot better from yesterday. There was little to no cramping in her stomach and hopefully by tonight she wouldn’t have to feel physical effects of what had happened to her.

  Jona determined it had to be the food and the little bit of rest she had taken in because certainly his company could not make her feel this good.

  She had taken the garbage with her and properly dumped that into the nearest container knowing he was following her closely, watching everything she did. Her routine was ingrained inside of her from when she was young - always cleaning up after herself and leaving no trace of her existence was prevalent in everything that she did.

  "How much money did you have left over?" she questioned.

  Suspiciously he asked, "Why?"

  "Cause we can either walk twenty blocks or we can catch the bus," she said.

  He reached in his pocket and pulled out thirty dollars. “How about a cab?”

  “Don’t be wasteful,” she snipped. "How much was in the cuff?' she asked shocked.

  "It was a fifty dollar bill."

  "How did you know it was there?"

  He shrugged. "I don't know. When I woke and laid there watching you sleep, I looked over at my clothes and it was as if something was telling me I had put it there. I didn't try to understand and I was hungry as hell." He put the entire amount in her hand.

  She wanted to ask why he had been watching her sleep, but bit her tongue on that question. "We only need a couple of dollars for the bus," she said, handing him back twenty dollars. "But I'll keep a little extra for the ride back if you don't mind."

  "Keep it all," he insisted, refusing to take the money. “I trust you to take good care of the money and us.”

  She stuffed the extra money in her own pocket, trying to ignore the warm tingles that flowed from her lower belly to her fingertips. Why the hell did that make her feel so good?

  Damn him!

  Growling her annoyance, she ordered him to follow her to the bus stop.

  With it being the holidays, the streets were almost empty and the bus was running on a slower schedule, but she was not deterred. Wind whipped about them frantically and through the night it had snowed, freezing any moisture in the open.

  She pulled a scarf out of her pocket and ordered him to put on his gloves, which were in his pocket. He looked cold, but he didn't say so.

  She was glad the church had at least given him a coat and some boots to wear. She had some extras at the house, but nothing that could fit his broad shoulders.

  "How long do we wait?" he questioned.

  She saw his face was getting red and she reached in her pockets and pulled out some petroleum jelly. Wiping this over his nose, chin and forehead, she knew this would prevent some skin damage, but not all that would most likely occur. She was used to the elements and he certainly was not. Digging further down in her coat where she had deliberately cut a hole in to store items, she found a Ziploc bag with a hat that had a face protecting cloth screen sewn on. She had put extra gloves as well inside this bag so it wouldn't smell like the coat itself.

  "Put this on," she ordered, handing him the hat.

  He shook his head clearly looking worried about where the hat had come from.

  "Now," she insisted.

  Reluctantly, he took the hat and smelled it first.

  Jona wanted to laugh, but she didn't. Again she bit her tongue and just turned around to watch for the bus. Soon she felt him inch closer to her for warmth despite her smell.

  "Did you ever consider going back to school? Or finding a place to stay?" he asked.

  "With no income always coming in, having a place to stay seems hard to have. With no address, it makes it difficult to find financial aid or a grant that will help me pay for school. Why do you ask? Does me not having an education bother you that much?" She turned to him and was taken aback by how much he towered over her that she had to throw her head almost all the way back. “It’s not like you plan on marrying me or even keep me around.”

  "I don't know yet. There's something wrong about it, but since I can't fucking remember if I have an education or not, I really can't argue with you about it, can I?" He looked mildly amused. "But I thought maybe you having an education could at least help you get a steady job."

  The bus came
and she paid their fare, all the while pointing for him to sit down near the front. The back was full with people and she didn't want a lot of attention.

  Even though she didn't care that he was a white man, it was usually not looked upon as normal for an interracial couple to be walking around. The stares she could handle, but sometimes people had prejudices about things like that and took it out in public.

  Right now she didn't want any trouble - Not with the possibility of getting what could be a very large amount of money.

  "What will you do with the reward money?" he questioned as if reading her thoughts.

  She didn't look his way and suddenly felt the seats on the bus were way too small for them to be sitting side by side. He seemed very close - too close.

  "Spend it," she said sarcastically.

  "On what?"

  "Things I need."

  "Like a place to stay?"

  "I haven't thought that far."

  "Hope-"

  "Please stop calling me that," she insisted.

  "What else should I call you? It’s your name."

  "Jona is fine," she said now looking at him, but not for very long and when she had nothing else to say because his face was so damn mesmerizing, she looked away. "I just want this whole ordeal to be over."

  "Where would they send the reward money too?" he asked.

  "I don't know. I haven't thought that far. Now please stop talking."

  He didn't speak for a moment and during that time she was glad for the silence.

  "Are you a drug user?"

  "No!" she hissed fully facing him. "Why would you ask me that?!"

  "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be stereotypical, but I want to know what keeps you out on the street? What is the lure?"

  Calming down taking several deep breaths, she said, "What does stereotypical mean?"

  "I don't mean to group you in a category with others who may be drug addicts or prostitutes or just the uneducated mass that may be crazy or have other mental or physical conditions."

  "I'm uneducated, but I'm comfortable on the street. I just haven't tried to find another way of life and I don't like being uncomfortable about things. I'm not crazy, I'm not a prostitute, and I'm no kind of drug addict. I just don't know where to go or what to do with my life, but I think only because I haven't thought for the future -Just the now."

  "That was spoken quite eloquent, Hope."

  "Eloquent?" she questioned.

  "I mean beautiful." His eyes gleamed and he put his hand on top of hers. "I liked the way you spoke."

  She looked away from him not liking how her stomach flipped double time when he smiled at her and snatched her hand away. "Thank you." She reached over him and pulled the bell so glad they were at their stop.

  Getting off, she was impressed he kept up with her fast pace with his long thick legs as they walked the five blocks to the police precinct without complaining.

  There were hardly any cars in the parking lot, but that didn't worry her because she was positive someone would be there at the desk to take responsibility of this stranger and she would never have to see him ever again.

  The wind seemed to bite them even worse as they walked to the precinct.

  She almost fell on some ice, but he caught her and kept hold of her until they arrived at the door of the police station.

  "You can let me go now," she said.

  He released her as if he didn't know he had been holding her so close.

  There was just one officer sitting at the desk when they entered.

  Just as they were about to get to the desk, the officer on duty snapped, "Take a seat."

  Jona disappointedly stopped and went to sit down.

  James followed, but there was a frown on his face as if he wanted to say something.

  "What?" she asked.

  "You're so close to getting your reward and getting rid of me, I would think you would be more eager or aggressive."

  "I would like nothing more than to just dump you here, but I can't rush anything. People like me never do well around normal people."

  “You get rid of that coat and maybe they could tolerate you just a little bit.”

  Jona didn’t have a chance to see if he was joking around or not because the officer came around the desk.

  "Can I help you?" the officer asked impatiently.

  She hurried toward the officer eager to get away from the conversation with the stranger. Being sarcastic she could do, but just being silly with someone was out of her realm. She had never done it before, yet she believed that was what he was trying to do. "He needs help… I...I mean, he needs real help. He was hit in the head and he can't remember who he is and I just know he's missing."

  The officer looked over at the stranger and then looked back at her. "Who are you to him?"

  She answered, "No one. I found him and I’m turning him in for the reward."

  The officer looked back at the stranger. "Who is he?"

  "I don’t know,” Jona said impatiently.

  "So how do you know he's missing?"

  "Just look at his face. I know someone like him has been reported stolen or missing." She wanted to kick herself for not bringing the bloodied clothes, he'd had on yesterday.

  “People can’t be stolen. They can only be kidnapped.” The officer clicked his tongue as if they were wasting his time. “Sir, could you come here?" the officer asked.

  He was still standing over by the chairs, but approached them like the officer ordered.

  Jona took the liberty of snatching all the hats off his head so the officer could take a good look at him and see the bandages around his head. The stranger winced, but still didn’t say anything.

  "Let me call for the missing person log," the officer said.

  While the officer was on the phone, she looked at the stranger.

  "Why aren't you talking?" she asked in a low voice.

  In an even lower voice, he asked, "What do you want me to say? I don’t remember shit. Plus, you said it all."

  The officer got off the phone and then typed up something on the computer. "How tall are you, sir?" he asked.

  The stranger only shrugged.

  Jona rolled her eyes and answered, "About six feet two or three or more, I guess."

  "And weight?" the officer asked.

  Again the stranger shrugged.

  "Two fifty more or less. He's a big white guy. There aren't that many of them in Detroit!" she exclaimed.

  "You don't have to get an attitude, miss," the officer warned.

  "But you're taking forever!" she cried.

  "If you think I'm not going fast enough, you can always go down to headquarters downtown so they can help."

  "I don't want to take him there." Frustrated she hit the desk with her fist. "I came here for help and I want help."

  The officer looked insulted down at her fist and then in a cool voice, said, "I think you need to go down to headquarters where they can better help you."

  "But-"

  "Please leave now, ma'am. Or I'll be forced to place you under arrest."

  "But-"

  "Leave now," the officer warned.

  The stranger tugged on her arm. "Maybe we should go," he suggested in a whisper.

  "No! No! NOOOO!" she screamed, hitting the stranger angrily with the hat since she couldn't damn well hit the officer like she wanted to.

  The officer stood up and the stranger started to drag her out, but she fought him.

  "No! Stop it! We-" She screamed as she was thrown over the stranger's broad shoulder and carried outside.

  She didn’t stop screaming until he set her down outside.

  The wind whipped his black hair around that the bandage didn't cover.

  "You idiot!" she raged, throwing his hat at him. "All you had to do was speak up. I sounded like a crazy person in there."

  "What did you really want me to say? I can't remember anything."

  "YOU COULD HAVE SAID THAT!"

  He put on
the hat. "If we go back in there, they'll arrest us both."

  She huffed and started pacing, trying to think what else to do with this man!

  Chapter 7

  She looked around trying to think. "The hospital!" she exclaimed suddenly in mid-pace which ended up in front of him.

  "What about the hospital?" he asked confused.

  "They should have some kind of missing person cop or unit there... hopefully." Just their luck a bus was passing on the next block that could take them straight to the hospital district in Detroit.

  The public hospital of Detroit Receiving was in a clump of other hospitals and she knew they couldn't refuse treatment to someone who had no money.

  They handed him the clipboard and she was going to sit away from him, but he followed her and sat beside her. "What name do I put?" he asked.

  She wasn't sure herself. "Can you put John Doe for all I care and let them know you don't know? Oh wait, remember? That woman called you James, I think. I wasn’t really trying to hear anything."

  He frowned. “I don’t feel like a James,” he said.

  Jona had a feeling he was doing that silly thing again and this time she tried to play along with him. “Oh really. What do you feel like?”

  “Maybe a Michael or Harris? I could be Hispanic like Jesus or Italian.”

  She rolled his eyes at his silliness biting her tongue trying not to smile. “What about asshole?” she retorted.

  He chuckled and wrote down on the clipboard, “John Doe.” He did so and she watched as he had really nice handwriting.

  She was glad he’d stopped playing around with her because she could just feel this funny thing in her chest when they were talking like they had. It didn’t make her feel uncomfortable, but the feeling certainly did something to how she felt all over.

  Even on Christmas the emergency room was a little busy, but because he had a head wound triage didn't keep them waiting long.

  When "John Doe" was called, they both stood.

  The nurse looked at her suspiciously."Is this your wife?"

  "No!"

  "Yes," he said at the same time.

  Both women looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

  "I'm sorry what did you say?" the nurse asked to be sure.

  He pulled her close by her waist to press again him. "She's my girlfriend."