Orphan Train Christmas

by Rachel Wesson

  “Vicky thinks she is a cat with nine lives,” Lily said, as she followed Kathleen’s gaze. “Lucky Richard is on hand to deal with any emergencies should she fall.” Lily took a drink of tea, having complained the smell of mulled wine turned her stomach.

  Chapter 33

  Kenny struggled to keep up with Lucky, until they arrived at 18th Street and Broadway.

  “Keep close to me, kid. I do the talkin’, and you just look dumb and sad.”

  “But I need to speak to Santa,” Kenny protested.

  “You want to see your dog again, don’t ya?” Lucky hissed at him.

  Kenny nodded mutely.

  “You got a baby face, and these ladies are going to love ya. I need money, and you are my golden ticket. Now start crying,”

  “But I…” Kenny didn’t get to finish his sentence, as Lucky twisted his fingers painfully, bringing real tears to his eyes. The tall boy grinned, as the tears flowed down Kenny’s face.

  “Now go over and tell that lady over there you are lost. Go on. Tell her you was with me, your older brother, and you can’t find me.”

  Kenny wanted to say no, but he was too scared. Not of what would happen to him but to Jack. He wished he had never met Angel.

  He walked slowly in the direction of the woman, rubbing his face in his sleeve. He glanced behind him to see Lucky staring at him with a menacing look on his face. Kenny stumbled, almost falling into the woman.

  “Sorry missus, I didn’t see ya,” he mumbled.

  “Oh, would you look at him, Cecilia. Isn’t he the sweetest child you ever saw? Look at those curls. Where are your parents, child?”

  Kenny shrugged his shoulders.

  “Are you lost?” the woman asked him, looking concerned.

  Kenny nodded, following Lucky’s instructions. The woman called a member of staff over who looked at Kenny suspiciously.

  “Yes, Mrs. Armstrong?”

  “Donald, this young man is lost. Can you find his parents?”

  “Our store is quite large. It could take some time,” the man said, now glaring at Kenny. The tears came easier this time. He sensed he was in trouble, but he wasn’t sure how to fix things.

  “Child, what do your parents look like?”

  “My brother brought me to see Santa. I have to see Santa.” Kenny wasn’t acting now. He was desperate to see the magical man who would give him back his family.

  “Oh, you poor child. Let’s take him to see Santa, and maybe his brother will be looking for him there. If not, we can call the police. I am sure they will be able to find his parents and home.”

  “It would be best to call the police now, ma’am,” the clerk replied.

  “Nonsense. Let him speak to Santa first. My own children used to love doing that,” the lady replied firmly. “Come along child. What do they call you?”

  “Kenny, I mean Kenneth, ma’am.”

  “Come along Kenneth. Let’s go find Santa Claus.”

  Kenny looked around but couldn’t see Lucky. He followed the woman, his enthusiasm to see Santa tempered by the knowledge the police would be called. Would he be locked up? If he was, he wouldn’t be able to find his ma or Mary.

  He trailed after the woman, his reluctance to meet the magic man growing. What if Santa knew Lucky was up to no good? Kenny knew Lucky was doing something bad, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Santa would know, too, and Kenny would get the blame.

  “There you are, dear. That’s the queue for Santa. Do you have your list of what you want? My sons always had a list a mile long.”

  The woman kept talking, Kenny lost track of what she was saying. He found it difficult to concentrate, as the heat of the shop and his fear of being taken away by the police increased.

  “What will you ask for?” the woman asked, her tone suggesting it wasn’t for the first time.

  “I want him to find my ma and Mary,” he blurted out. “They went and left me.”

  “I thought it was your brother who left you, Kenneth,” the woman said.

  “He did, but my ma and Mary left me before that. I want Santa to find them. Will he do that?” Kenny asked the woman, staring up at her face to make sure he heard her answer.

  “I am sure he will help, but why don’t you ask him for a toy as well. He has to put a toy in his sack for you, when he visits on Christmas Eve.”

  “I don’t want anything else. Just Mary,” Kenny repeated, knowing the woman would think he was ungrateful, but it was true. Before Mary had been hurt, he had wanted a red fire engine. He had seen it in the window of Macy’s ,when his sister brought him down to see the window display. The little wooden engine was painted bright red and took pride of place in one of the windows. Mary had explained they couldn’t afford it, but he had told her he was going to ask Santa for it. Now he couldn’t care less about that engine. He wanted his sister.

  “There you are, Kenneth. You are up next,” the woman said, as she pushed him forward.

  Chapter 34

  Kenny approached the smiling Santa cautiously, his heart thudding against his chest. Santa was an old man, judging by his eyes and the length of his beard. He had a big fat stomach, too. He smiled at Kenny, but the smile faltered slightly, as Kenny didn’t smile back. His face was frozen with fear.

  “So, tell me young man, have you been a good boy?”

  Kenny didn’t respond, feeling Santa knew everything about him. Was it his fault his ma had run off after hurting Mary? Maybe she’d found out about Jack.

  “What is your name?” Santa asked gently.

  “Kenny, I mean Kenneth,” he answered. “I need you to find my ma and my sister. Can you do that? Mary said you were magic.”

  Santa looked from him to Mrs. Armstrong and back.

  “Isn’t that your mother?”

  “No, sir. Ma ran off, and I need you to bring her back, so I can go home. I want to go home.” The tears fell in earnest now, with Santa staring at him. Santa stood up, and, before Kenny knew what was happening, he was sitting on the big man’s knee.

  “Kenny, tell me your story,” Santa whispered.

  Kenny gulped a couple of times to stop the tears. Then he whispered his story to Santa, starting with how his wonderful sister told him Santa was magical. The big man didn’t say a word but listened to Kenny, as if he had all the time in the world. The queue of children increased, but, when a manager came forward to have words with him, Mrs. Armstrong sent him off with his tail between his legs. Kenny smiled at the lady who winked at him, before turning back to Santa and telling him everything, including how he happened to be here on his lap.

  “Listen to me now, Kenny, you can’t be walking the streets with just anyone. Does this man Lucky scare you?”

  Kenny darted a quick look over his shoulder, but he couldn’t see Lucky anywhere. He nodded.

  “I have an idea. Why don’t you stay here with me, as one of my helpers, and then, when the store closes, I will take you to a friend of mine. She runs a house for children. She will look after you and help you find your ma. Would that be okay?”

  “You can do it? You can find my ma? Can you get Jack back, too? I don’t mean to be greedy, but Jack is just a puppy and needs me to look after him. Lucky has him.”

  “I will try,” the older man with the white beard promised.

  “You’re the best. Thank you, Santa,” Kenny said, wrapping his arms around the old man’s neck.

  “Good boy. Now I must see what the next child wants for Christmas, but, if you ask Mrs. Armstrong to come closer, I will explain to her what we have agreed.”

  Kenny jumped down and went over to Mrs. Armstrong, telling the lady that Santa had asked for him to be his helper. Mrs. Armstrong questioned Santa and seemed satisfied with his answers. She took a card from her bag and handed it to Kenny. “You are a lovely young man. If you ever need me, come to this address. I hope you find your family. Happy Christmas, Kenneth.”

  “Merry Christmas to you, too, Mrs. Armstrong,” he replied, as he took up his place at
Santa’s right hand. His job was to chat with the next child waiting to see Santa. As Mary often told him, he could talk to a wall, so the next couple of hours passed quickly.

  Chapter 35

  Kathleen waited in line at Macy’s, the group of children with her all shouting and laughing, as their excitement bubbled over. She was thrilled by their reactions, while at the same time wondering if bringing them there was the correct thing to do. People who donated to the sanctuary might not approve of her taking children on a frivolous trip. But it was Christmas time, and these kids had little to nothing. Soon they would be leaving New York in a search for their happy ever after. Many would find it, but some wouldn’t. She had accepted that was part of the risk of trying to find these children new homes. The reality was that leaving them on the streets of New York would certainly result in abuse and death. At least by taking them on the trains, they had better odds of finding a family to provide them with food and shelter and, if they were lucky, love.

  “Penny for them?” Richard asked her, as he came back from taking two of the boys to the restroom.

  “I was just wondering what our sponsors would say to this trip. We could have used this money for a lot of other things.”

  “And miss this?” he asked. “Look at their little faces. Christmas is a time of magic. Stop worrying, and start smiling. Go on, and let the Christmas spirit take over your heart, too.”

  She would, if there were room in her heart for anything but him. She looked away quickly for fear he would see her feelings.

  “Miss Kathleen, will Santa give us new families?” George asked, looking up at her.

  “Not today, but you can ask him to pray you find a lovely home in the spring. My sister Bridget and her husband Carl will take you and the rest of your friends to your new homes on their next trip.”

  “Will you come, too?”

  “No, sweetheart, I have to stay in New York for a while. Miss Lily is having her baby after Christmas, so someone needs to help her.”

  “I’ll miss you, Miss Kathleen,” George said, before taking her hand in his.

  “I will miss you, too, George, but now you are learning your letters, you can write to me. I will write you back.”

  “You will? That will be great,” George replied happily. “What are you going to ask Santa for, Miss Kathleen?” the child asked. Kathleen wasn’t sure how to answer without ruining the magic.

  “Yes, Miss Kathleen, what are you going to ask Santa for?” Richard asked, as his eyes danced in amusement.

  Kathleen gave Richard a look, before turning her attention to George. “Santa is for children only, George. He doesn’t take requests from adults.”

  “Why not? You said he was magical, and Doc Richard said he can grant wishes.” The little boy was resolute in his belief. She knew he wasn’t going to let the subject drop.

  “Yes, he can, but…”

  “George, you have to believe in magic for Santa to work, and maybe Miss Kathleen doesn’t,” Richard added.

  “But, Miss Kathleen, you have to believe in magic, else it won’t come true. You got to try. Will you try? Please?”

  “Yes, George, now look, you are next.” Kathleen stared at the young boy working beside Santa. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. He looked up, probably due to her staring, but there was no sign of recognition in his face.

  Chapter 36

  They moved closer, George thankfully now completely distracted by Santa.

  “Your name?” the boy asked George.

  “George. What’s yours?”

  “I’m Santa’s helper,” the boy replied, his haughty tone making Kathleen smile. He looked at her, causing her to quickly cover her mouth with her hand. She didn’t want him to think she was making fun of him.

  “You got a name?” George insisted.

  “Kenny.”

  Kathleen took a deep breath. It was the boy they’d been looking for. She didn’t know what to do. What was the child doing working beside Santa? He wasn’t dressed like an elf, so he couldn’t be working for Macy’s. Yet he definitely was close to Santa. Was Inspector Griffin mistaken? Did Kenny have a family the policeman didn’t know about?

  George climbed up on Santa’s knee and told the man a little about himself. When he said he wanted a new family for Christmas, Kathleen had to wipe her eyes. She wished she had a magic wand and could make sure George got his happy ever after. She knew it was wrong to have favorites, but George held a special place in her heart. The six-year-old was like an open book. He loved everyone and everything and, as a result, was easily hurt. He had been luckier than most of the orphans in that he had a loving family who had cruelly been taken away from him. The child had grieved for his family but then, with the resilience of youth, had bounced back. He’d been lucky to have landed in the sanctuary, never having experienced the horrors of the streets of New York.

  When George climbed down, Santa beckoned Kathleen to come closer, but, instead, Richard took her place. “Forgive me, Santa, for butting in, but I need your help.”

  Santa eyed Richard warily, but, at a quick whisper from Richard, his face turned into one, big smile.

  “So, young man, you want something from Santa?”

  The children from the sanctuary giggled, as Richard went down on his knees, as if pretending to be a child.

  “Santa, I have been good, and I would like something really special, but I need your help.”

  “What do we think children, should we help him?”

  The children roared yes, the noise of the crowd making the younger ones move closer to Kathleen. Her attention was fixed on Richard. What was he doing?

  “Santa, can you ask Miss Kathleen Collins to come closer?” Richard asked.

  “I will indeed. Children, is there a Miss Kathleen Collins in the crowd?”

  The children roared their approval and pushed Kathleen to the center. They moved around her as if to prevent her from running away. She couldn’t do anything but stare at Richard.

  “Santa, I would like to ask Miss Collins to marry me. Do you think she will say yes?”

  Santa pulled at his beard, as he looked to her, his eyes dancing with laughter, as he struggled to stay serious.

  “Well, young man, you should really ask her and not me. I think Mrs. Claus might be put out, if I were to agree to marry again.”

  Everyone laughed, the adults at the joke and the children just because it was Santa.

  Richard moved directly in front of Kathleen.

  “Miss Collins, will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”

  “Yes,” Kathleen whispered, hardly believing this was happening.

  “Can I kiss the bride-to-be please, Santa?”

  “I think you better, or your audience will be disappointed."

  Richard stood up and drew her gently into his arms. She gazed up into his face, watching his lips, as they came down to meet hers. It was the most fleeting of touches, like butterfly wings grazing her cheek, but it was enough.

  “I love you, Kathleen Collins. Thank you for making my Christmas special.”

  “Yes, Santa is magic,” George hollered, much to everyone’s amusement.

  Chapter 37

  Kenny watched the lady carefully. He recognized her. She had lived next door to Mrs. Fleming. She had older brothers and a younger one, but he couldn’t remember their names. He remembered she was kind, though, always smiling. She had known Mary. He had seen them talking a few times. He looked at Santa and wondered if he had brought the lady here today.

  He saw the man kiss her and watched, as her face went all funny before going bright red. Everyone was cheering, which drew even more people toward Santa’s grotto. Kenny glanced around and then froze solid. Staring back at him was Lucky, and he didn’t look happy. Kenny inched closer to Santa, but the old man was distracted by the couple in front of him. He moved closer still, until he was practically sitting on the man’s lap.

  “Kenny, what’s wrong? Aren’t you happy for th
ese folks?” Santa asked him, putting his arm around Kenny’s shoulders. He was shaking, and he knew Santa could feel his bones rattling. Lucky kept coming and motioning at Kenny to come to him. Kenny couldn’t move, even if he’d wanted to. Apart from the fact Santa’s arm would stop him, his legs were frozen to the spot. Santa stared into the crowd, too, but Kenny didn’t know if the old man could see very far even with his glasses perched on his nose.

  “Kenny, you’re shaking. There is nothing to be scared of. I’m here, and this young woman works with the lady I was thinking of. Kathleen Collins, let me introduce you to my friend, Kenny.”

  The lady stared at him, and he saw the recognition in her eyes. She seemed glad to see him. She whispered something to the man who had kissed her, before bending down to Kenny’s level.

  “My word, Kenny, but you have grown so tall, I didn’t recognize you. Do you remember me? We met a few times when I lived near Mrs. Fleming.”

  Kenny nodded, his thumb stuck firmly in his mouth now. Mary hated him sucking his thumb, said it was for babies, but sometimes when he was really scared, it helped. Now he was terrified. What was Lucky going to do with all these people around?

  Chapter 38

  “There you are, kid. I've been looking for you all day. I should have known you would have come to see Santa. I hope you haven’t been getting into mischief,” Lucky said loudly, forcing his way through the crowd.

  “No, he hasn’t. He has been a great help. Who are you?” Santa asked, his tone as cold as the weather outside.

  “I’m his brother. Our ma is going to leather the both of us for being out so long. Come on, Kenny, let’s get you home.”

  Kenny shrank back from Lucky’s arm, causing the lad to give him a hard stare. He inched closer to Santa and Kathleen. Kathleen pushed her way in front of Kenny, glaring at Lucky.