A Piece of Heaven Read online

  I followed the signs to the bus terminal. On the first floor of the terminal, there was a newsstand and a coffee shop and lots of lines for tickets and people everywhere! I even saw the man with no legs, riding around on a low platform. He was the same man that I’d seen crossing in front of Rivera’s. I waited for him to smile at me, but he didn’t look up. He just scooted himself along.

  I selected a line to stand in. I wasn’t quite sure where I would go. I figured I might go as far as my money would take me. I smoothed my hair back with my hand and waited my turn. Then I was face to face with a woman behind the counter. She stared at me.

  “May I help you?”

  “How much does one ticket cost?” I asked timidly.

  “A ticket to where?”

  I took a deep breath. “To Disney World,” I blurted out.

  “Orlando, Florida? I’ll check,” she said. She glanced over my shoulder and nodded. A policeman stood near the door. I stood up tall. I was sure that there wasn’t a law against going to Disney World, but I began to feel scared that I might be arrested. I turned back to the counter. The woman was staring at me with a cross look on her face.

  “Miss?”

  “Yes. How much?”

  “I just told you the price,” she said in an exasperated voice. “Do you want the ticket or not?”

  I glanced back over my shoulder. The policeman was gone.

  I felt dizzy. I grabbed on to the counter to steady myself.

  “Do you want the ticket or not?” the woman repeated angrily.

  My shoulders drooped. “No thanks.” I chickened out. Besides, Disney World was a trip Ma wanted the three of us to take together someday. It wouldn’t have been the same without her and Otis along. I stepped out of line and slowly walked away. I wiped away a tear of frustration as my feet led me out of the bus terminal to the downtown subway station. Ma was depending on me to be cooperative. Not only that— if I ran away, I might never find out what happened to Otis. But there was something I had to do before I went back to that mucus-colored apartment with all its smiley faces. I had made a promise. I had a job to do. I bought another token. Jackson’s house would be only a short ride away. A train came and I hopped in. Soon I was running again, up the stairs and into the sunlit street.

  When I arrived at Jackson’s, the second-story blinds were still drawn. I found my way to the backyard stone pile and paused to rest, pressing my back into its cool, sharp edges. These stones must have seen so much, I thought, in this spot for hundreds of years, ever since a farmer dug them up. The whole world has changed around them.

  I turned and lifted a big flat one from the top of the pile and set it in the middle of the yard. The glass doors flung open and Jackson walked out.

  “You’re here earlier than usual,” he said. “How was the weekend?”

  “Okay,” I replied, keeping my eyes fixed on the ground.

  “You seem kind of low,” Jackson said with concern. “How is Otis? Did something else happen?”

  “I missed Ma’s call last night. I guess he’s same-old, same-old,” I mumbled. I swallowed hard and fixed my eyes on the back of the yard. “I’m starting with the stones today.”

  “I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” he said in a thoughtful way. I could feel him staring at me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Fine,” I replied, trying to sound cheerful. The front doorbell rang. “Right on time,” Jackson observed, glancing at his watch. “I’m teaching straight through until twelve. See you!” He went inside, closing the glass doors behind him.

  A moment later, I heard sounds of the piano and the off-key voice of a boy struggling with scales. I bent down in front of the pile of stones and hurriedly began to sort through them, trying not to think about the trouble I’d be in when I went back to the boarding home.

  I’d never seen so many stones in my life! They were all shapes and sizes. Some were flat and others were nearly round; some had smooth edges and others were jagged. Three at the very bottom were so huge they could almost have been miniature boulders. I’d never be able to move those, no matter how strong I thought I was. I began to play around with the smallest ones. They reminded me of odd-shaped loaves of bread. I began to line them up, side by side and touching, along the edge of the yard where the weeds had once been.…

  When I was finished, there was a stone border on three sides! On the fourth side, I created a path with smaller stones lining either side of it. The path started from the tree and led up to the glass doors.

  I’d used up lots of stones, but there were still some left. I wiped my face with the tail of my shirt. I’d been working so hard that I’d lost track of time, and the boy who had been singing was long gone. Shari, my favorite soprano, was singing now, a very fast song in a foreign language.

  My eyes fell on the flat rock I’d placed in the center of the yard earlier. I made a dash to the pile and plucked off another one, also flat, but a wee bit smaller. I hoisted it back to the center of the yard and placed it on top of the stone on the ground. I made a few more trips like that and kept on stacking. In no time, I had a sculpture. I stepped back to look at it. I’d built a stone person!

  I hastily set about building other stone people all over the yard: a tall one next to the tree, a short one by the door, three standing side by side right near the side gate. I almost laughed out loud. There were so many stone people in the yard, it was almost too crowded. Jackson came out, surprising me.

  “A sculpture garden!” he cried. “How did you think of that?”

  “Haven’t you ever built a snowman?” I said.

  “What’s that have to do with it?” said Jackson.

  I smiled. “Instead of snowmen, these are stonemen. I just picked up some stones and kept stacking.”

  “I get it,” he said with a chuckle. “But it also reminds me of a miniature Stonehenge!”

  “What’s that?”

  “Assemblages of gigantic rocks, set up by prehistoric people in England.”

  “Wow! I didn’t know I was doing all that!” I said, flushing.

  “Seriously, I love it,” he said, touching one of the sculptures. “I can’t believe how much you’ve done in just one morning. The whole stone pile is gone.”

  “All except for those three huge ones,” I pointed out. “But we can use them for chairs and a table.”

  He smiled broadly. “Speaking of which, it’s twelve o’clock. How about a pizza?”

  “Twelve o’ clock?” I started. Angela would be furious! I’d been so involved with the stones, I’d almost forgotten that I’d run away. Would Angela have figured out where I was by now?

  “So, how about a pizza?” said Jackson.

  My stomach was rumbling.

  “Sure, I’ll stay for pizza,” I said hesitantly. I should have told him then, I suppose, about how I wasn’t living at home and about how Angela had said that I couldn’t go to my job, but I couldn’t bear to bring it up. Knowing Jackson, he would have taken me back to the boarding home right away. It might have meant saying good-bye to him forever.

  “What a great job you’ve done!” Jackson exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. “As far as I can tell, the yard is finished. Maybe you’ll come over the day Brielle visits. I’d like for her to meet you.”

  “I’d like to meet her, too,” I said eagerly, “if I can.…” My voice trailed off.

  Jackson went inside to order the pizza, and I wandered around the yard. It certainly did look different from the day that I’d started! I was glad that Jackson was pleased. I liked it, too, but I still wished that the yard had more color. I peeked into the shed, which was a lot emptier than it had been, now that we’d cleaned it out and the Salvation Army had picked up the things we’d decided to give away. But Brielle’s old green tricycle was safe in the back with a few other things that Jackson and I had decided to save. My eye fell on the rainbow-colored hammock, sitting on a shelf. I took it down and hurried across the yard. There was still a hook on the tr
ee and another one on the side of the house! I let the hammock drop open and fastened it up, hooking one end of the rope to the tree and the other end to the house. There were a couple of worn spots in the fabric, but the rainbow colors were wonderful. I sat down in the middle of the hammock to test it. Jackson came out.

  “That old thing still works, huh?”

  I nodded. “I thought it might come in handy. When Brielle comes, she can take a nap here.”

  “Why don’t you?” Jackson said gently. “There are dark circles under your eyes.”

  “I am a little pooped,” I confessed.

  “Stretch out and rest,” he encouraged. “I’ll wait for the delivery. Would you like a drink?”

  “Yes, I’m thirsty,” I told him. I glanced at my arms. “I’m filthy dirty, too. I should wash up.”

  “You can do that later on,” said Jackson. “I’ll find you something cold in the refrigerator.”

  He disappeared again. I let my head fall back on the hammock and lifted my legs and stretched them out. My body relaxed. The leaves on the limbs above created a canopy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wanted things to be different. To be the daughter of somebody who wasn’t crazy, and the sister of somebody who wasn’t in trouble. It was selfish, I know. I loved my family, but just for a minute, I wanted to live in Jackson’s tall brick house. I know it was only a fairy tale, but instead of being Mistress Haley the Gardener, I wanted to be the princess. Or not the princess at all, because that’s not what mattered. I wanted to be Jackson’s daughter, like Brielle.

  The next thing I knew, Jackson was shaking my arm.

  “Haley, get up.” I heard his voice as if it were far away. “She’s dead to the world.”

  I opened my eyes. Jackson was standing over me, and Terry was standing next to him! The blood rushed to my head as I tried to get up.

  “Hello, Haley,” she said. I glanced at Jackson guiltily.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that you’d been moved to a group boarding home?” Jackson asked.

  “I was too busy working,” I said, fumbling for an explanation. “They wanted me to quit my job,” I blurted out. “It isn’t fair!” I climbed out of the hammock and faced Terry.

  “You shouldn’t have run away,” said Terry in a clipped voice. “We could have discussed it.”

  “Angela didn’t want to discuss it,” I argued. “What are you going to do?” I muttered sarcastically. “Put me in jail like Otis?”

  “No one is going to put you anywhere,” said Terry.

  “You already have,” I cried. “You made me leave my apartment!”

  “Why don’t we sit down?” Jackson suggested, motioning to the big rocks in the back. “Haley’s lunch just arrived. She hasn’t eaten.”

  “I could use that cold drink, too,” I griped.

  Terry followed Jackson and me to the back of the yard. A pizza box was perched on a rock. Jackson offered me a can of lemonade. I took a big gulp.

  “How did you think Angela would feel when she discovered that you’d run away?” Terry asked.

  “I didn’t run away,” I said stubbornly. “I could have. But I didn’t. I went to my job.”

  “You lied to Angela,” Terry insisted. “You told her that you worked in Queens.”

  “Ma knows where I work,” I grumbled. “Eventually, you figured it out.”

  “We tried calling your mother,” she said, tapping her foot. “She was having some kind of treatment. She couldn’t talk to us until just a little while ago.”

  “What kind of treatment?” I asked in alarm. “Is she all right?”

  “She’s fine,” Terry assured me. “But she was sick with worry when she found out that you’d disappeared.”

  “But I didn’t disappear!” I said, stamping my foot. “If Ma gets worse, it’ll be your fault for telling her.”

  “Don’t you think you’re being a little unreasonable?” Terry said impatiently. “You’re the one who caused all the trouble, Mahalia.”

  “I told you I’m sorry! What do you want from me?” Jackson stepped up and touched my arm. “Why don’t you eat your pizza, Haley? I’d like to speak with Terry for a few minutes.”

  He gave Terry a nod, and they stepped aside and began walking around the yard. I opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice, keeping my eye on them. How was it that some social worker had control over my life all of a sudden? I hoped Jackson was giving her a piece of his mind! I stuffed down my pizza greedily and took another slice. By the time Jackson and Terry were done talking, I’d finished two more slices, and the two of them were smiling. Circling back in my direction, they stopped in front of me.

  “Jackson showed me your nice sculptures,” Terry announced.

  “I made the stone borders, too,” I said grudgingly.

  She smiled.

  “So, what is my fate?” I muttered. “Can I go back to my apartment?”

  “I’m afraid not,” said Terry. “Until your mother gets well, you’re our responsibility. But I’d like for you to keep your summer job.”

  “Really?” I cried.

  Jackson reached for my hand.

  “I convinced Terry that you’re too good to let go.”

  I glanced around the yard. “But—but it’s all done,” I stammered hesitantly.

  “Nonsense,” said Jackson. “We’ve got more to do before Brielle comes. We have to go shopping, and we need to fix that leg on the grill. I’ll keep you busy.”

  “I think it’s a good idea that you stay on,” Terry added. “Your mother told us how important this job with Mr. Jackson is to you.”

  “She told you that?”

  “You seem surprised,” Terry remarked.

  “Ma is usually so upset. I didn’t think she’d remember something like that.”

  “Everything concerning you is important to her, Mahalia,” said Terry. “She just can’t show it all the time.”

  “Maybe I should call her,” I said. “She’s probably still worried about me.”

  Jackson, Terry, and I went into the house. I washed my hands and then used the phone. Ma answered right away, but her voice was groggy.

  “It’s me, Ma.”

  “Haley…Is that you?”

  “Yes, Ma.”

  “They told me that…you were lost.”

  “I just went to Jackson’s. I’m fine. Terry found me.”

  “They said you went to Queens. I told them that couldn’t be right. I gave them Jackson’s name.” She spoke so softly. It was hard to hear her.

  “You sound tired, Ma.”

  She sighed. “The doctor did something different. This time it’s got to work, Haley. I can’t stay here forever, you know. The insurance won’t cover it.”

  Her voice faded away. I held the phone and listened to her breathing. Deep down, I was hurting. “Should I come and visit you?”

  “No. Stay put. Is the place where you’re staying all right?”

  “I like it okay,” I lied. “I’m going back there.”

  “So, you haven’t disappeared?” Her voice drifted off again.

  “Don’t fade out on me, Ma,” I pleaded. “Can I see Otis?”

  “No. Your brother is too ashamed.”

  “Otis doesn’t have to be ashamed in front of me.”

  “I have to go, honey. I can’t talk about it.”

  I let out a breath. “Bye, Ma.” Jackson took the phone away and hung it up.

  “Ready to go home?” asked Terry.

  “Which home?” I sighed.

  “Your temporary one,” she said cheerfully. “The one with Yvonne, Maria, Angela, and Rayelle.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Too many new names.”

  “It’s hard,” agreed Terry.

  “I’d like to come, too,” Jackson piped up. He smiled at me warmly.

  “How come?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “I just want to, that’s all. I’ll leave a note for my students.”

  When we got back to the apartment, Angela had gone home.
Rayelle was in the kitchen folding a pile of clean laundry.

  “Here she is,” Terry announced, nudging me forward. “We’ve found Mahalia!”

  “Hi, there,” Rayelle said. She cocked her head and gave me a look. Instead of being covered with autumn leaves, the dress she wore that day was covered with a ladybug design. “So, you ditched us this morning. How was your trip?” she teased. “Have a safe landing?”

  “I guess so,” I murmured.

  “Welcome back,” she said.

  “This is Mr. Jackson, Rayelle,” Terry continued. “He’s Mahalia’s employer.”

  Rayelle and Jackson shook hands.

  A girlish voice came out of the bedroom. “Is that you, Mahaley?” Yvonne came running out of the room, with Maria sauntering behind her.

  “My name is Mahalia,” I said with a laugh. “But most people call me Haley.”

  “So, where did you go?” Maria asked with a pout. “Angela said you were trying to get to Queens. You should have asked me how to get to Queens. That’s where my father lives.”

  “I didn’t go to Queens,” I explained. “I went to work.” I motioned to Jackson. “This is my boss.”

  “I thought he was your daddy,” Yvonne said.

  I shook my head. “My daddy doesn’t live around here.”

  “Mine doesn’t, either,” Yvonne said softly. “Mine died.”

  A pang went through my heart. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. Jackson grasped my hand.

  “So, are you going to show me your room?”

  “We’ll show you, too,” Maria said, leading the way. “It was our bedroom first, you know. Haley just moved in yesterday.”