Escape or Eject

Chapter 5

I ended up staying with the hobo, who’s name was not actually hobo; after the first night I learned it was Jeb. With his aged raspy voice and tangled beard, it fit him well. It took us a few hours to find a place to hide out. Jeb never stayed in any place longer than a night, mostly because somebody found him by the next morning.

We tried breaking into storm shelters, finding abandoned apartments, hiding from security in super stores like the M&M Factory and Toys R Us in Times Square.  We looked from Lower Manhattan to all the way up Harlem, before settling in an alley off an abandoned lot on West 157th St. Jeb knew the guys who were, as they say, ‘camping’ there.

There were three of them. Two were brothers, Jenson and Cyle, (he told me specifically with a C) and they both looked about forty. The other one was named Blake; he was younger, probably in his twenties. While they all were gathered around a ‘homemade’ fire pit, I laid back studying the birthday card again. I had it folded in a bunched of oddly shaped triangles so now it was coated in wrinkles. But the address hadn’t changed. 778 Elton Avenue. I didn’t need the card to remember that. I had it’s image implanted in my brain since I learned to read. Inside that house was the truth.

“Whacha doin’ over here all by yourself, Girl?” Blake’s smile felt uncomfortable and exposed his crooked teeth.

“I have a name, and if I remember correctly, I told you it.” I turned away from him and put the card back into my jacket pocket.

“Yea, I know it’s Haley. But ‘round here everyone is either Girl, Boy, Gramps, or if you’re special Slick.” I wondered who had that honor. “Look Girl, Gramps over there told me to tell ya that we’ve got some food on the fire. So if ya don’t like your meat burnt I suggest ya skip on over there.” Blake was definitely not from New York. His accent was as deep south as it gets.

“Thanks but I’m not hungry so-”

“Oh well ya will be. Dinner’s the only meal ya get ‘round here.”

“I said I’m fine. Thanks.” I glared at him and he just backed away towards the fire.

I was actually hungry though. Just not hungry enough to go over there and have all the attention turned towards me, the outsider and newcomer. A title I was surely used to.

I watched them from the corner of my eye. Their mouths rambled but I couldn’t understand what they were exactly saying. I figured the only way to be at peace was in my sleep. So I shut my eyelids and searched for a breeze of silence. My mind only had a few seconds of rolling over hills and souring over skyscrapers before my flight hit turbulence.

“Why are you sleeping? This isn’t some vacation.” Jeb’s voice tossed me out of sleep. I opened my eyelids and rolled my eyes in disgust.

“I didn’t realize you were in charge of my sleeping patterns. I came here to be free of rules and regulations, Jeb.” I brushed the dirt off my jeans and stretched out my arms above my head.

“I also recall you came here to find your mom.” His eyebrows raised and his eye made a slight wink.

“That’s true.” I said hesitantly. “Are you suggesting that we go find her now at like,” I paused, “Wait, what time is it?”

Jeb helped me up and dragged me back towards the street. It always seemed he was two steps ahead of me, planning ‘our’ next moves, not telling me anything. While I’m glad to have someone with me, it feels like Jeb is just another foster parent. Only being here temporarily, ordering me about. I didn’t want this, I came here to get away from that.

“There is no time in New York Haley. Now what’s the address we need to find.” We were on the sidewalk now making our way down Broadway.

“778 Elton Avenue. It’s in the Bronx.” Jeb was quiet for once. “What? Do you know the place?”