Fairchild's 7 Daughters-The 12: Book One

12. Manhattan

The young Fairchild women carried their heavy luggage through the station. Early that year there had been a train accident as one train plowed into another killing fifteen people. This was what sparked the motion to use electric instead of steam trains. Their train would be one of the last to come through while the building underwent construction.

Astrid told the girls to sit while she went up to the information desk. Heloise swung her legs as she sat and looked around. Bright lights were streaming in through the windows like spotlights on a stage. There were hundreds upon hundreds of people bustling about their everyday lives.

Astrid returned a few minutes later carrying papers and joined them on the bench. "We have a few hours until the next train leaves for Maine," she said. "Are you hungry?"

"I don't want to wait for hours," Hannah complained. "I want to be there already. No one told me it was going to take this long to get to stupid Maine."

"Oh, Hannah you always find reasons to complain," Alifair said. "At least we are all hear together."

"Alifair is right," Astrid said getting up from the bench. She fluffed the skirt of her white sailor dress where it had wrinkled on the train. "I do wish we looked more presentable."

"Can we eat now?" Hannah moaned.

"We first need to find a place we can afford," Astrid said. "I got some pamphlets from the information desk if you want to look at them."

Hannah put her feet in the seat and crossed her arms. "This is taking too long. I'm tired and my bottom hurts from sitting."

"Why don't you stretch your legs," Astrid suggested. "You'll feel a lot better once you get all the cramps out."

"I'd feel a lot better if I had some food!" Hannah snapped.

"Miriam said we have to listen to Astrid," Alifair said. "So get off your backside and stretch your legs." She pushed Hannah onto her feet and the girl stomped back and forth twice before sitting back down.

"Now, can I have some food?"

Astrid tried not to let her frustration show. Here they were all alone in a big city of strangers. "Well maybe we could take a quick walk around the block and see what we could find. I heard there are a lot of dachshund sausages in New York. You've never had one of those before, Hannah."

"I don't like sausages," Hannah said. "I want chicken."

"If you don't stop your whining you're going to have potatoes," Alifair said as they gathered their bags. "In fact I'm going to make sure that you have potatoes every hour of every day for the rest of your life if you don't stop your whining."

Hannah was silent. She crossed her arms and stuck out her lips but not another expression came from her mouth.

On the street outside the terminal Heloise watched street cars ding by. She had never seen so many people before. There were more people here than in Old Town and Angel Veil totaled together. The street was a bustle of cars, carriages and trams and people going this way and that. She let the heavy city wind rustle her frizzy blonde hair.

"The air is different here."

Alifair was standing next to her looking like a scared fawn in the dark end of a great forest. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well you can't smell the river or the dirt road...or flowers. You remember how strong the cape jasmine was this time of year around our old house. And look at this place. There isn't an oak tree in sight."