Memoir of a runaway girl - A true story!
He finally introduced himself to me, “My name is Paul and I was the one who found you on the sidewalk.”
My angel, if it were not for him I would have been dead. He sat down in the chair and we talked. He was older than I was, black short curly hair and was very European. He told me that he was going into a nearby bakery when he saw me. He rushed over to me and checked my pulse. He said it was very weak and he knew he had to do something.
According to him, he picked me up, placed me in his car and drove to the hospital with an unconscious, unknown girl not knowing if she would live or die.
Paul came and visited me every chance he got over my three week stay at the hospital. Oddly enough, no one else from my family other than my Aunt came to see me at all. This left me feeling even less important to them, more than I had ever felt. Was I dead to my family now?
I do recall the nurse saying they found my wallet, and they did contact my mom about my condition. All I could think was wow, their daughter almost died and they could not come up here to see how I was doing?
My Aunt had a gift with her when she did visit, did I dare think it was for me? Of course not, my parents told her to get a gift for the person who rescued me. She had left it with me since he had not been there at that time. He also did not give me his phone number, so I was unable to call him. When he did come back, I handed it to him and told him it was from my parents as a thank you.
He took it and looked at me as if to say “but why, I did what anyone would have done”.
But no one else did, and for that, he deserved to be thanked.
He then said, “My thank you was you surviving. That is thanks enough for me. Please tell your family I truly appreciate the gift.”
He opened the gift, and it contained a very nice watch, I figured it must have cost them about a hundred dollars. After three full weeks, I was being released but not without strict instructions. I had to have a nurse come by and change the wound stuffing and dressing.
Since Monica had no idea what happened to me, she had already found someone else to take my room. I had nowhere to live and could not afford this, I chose to ignore those rules and tended to my own wound. I did heal it on my own even though I am sure if I had done what they had requested, the scar would probably have healed better.
So,now what? Where do I go from here?
I already exhausted all my resources for places to live. I did not have nearly enough in my bank account to be able to afford my own place. What did I do? I went to the local pool hall to hang out, and that’s where I met Jessica. Keep it in mind, only about two months have passed by this point, and I was still only 17 years old. We talked, drank pop, and got to know each other a bit. I explained my dilemma and she seemed to be genuinely concerned. She had invited me to stay with her and to be honest, what choice did I really have at this point?
She drove, and it seemed to me to be forever. I was exhausted physically, and drained emotionally. We ended up only driving a few blocks away and we arrived at a three level apartment complex. We went to her apartment, which was actually much nicer than the one I had just left. I even had my own room which was nice since that did not happen often in the last three years.
I settled in, and I managed to get my job back so I remained working at the grocery store. I had the manager change my schedule so Doris and I would not be on the same shift.
Things were finally starting to look up, work was good, my new roommate seemed to be working out and all was well, for the moment at least. Jessica was a single woman, four years older than me. Always dressed nicely, makeup done perfectly and her hair styled. She had a boyfriend named David, but he had moved to Manitoba, and that was really all I knew about him. He was not someone she really relished talking about with me or anyone else for that matter.
However, that did not stop her boyfriend from calling her all the time. I always did as she wished, to never tell him where she lived, and to just hang up on him. David called two or three times each and every day. On one of those calls, I finally got fed up and told him to stop calling and I used a few choice names. He hung up on me. I felt my words were harsh enough that he got my point.
During one of my pool hall visits, I met a new guy named Remo, he seemed real nice and he was treating me very well. I really felt things were finally starting to turn around for me during this time.
Everything was going to change again with a knock on the door. I asked who was at the door before opening it, a male voice said his name was Jake, a friend of Jessica’s and he asked me politely if I could open the door. Not recognizing the voice, I opened the door, leaving the chain on, and I saw two men standing in the hallway.
One of the men asked “Are you by any chance Abernathy?” I replied “Yes, why?” Next thing I knew, he kicked in the door and I was on the floor. I was dazed and in shock. I finally started to get my bearings and I realized that David was on top of me. David’s friend was holding my arms down. I felt something cold on my throat.
Thank you all for your continued support with my first novel. Chapter 2 - Part 7
For those who missed the beginning, you can read it here:
https://steemit.com/writing/@feline1991/a-steemit-original-a-lifetime-of-seeking-happiness-part-1