Her Journey Begins (30 page)

  They talk for what seems likes hours and Chris tells her about foster care, Jason, Barb, and Brad, leaving out the part about Brandon
’
s mom and the court orders, and just gives the bare bones facts on her recent predicament. 

  
“
Chris I don
’
t mean to interrupt you, but when did you go to live with Barb and Brad?
”

  
“
On my twelfth birthday. Ten years ago today.
”

  
“
It
’
s your birthday? Why didn
’
t you tell me? We are going to have to celebrate!
”
 

   
“
No. It
‘
s just another day.
”

   
“
Hell it is. Chris, birthdays are special. We
‘
ll go out and have pizza and share a bottle of wine. What do you say?
”

   
“
What the hell, why not.
”
Chris smiles at Sue and then looks down at her fidgety hands.
“
I really could use something to help me calm down right now.
”



   Sue wakes up during the night and sees the light shining under the door. She rolls over and squints at the clock. Getting up she finds Chris sitting on the couch with her portfolio opened in her lap.

  
“
Chris
…
Are you okay?
”

Chris sniffles and wipes the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“
I
’
m okay. I
’
m just missing Brandon.
”

Sue sits down next to her and looks at the photo Chris is looking at.
“
Is that Brandon? He was really cute.
”

Chris smiles.
“
Yes, he was.
”
 

Reaching across, Sue points at Brent.
“
Who
’
s this?
”

  
“
That
’
s Brent. He was Brandon
’
s best friend.
”

Sue nods towards the next picture.
“
Is that you foster parents?
”

  
“
Barb and Brad, yep that
’
s who they are.
”

  
“
How come they didn
’
t help you after Brandon died?
”

  
“
They couldn
’
t afford to and since I wasn
’
t a foster child any more, I didn
’
t feel it was right to ask for help.
”

  
“
When was the last time you saw them?
”

  
“
It
’
s been about a year and a half now.
”

   
“
Have you talked to them?
”
Slowly Chris shakes her head no.

  
“
What about Brandon
’
s parents? Why didn
’
t they help you?
“
Chris pulls out the envelope from the back of her portfolio and hands it to Sue.
“
What
’
s this?
”
Sue takes it from Chris and she opens it.

  
“
The attorney brought those to me the morning after at the hospital.
”

  
“
That bitch!
”
Sue exclaims as she is reading them.
“
Why did she do that?
”

  
“
I guess it was her way of getting her son back.
”

  
“
Okay, I don
’
t understand.
”

  
“
When I got pregnant, Brandon
’
s mom disowned him. Simple as that.
”

  
“
So how did you end up with this other guy?
”
Chris explains the basic details to her, about her job and the rent and being evicted. Sue shakes her head.
“
I
’
m so sorry Chris that you had to go through all that.
”

Chris smiles.
“
Every thing happens for a reason, or so I
’
ve heard.
”

  
“
Well I should get back to bed. Try and get some sleep, okay?
”

  
“
I will. Night Sue
”

  
“
Night Chris
”



   Early the next morning Chris is in the kitchen when Sue walks in, yawning and stretching.
“
Chris you
’
re up early.
”

Chris hands her a cup of coffee.
“
I
’
m sorry. I didn
’
t wake you, did I?
”
Sue takes the coffee from Chris and sits down at the table.

  
“
No, I needed to get up anyway. I thought I
’
d take you shopping for some basic necessities and have an extra key made for you.
”

  
“
Sue, you don
’
t have to do this. I don
’
t have any money.
”

Sue smiles at her,
“
Don
’
t worry about it. You
’
ll get a job and you can pay me back.
”

 


Monday morning after Sue leaves for work, Chris cleans up the apartment and does the laundry. Grabbing her camera she heads off to the Library to read the newspaper want ads. On her way back she stops in the park, taking pictures of whatever catches her eye.



   Thursday night while watching T.V. Sue nudges Chris.

  
“
There
’
s a jar of change in the kitchen if you want to get a soda when you go out.
”
Chris tells her thank you, but no she doesn
’
t want to take her change. Sue grins.
“
Then put an I.O.U. in the jar for whatever you take and when you get some money, put it back.
”

Chris laughs.
“
Okay, I will.
”
 



   Friday morning before Chris leaves she scrawls out an I.O.U. and exchanges it for a couple of quarters from the jar. Walking out the door she
’
s in a good mood and thinks to herself,
It
’
s going to be a good day today.
Once she gets to the library she decides she should apply for a library card so she can check out a book she wants to read. Pulling the quarters out of her pocket Chris forgoes the soda and buys a newspaper instead.



   Chris is sprawled out on the floor, pen in hand, and the newspaper spread open in front of her, when Sue gets home.
“
Any luck?
”

Chris looks up at her and shakes her head,
“
No, not really.
”

  
“
Well I
’
ve got a way you can make a quick fifty bucks.
”

Chris laughs.
“
I
’
m sorry, but I
’
m really not very good at sex, so you really shouldn
’
t pimp me out.
”

Sue busts up laughing,
“
Oh Chris, you are hilarious!
”
Sue points at Chris
‘
camera.
“
Are you any good with that?
”
Chris shrugs.
“
Chris from the photos I
’
ve seen in your album, I think you are really good, so I got you a photo shoot tomorrow.
”
Sue starts walking towards the bedroom and tosses back,
“
Oh and I hope you like dogs.
”

  
“
What? What are you talking about? I just do it for fun. I don
’
t have any real experience with it. Sue!
”

Sue comes back to the living room.

  
“
Well tomorrow, I am taking you over to my boss
’
s house. She has two dogs and she wants some pictures taken of them, with her, for her Christmas cards.
”

  
“
Christmas, But it
’
s only February!
”

Sue sighs,
“
I know, but she likes to plan ahead, besides she wants to be able to blow up one of the pictures and frame it to hang above her fireplace. If she likes the photos you take, she
’
ll pay you fifty dollars.
”



   Standing at the door a woman opens it. Chris figures she
’
s maybe 50, with salt and pepper hair. The woman acknowledges  Sue and puts out her hand to Chris.
“
Hi Chris, I
’
m Linda and Sue
’
s been telling me what a great photographer you are.
”
Chris raises an eyebrow at Sue and Sue gives her a sheepish grin back. Walking into the living room Linda gestures towards the sliding glass door.
“
Come on out on the patio and meet my babies
”

   They step out onto the porch and a huge Saint Bernard comes loping up with a poodle trotting next to it.
Trotting,
Chris thinks, isn
’
t quite the right word,
more like prancing
. Chris reaches out her hand to the Saint Bernard to let him sniff her. He sits down and starts wagging his tail and Chris grins.
“
He
’
s beautiful.
”

Linda scratches him behind his ear.
“
This is Sir Peter and that is Princess.
”
Princess starts wagging her tail as soon as Linda says her name and lifts her paw up to Chris.

  
“
Well it looks like you
’
ve got everything under control here, so I
’
m going to go home and will come back to pick you up in an hour or so.
”

Chris smiles.
“
Thanks Sue.
”



Chris uses both rolls of the film she brought with her and finds that she is having a great time all the while thinking that maybe this is her destiny. That being a photographer is what she is meant to be. Done with the photo shoot, Chris and Linda lead the dogs out to the backyard to play when there
’
s a knock on the door. Chris is expecting Sue, but when she looks up, there is a gentleman standing next to her. Chris smiles at him and stands up.

  
“
Chris this is my brother Charlie.
”
Chris nods at him and then tells Linda.

   
“
I can
’
t develop these until Monday, that is if I can use the lab at the school, is that okay?
”

Linda smiles at her,
“
That is why Charlie is here. He
’
s going to take you to his portrait studio and you can develop them there and then he
’
ll bring you back here. Is that okay with you?
”

Sizing Charlie up, Chris figures he
’
s in his forties, just a little bit taller than herself, with crinkles around his eyes when he smiles and pleasantly plump like Linda.