Lost and Found

The yellow taxi moved down the crowded city street.  Pauline was amazed at the tall buildings that seemed to touch the sky.  Time Square looked like a bundle of holiday lights as we sped past.  The number of people amazed her.  She couldn’t believe she was here.  She settled back into the seat of the taxi.  She looked around at her family, her tired mother, her anxious father, and her annoying little brother.  Pauline then resumed looking out the window.  She felt so grown-up.  She looked her self over in her sophisticated clothes.  Her new jeans, her new matching sweater set, her new corduroy purse, and her brand-new shoes with HEELS!!!  Her 13^th birthday wish had come true.  She was in New York City!!! 

            As they sped down the city street nearing their hotel, Pauline opened the pocket of her purse and picked out the “wings” the flight attendant had given her.  She slipped them back into her purse.  The taxi halted to a stop.  They stepped out of the taxi, while people working from the hotel unloaded their bags.  As her family checked in, their luggage was brought to their room. The lobby was so elegant, with velvet sofas, glass coffee tables, and a giant glistening chandelier.  Pauline loved the enormous hotel room.  She even got her own room.  She settled down and went to bed soon after they arrived.

 The Baker family woke early that morning, to begin sightseeing.  She had to hold hands with her annoying little brother, so they wouldn’t get separated or lost. (So their parents told them.)  She definitely didn’t want to be seen with him. Finally, their mom took over and bought him with a baseball hat from a souvenir stand.  On almost every corner were vendors, newspaper stands, people shouting, some shopping.  So many people!!!  It was amazing.  They decided to go across the city, and to get there the family decided to take the subway.  Pauline couldn’t wait. “A subway, in every great movie there is a subway.” Pauline thought to herself.  “This was going to be great!” 

Mr. Baker handed his daughter a map and she figured out a route the family could take.  Pauline was the best in the family at doing things like that.  She tucked the map into her purse.  The family quickly moved into the subway station.  Pauline felt a huge gust of wind, and heard a huge rumbling sound like thunder, coming through as the subway screeched to a stop.  Millions of people young and old, pushed and shoved while trying to get on the subway.  Pauline almost broke her brother’s hand she was holding so hard, scared of getting separated. 

They finally found an empty bench the whole family could fit on.  As soon as they sat down the subway rumbled on.  Pauline looked around.  The people were so different.  She saw a shiny, object just in front of her.  As she bent down, to pick up the object she thought she heard someone call her name, but ignored it.  As soon as her hand was hovering over the object the subway screeched to a stop.  A herd of people left their seats for others to take their place, and began the procedure of getting off the subway.  She couldn’t move. She stayed in that position for a while, risking getting lost in the crowd.  She then heard the clank of the subway door and the subway sped on.  Pauline sat up, disappointed, that the shiny object was only a button.  She realized that the seat her family sat upon was empty.  She tried not to think bad thoughts.  “It’s okay.  I have a map.”  In her head she repeated, “I’m 13. I’m 13.”  Pauline looked around the subway again.  She saw only strangers.  She felt, she couldn’t breathe.  She was in a huge city without her parents. 

            The subway rumbled on.  Pauline felt, sick.  “It will be okay, I’m 13, I’ll think of something.”  The subway stopped again.  She decided not to waste her time sitting there, so she jumped into the flow of people.  She took a gulp of fresh air.  Pauline began to walk along a city sidewalk, looking up at the huge buildings.  She then began to conjure up a plan, on how to find her family.  A thought came into her mind.  “They probably don’t want me to find them.  They like Connor better.  They left a crowded subway without me!!!  They completely abandoned me in a huge city where I will never find them!!!” 

As she walked on she realized how noisy the city was.  Cars’ horns honked, people yelled, music blared, and dogs barked.  She walked around a city block searching, for at least a police officer, a phone, or possibly her parents.  She found neither.  Pauline then felt she had not eaten in a million years.  So she walked across a street in a crowd of people, to get to a vendor who was selling hot dogs.  She used the little money she had to buy one.  She took a bite and was amazed that it was better than Dad’s.  The feeling of being scared and lost went away.  She felt she could do anything, or that she had lived here her whole life.  Then she noticed a stand selling hats like the one Connor had gotten.  Then a bus went by that had an add for the shampoo her mom uses.  Then, a shop window used for displaying jerseys and hats for her dad’s favorite football team.  She then noticed how close she had gotten to the subway station.  Pauline realized she needed her parents. 

She brushed away a tear from her eye and went into the station.  She heard the loud, deafening, noise of the subway and hopped into the crowd.  The subway, moved on.     After a short while the subway screeched to a stop.  She hopped off.  The sun shone in her eyes, and they started watering.  She started down the block her family had come.  Everything seemed so familiar.  At the end of the block, was a police officer.  She picked up her pace a little.  Too soon she was right in front of him.

 She started out shaky, but the words managed to come out.  “Excuse me.  I’m Pauline Baker, and I was separated on the subway from my family.  Can you help me?”  The muscular, frowning police officer suddenly, gave her a huge smile.

“Of course I can.”  He bellowed, “I’m Officer Stevens, hold on one moment.”  She stood uncomfortably shifting her weight to either foot.  Then some thing made her think, “Why did it seem like he knew me so well?”   He was mumbling something in his walkie-talkie.  “They will be here any minute now.” The officer boomed. “Who?”  She thought.  From around a street corner came an all to familiar curly hair of my annoying little brother, holding the hand of another police officer. 

            She began to smile uncontrollably.  She started running.  She stopped halfway afraid of what others would think.  She began to walk, getting closer and closer to the people she thought she could live without.  She ignored the crowds, and blocked out any noises.   She picked up her pace, not caring what others thought.  Finally, she was in the arms of her mom and dad.  It was a perfect fit.  Mrs. Baker was so joyous.

Her dad began to explain what happened.  “After we left the subway, Connor realized you weren’t with us.”  “Connor? She thought.  “My annoying little brother?”  Mr. Baker went on.  “ So we started to scramble to find a police officer, we finally found Officer Stevens.” He stopped for a breath.  “ Officer Stevens, knew you had to come back this way soon so we stayed put and he sent another police officer around the city.”

 “We are very delighted we found you,” Her mother said.  The city’s noises came back.  Pauline turned around and gave her brother a hug.  Officer Stevens then gave the family a ride back to the hotel.  Her parents thanked him and he sped away.  Pauline was the happiest she had ever been.  They had wanted her back and she had wanted to find them.  She then thought, “I’m might need my family for a while, I guess. Maybe forever.  Who knows.”     

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