Who find Them

Chapter 6

Bethany sat on a hard folding metal chair. She scanned the bare, drab grey, windowless walls, searching for anything that might offer her comfort but found nothing except for an old round analog wall clock clicking away the minutes. Three banks of fluorescent lights ran across the ceiling. Their constant flickering and buzzing made Beth want to throw something at them, but even if she had something to toss, which she didn’t, she knew better than to do it. The only other furniture in this chamber was a metal desk devoid of anything, with an old-style desk phone, a pad of 8 x 11 lined paper sitting on top of a manilla file folder, and a ballpoint pen. The desk chair looked slightly more comfortable than the one she was sitting on, but not by much.

She had been by herself for approximately twenty minutes when the sound of the door behind her opening caused her to turn around. A woman walking through the door was dressed in a drab colored suit, flats, her grey-streaked black hair pulled back in a tight bun. The lady might have given the outward impression of being all business except for her eyes. It’s said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and this woman had kind, empathetic eyes. She positioned herself behind the desk, gave Bethany a quick once-over, and started.

“Good afternoon, Bethany. My name is Miriam. I’ve been assigned to handle your initial interview. Before we get started, would you like a bottle of water or soda, maybe a bag of chips? Do you need the Ladies Room?”

Beth wasn’t sure what to make of this lady and all her rapid-fire questions.

“I could use a toilet, and I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since they took me away from that awful man. Will I have to see him again? He’s not very nice.”

“No, you won’t need to see him anymore. Now come with me, and I’ll show you where the ladies' room is. I’m afraid all we have is vending machine food in this building, but once we’re through talking, your caseworker will take you for some real food. Sound good?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Miriam walked with Beth until they reached the bathroom door. When Beth went inside, Miriam bought a soda and some snacks. She arrived back at the door just as Beth was coming out.

“All set? I got these for you. I hope you like Cheetos, Reese’s, and a Coke.”

“Reese’s is my favorite! They never let us have any of this stuff at The Place.”

“By The Place, do you mean, Safe Haven?”

Before Beth could answer, they re-entered the interrogation room where the desk phone was ringing. Miriam answered the call, listened for a short time, and hung up.

“I’m sorry, dear, what were you saying?”

“Yes, I meant Safe Haven. That place is terrible. The people who work there are cruel. They hit you and take your food away if you do something they don’t like.”

“Is that why you ran away twice before? They told us you ran away because you were looking for your mother.”

“They’re liars! My mother is a junkie. She doesn’t care about me. I was looking for my best friends, Alice and Carrie.”

“Were they adopted and left with their new families?”

“No. I saw each one of them leave with the same man who took me. He took them somewhere, and I need to find them. Will you help me, Miriam?”

“I wish I could, Beth, but my hands are tied. It looks like your luck is changing, though. That phone call was my boss telling me you’ve been placed with a family. Safe Haven is sending one of their people here in the morning to take you to your new foster parents. Isn’t that amazing?”

Tears streamed down Beth’s cheeks, but they were tears of anguish, not joy, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

“No, no, no. You don’t understand. That’s the same way my friends disappeared; now I’m going to disappear too, and nobody will help me, not even the nice bus driver.”

Miriam was stunned by Beth’s reaction to the news. She searched for a comforting response but couldn’t come up with one that was satisfactory. Suddenly, like a switch had been flicked on, Beth’s sobbing stopped, and her tears quit flowing. The young girl straightened her posture and stared resolutely at Miriam.

“My father died two years ago, just after my tenth birthday. I didn’t fully understand his final words until just now. Dad said what he was about to tell me probably wouldn’t make much sense until I was older, and he was right. I didn’t fully get it until just now.”

“And what was that, dear?”

“Dad told me he wasn’t going to be around to take care of me any longer, and my mother was struggling with a problem she couldn’t beat, so I wouldn’t be able to rely on her. It was going to be up to me to make the tough decisions and work things out for myself. I’m smart and can do it. No matter what happens with these people, I’m going to win, my dad said so.”

“You’re a strong young woman, Beth,” and I’m sure your dad is very proud of you. Now, let’s go get you some food and a comfortable place to stay until your caretaker comes to pick you up tomorrow”

Later that evening, Dominic called Miriam to check on the girl. She told him that all was well and someone from Safe Haven would be picking her up in the morning to take her to a new home. That was all she could say, and even that much was probably too much, but she felt he needed to know the girl was going to be all right since he helped rescue her.

Miriam placed her phone back in her pocket, took a deep, comforting breath, and slowly exhaled. What could have been a tragic day ended on a positive note, and she was proud to be part of it. Beth’s initial reaction when told where she was going still troubled her; none of these cases go off without some issues. People are always troubled by the unknown, and that goes double for children who have spent most of their lives being shifted from place to place. Hopefully, once Beth gets settled into her new home, life will get a little brighter for her.