THE RUNAWAY TEEN

 

JENNY WRITES;

It was an unusually hot and blistery spring day in the City.  The winds were fierce and picking up in intensity.  The meteorologist was calling for a fast-moving cold front to come through which would cause violent storms.  Weather watches and warnings kept flashing on the TV screen.

In the shadows of a litter infested alley, on the outskirts of downtown - a young runaway girl from Texas started to cry.  She'd gotten off of the train only an hour before and with no particular destination in mind, Louise simply wandered the streets.

LOREN WRITES;

 

LOUISE HAD NEVER BEEN TO CHICAGO BEFORE AND DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE IN THE CITY.  SHE HAD USED HER LAST MONEY TO BUY THE TRAIN TICKET.  NOW SHE WAS HUNGRY AND SCARED.  IT LOOKED LIKE THE WEATHER WAS GOING TO TURN BAD AND SHE HAD NO PLACE TO GO TO GET OUT OF THE WEATHER.

 

AS IT STARTED TO RAIN, LOUISE SAW A DUMPSTER IN THE BACK OF THE ALLEY.  SHE RAN TO IT AND CLIMBED IN AND PULLED THE LID CLOSED. AT LEST I’M OUT OF THE RAIN, SHE THOUGHT.  THE SMELL WAS OVER POWERING, ROTTEN FOOD, DIRTY DIPPERS AND NO TELLING WHAT ELSE.  SHE KEPT TELLING HERSELF THAT IT WAS BETTER THAN BEING OUT IN THE RAIN.

 

THEN SHE HEARD THE SOUND OF A TRUCK COMING DOWN THE ALLEY.  IT WAS A GARBAGE TRUCK AND IT RAN ITS FORKS UNDER THE DUMPSTER AND LIFTED IT INTO THE AIR.  IT DUMPED ITS CONTENTS, INCLUDING LOUISE, INTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK.  AS THE TRUCK DROVE ON, LOUISE WAS SCREAMING AND CRYING BUT NO ONE COULD HEAR HER,

 

JENNY WRITES;

 

 

The garbage truck took off toward the heart of downtown.  As it roared past the Art Institute, Louise fought to make her way to a standing position.  An imposing red light flashed quickly causing the teen to lose her balance and fall on her already sore behind.

Making left turns and right turns, the garbage truck struck a rhythm which enabled Louise to stand on a heap of trash and hold onto the rail sides.  Her face was covered with noodles and coffee grounds and her blond hair streaked with red from ketchup.  On top of her head - a banana peel.

Louise started crying and waving for help to the thousands of passersby who were making their way to their offices.  Most people totally ignored her.  Some individuals simply thought she was a trickster and gave her a dirty look.  Then all of a sudden --- a rat jumped on Louise's arm causing her to scream for mercy, and… drew the attention of the traffic cop at LaSalle and Washington.

 

LOREN WRITES;

 

HE TURNED ON HIS FLASHING RED LIGHT AND RAN THE GARBAGE TRUCK DOWN.  WHEN HE GOT THE TRUCK STOPPED, HE ASKED THE DRIVER WHAT HE WAS DOING WITH SOMEONE RIDING IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK?

 

“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING, OFFICER.  ALL I’VE GOT IS A LOAD OF GARBAGE.  THEN THEY BOTH HEARD LOUISE HOLLERING FOR HELP.  THEY RAN TO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND THERE WAS LOUISE, BANANA PEEL AND ALL.  THEY HELPED HER DOWN OUT OF THE TRUCK AND THE OFFICER ASKED HER WHAT SHE WAS DOING IN A GARBAGE TRUCK.

 

LOUISE STARTED CRYING AGAIN.  SHE WAS AFRAID TO TELL THE OFFICER THE TRUTH ABOUT RUNNING AWAY AND COMING TO CHICAGO.  “THERE, THERE LITTLE GIRL” THE OFFICER SAID, “DON’T CRY.  NO ONE IS GOING TO HURT YOU.  COME GET IN THE PATROL CAR OUT OF THE RAIN.”

 

THE OFFICER TOOK OUT HIS HANDKERCHIEF AND WIPED THE KETCHUP, NOODLES AND COFFEE GROUNDS OFF LOUISE.  THE BANANA PEEL HAD FALLEN OFF WHEN SHE HAD CRAWLED OUT OF THE TRUCK.  “NOW WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” THE OFFICER WANTED TO KNOW.

 

IN A VERY SMALL AND FRIGHTENED VOICE LOUISE SAID, “SUSIE RAND.”

 

“WELL, SUSIE RAND WHERE DO YOU LIVE?”

 

“NO WHERE” WAS THE ANSWER.

 

“SUSIE, ARE YOU HUNGRY?”

 

AGAIN IN A VERY SMALL AND FRIGHTENED VOICE, “YES.”

 

JENNY WRITES;

 

Officer Bronson gently placed Louise in his patrol car explaining to her, that he would bring her to the station so she can get cleaned up and eat something.  The policeman also notified his district station of what was going on and asked to have Juvenile Officer Maria Ortiz standing by to assist in alleviating this problem.

Officer Ortiz was married to a firefighter.  Since they could never have children of their own, Maria Ortiz requested a transfer from patrol officer to juvenile officer…so she could work with - and hopefully - help children.

After refreshing herself and getting her stomach filled, Officer Ortiz asked Susie where she was born.  It seemed Susie's accent was familiar to Maria - who coincidently - also came from Texas.  Louise kept silent and huddled to herself whenever she heard a tremendous thunder.

Then all of a sudden, Susie blurted out, "My name is Louise, actually Louisa…Hernandez.  I come from Texas and have a very proud and strict family.  I - I - I'm pregnant and I'm only 15.  I had to tell my mother since my boyfriend's family moved him back to Mexico.  My father disowned me and my mother gave me $50.00 with a tear in her eye.  Now, I'm alone."

 

LOREN WRITES;

 

“WELL LET’S CALL THEM AND LET THEM KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.  MAYBE THEY WILL LET YOU COME HOME.”

 

“IT’S NO USE CALLING, DADDY WON’T HAVE MY IN HIS HOUSE.  WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?” LOUISE ASKED AS SHE STARTED CRYING AGAIN.

 

OFFICER ORTIZ HANDED LOUISE A TISSUE AND TOLD HER TO STOP CRYING, THEY WOULD FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.  SHE EXCUSED HERSELF AND WENT OUT OF THE ROOM.  TWENTY MINUTES LATER SHE WAS BACK AND TOLD LOUISE, “COME ON, WE’RE GOING HOME.”

 

“WHOSE HOME?” LOUISE WANTED TO KNOW.

 

“MINE” WAS OFFICER ORTIZ’S ANSWER.

 

OFFICER ORTIZ AND LOUISE LEFT THE POLICE STATION AND DROVE TO OFFICER ORTIZ’S HOME.  “MY HUSBAND, DANNY IS A FIREMAN AND HE IS ON DUTY TONIGHT, SO IT WILL JUST BE YOU AND ME.”

 

JENNY WRITES;

 

At Maria Ortiz's home, she settled Louise in the spare bedroom and privately called the Dept. of Children and Family Services in the Texas region where Louise was from.  Officer Ortiz explained the situation and hoped there would be a remedy without Louise's parents being in trouble.

While waiting for a call-back from DCFS, Maria day-dreamed about adopting Louise.  She would be a mother and a grandmother-to-be at the same time.  She was getting her hopes up so she called her husband at the firehouse.  "Dear, guess what?..."

All too soon the DCFS caseworker called Maria back.  "Louise's mother and father are frantic, she said.  Her father always says he is disowning his kids when they get in trouble - but he never means it.  He just lets his anger speak loudly; and the mother hasn't stopped crying since Louise disappeared.  Mom gave Louise $50.00 to GO to the doctor."

"The parents are taking a flight to Chicago first thing in the morning.  Also, they appreciate all you and the other policemen have done for Louise.  The parents are really upstanding citizens and the father is deacon at his church."

 

LOREN WRITES;

 

THE NEXT MORNING LOUISE’S PARENTS KNOCKED ON MARIA’S DOOR.  WHEN MARIA OPENED THE DOOR AND LET THEM IN, THEY ASKED WHERE LOUISE WAS?  “SHE’S STILL ASLEEP.  LET ME FILL YOU IN ON WHAT I KNOW.”  AND MARIA TOLD THEM THE WHOLE STORY AS SHE KNEW IT.

 

THEY WERE SITTING IN THE LIVING ROOM TALKING AND LOUISE HEARD THEM.  SHE RECOGNIZED HER MOTHER’S VOICE, JUMPED OUT OF BED AND CAME RUNNING INTO THE LIVING ROOM.  “OH MOM MA, I’M SORRY I RAN AWAY.  I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING.  I WANT TO GO HOME.”

 

LOUSE AND HER PARENTS CAUGHT THE NEXT PLANE TO TEXAS.  MARIA CALLED HER HUSBAND TO TELL HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED.  SHE BEGAN TO CRY AND HER HUSBAND TOLD HER IT JUST WASN’T MEANT TO BE, BUT SOME DAY …

 

JENNY WRITES;

 

Later that day Maria got a surprise telephone call.  It was Louise calling from Texas.  "Maria?... I still have my whole life ahead of me and my parents have a lot of mouths to feed...well...would you like to adopt my baby?"