Haladi and Jude

“Hurry up, Haladi!” Jude barked over his shoulder. He quickened his pace. “I want to play today, and if you make me late I’ll be so mad.”1

“Hold on Jude,” his little sister cried as she struggled to catch up. “My feet are hurting and I’m not as fast as you are.” Haladi’s shorter legs or feet weren’t really to blame as much as what was squirming around in her green Minnie Mouse lunch box. She didn’t want to hurt her new birthday present, but of course all he heard was, “you’re tougher and faster than me Jude,” and that was good enough for him. So he slowed down for her.2

“Fine,” he sighed. “Just make sure you’re doing you’re best for me to get there on time.” 3

Haladi was already at his side when they came up to the corner of Branch Boulevard and 26th Avenue where Mr. Mixer’s store, the Ice Cream Diddy’s sat selling a “softer summer to all the kiddies.” There was a line of kids Jude’s age extending out to the sidewalk.4

“Hey Jude?” asked the sister, tugging on the belt loop of Jude’s jeans.5

“Not now Haladi,” he replied. “We have to make the bus, if we’re gonna get to the game on time.” It was hard for him to deny her because secretly, part of Jude wanted a vanilla malt too, but the baseball mitt tucked into the back of his jeans screamed, “Keep Moving!” With their attention redirected by ice cream, Jude absent-mindedly picked up his pace again, and Haladi momentarily forgot about minding her lunch box.6

“Afternoon Jude,” a man in a suit called from down the sidewalk. “Hi Haladi.” He was walking toward them, but he was in a hurry and wasn’t slowing down to chat, nor were they. 7

“Hi mister Simon,” the siblings replied in unison.8

“You’d better be quick kid.” Simon checked his watch. “The game starts in fifteen minutes. I’d take you myself, but I’m late for a hearing.”9

“Not a problem Mister Simon,” Jude said, swinging around to face the man as they passed each other. Simon Walters was the stepfather of Matt “the do-gooder” Dulton, who plays at second base for the “guys.” Having served the city in a blue uniform for 15 years on a last name bases, Simon could never understand how it was that all of Mathew’s friends came to know him as Mr. Simon. “See you after the game,” Jude waved before turning the corner of Diddy’s onto Branch. 10

Once past the shaded ice cream shop, they were walking under the red rays of a sun reflected from the copper colored windows, and tall bronze walls that now surrounded them.11

Now in sight, the bus stop was maybe one hundred feet away, but they were only in time to catch the last passenger boarding. With a muffled thud the doors closed. The driver never heard Jude’s shouts as the boy grabbed onto his sister’s arm and bolted for the departing bus. 12

“Hey stop Jude!” Haladi cried out. Even being pulled by her brother, she still had a hard time keeping up with his running speed. This time her shorter legs really were the issue, but she was also concerned with the contents of her lunch box thrashing wildly about as they dashed over to the empty bus stop. “I mean it. Stop.”13

“We’re missing it! We’re missing it,” her brother squealed, only slowing down when they got to the stop. They missed it.14

The boy stood with his hands on his waist and looked around as if trying to find another bus that might take him to the field. With his back to her, his sister sat down on the stop’s bench and cracked open the Minnie Mouse lunch box to check on her friend inside. Jude turned around and caught her closing the bright green box.15

“Tell me what’s in there,” he said impatiently.16

Haladi jumped in her seat and snapped her attention to him. “Nothing, honestly.” She always knew she had a potent puppy face when trying to get out of a jam, or to get something she wanted. The girl was using the slightly tightened lips and slightly widened eyes look now. Unfortunately for Haladi, that same face had gotten her brother in trouble with the parents time and again so it was a face that only aggravated him.17

“That fools mom and dad Hol,” he said triumphantly, “but not me. What’s in there?” he said, grabbing for the lunch pale. She ripped it away putting herself between it and her brother. “Open it or I will.”18

His sister opened the box, stuck her hand in and fished around for a second. When she pulled it back out she had a small white mouse lightly clasped within her small fingers. 19

“Gee Hol, why?” Jude brushed his brown hair away from his forehead and wiped away the sweat from their walk. “You’re probably going to lose or hurt her if you keep sneaking her out,” Jude said, basically repeating the warning their parents had given her two days ago when she had gotten the mouse for her eighth birthday. 20

“But Minnie misses me,” Haladi replied defensively, giving the small rodent a kiss on the head.21

“Never mind. Just put her away now, we have to go. If we wait for the next bus I’ll be late.” His little sister listened and returned Minnie to her bright green home away from home. 22

“Hold my hand,” she said in an apologetic tone. She didn’t like her brother upset and usually asked for him to hold his hand when she was either sorry, or trying to make him feel better; in this case she was both. He took her hand and they started down Branch again.23

“We’re going to take a short cut,” he told Haladi when they got to 25th avenue. Jude said, as they crossed the street, “Don’t tell mom and dad we went this way.” His sister nodded but didn’t say a word; instead, she brought the lunch pale up and tucked it under her arm. 24

Both of them were told a million times to stay away from 25th avenue. Folks from Haladi and Jude’s half of town, for the most part, steered clear of the half that lay east of 25th. Their dad had a new name for it every time he drove through, and it was never a name his wife, their mom, would not hit him for saying. But Jude could barely hear those million warnings right now. Besides he wasn’t going into the east half, he was only walking on the edge.25

Except for a handful of kids playing in a geyser of city water loosed by a broken fire hydrant –the drunk responsible had already driven off–, the street was empty. Look at them Jude thought. What’s so fun about that? Four dry and longing eyes remained fixed on the waterlogged rain dancers. 26

“Come on Hol,” her brother said, looking back at his sister. “We’re making good time.” She quietly sped up and Jude perked up once they left earshot of the gushing water and laughter; the effect on Haladi, however, was the opposite. The eight year old was now hugging her lunch box and bumping into her brother trying to hide her face within the wrinkles of his T-shirt.27

Although they were slowly baking under the afternoon rays, it may as well have been the middle of the night for Haladi. The wide, deserted four-lane street, to which the sidewalk they trekked on belonged, felt like a constricting, sticky, sin filled backstreet. Around every corner, behind every closed door, under every garbage can, and inside every shadow was a big toothy grinned monster just waiting to reach out and steal her away. Her imagination was poisoned by the chemical fear that was brewed by her guilt. Yes she knew 25th like she knew the dark side of the moon and that was all she needed.28

“I don’t want to go. Please can we get some ice cream?” Haladi asked, looking at the shoe repairman, in his shop across the street, as he hacked and carved away at some poor sole, making ends meat. 29

“No, come on Hol, don’t be a crybaby,” he answered, as they passed the Laundromat, “I told you already, I’ll get you some Diddy’s later.” Fate though, had other plans for his sister, and Jude was sucked into them when they reached a roadblock on 25th in the form of a construction site; this was fate toying with Jude.30

“God damn it!” Jude swore, red with anger. “No. I’m going to play.” He started squeezing through the gate of a fence held shut by a padlock and chain. On stopping adults, the gate was effective, but there was too much slack from the chain to bar little mice and children from skittering through. “Come on, we’re going through.”31

“Hey!” came a dry, angry voice, from the other side of the chain-linked barrier. Jude was ass deep through the gap. Both kids froze, except for their thudding hearts. “What’s the matter,” said the man, walking over to and pointing to a sign posted on the fence not one foot away from Jude’s head. “You too young to read, or too stupid?” The sign read, in bold red, NO TRESPASSING. “Where the hell are your parents?” he snapped stopping just out of reach of the would-be intruder. The two kids remained still gazes locked on his mustache. Realizing the power he held over them, he flashed the yellow teeth that were hidden by a pair of crusty lips. “Didn’t your parents never teach you to not stare?”32

Jude almost considered running away from the man, but the moment he heard the word parents, he changed his mind; their voices were as clear as the hand shaped sunburn –sized much like his dad’s hand– on his ass would be if they found out about this escapade. “Went down 25th!?” they would ask, “And with your sister?” they would shout, “Did you EVER think about what could HAPPEN to her!?” they would scream; with all the things he would get in trouble for, pissing off this guy would only add to the list. 33

“S..sorry?” he stuttered, his leg still sticking through the gate.34

“Then get the fuck out of here,” the man said kicking the trespassing leg. “Go on, scram brats!” They needed no further encouragement. Leaving the gate rattling, Jude dashed for the east half of the street, his sister close behind. “And go home!”35

“Wait Jude, Please! Go slower.”36

He stopped in front of a pawnshop on the corner of 25th and Witchway Lane and waited for Haladi. Jude gave a sigh of relief when she caught up, and started walking east on Witchway. “Follow me,” the brother ordered, not even glancing back at his sister. “We’re going around.”37

She obediently followed Jude into the nether half of the city. Here the building walls were darker, as if burnt in a fire that predated both sister and brother. Witchway was a much narrower street than 25th and was lined with parked cars on both sides, though it was equally void of traffic. 38

It had been a while since Haladi had checked on her whiskered companion so she brought the lunchbox up and popped it open. The mouse looked up at the girl --nose twitching-- for a moment and then went back to sniffing circles around the inside of its container. “I’m sorry Minnie,” Haladi whispered, “but I can’t take you out of the house anymore.” As if hearing what the girl said, it stopped and looked up again. “Mom and Dad don’t want it, and I don’t want to lose you.” She reached a hand inside and stroked Minnie’s back with a thumb. “I love you Minnie.” She closed the green plastic box and smiled feeling better already about her decision. Maybe if she’s lucky, she wouldn’t even get caught. 39

Only a few seconds later she began to hear a droning swush swush clunk sound that had actually been growing louder since she had started talking to the mouse. Swush swush Clunk. They had come up to a Laundromat. Her eyes were drawn to the inside, and her feet slowed down until they stopped all together. Jude kept walking. Swush swush Clunk. 40

He wasn’t there to see what had called her in, nor was he there to see who had kept her in. Jude might not have been thinking so hard about the ball game he was expected at, if he had known someone was holding onto his sister, and that this someone would be putting her into his car when he was good and ready. But the eleven-year-old babysitter/brother could not hear the absence of his sister’s footsteps. 41

What he heard was the wind whizzing past his face as he sped for first base; he felt the icy water, from the jug the guys would manage to “sneak” behind him, as they poured it onto his shoulders after the game. He took a left off of Witchway no longer paying attention to the street names. If he could hit some homeruns or make a few great plays, his favor with the guys might, through some lucky chain of rumors, reach Emily Porter (who sat next to him last year). He turned left again. All I have to do is make good time he thought, but I have to move faster. Jude held a hand behind him for Haladi to grab onto. “Come on Hol, we should almost be there.” Jude left his hand suspended for only a moment before, in aggravation, he stopped walking and spun around. 42

“Hol…” he called, looking around. No one replied, no one was there. “Haladi!” he screamed, his eyes almost falling out of their sockets. He ran back the way he came, calling out for his sister. A chaotic ensemble of voices sang again in his head. Son, if you want to play on a Sunday you have to bring your sister with you. Frantically Jude navigated the alien streets making a left, running some more, then realizing he should have made a right. But where did he lose her, and how long was she gone? Wait Jude please. Go Slower! If she got hurt it would be his fault; for this, even he was old enough to know he could never forgive himself. Where was 25th, and which way was Witchway!? Was he lost? Better be quick kid, game starts in fifteen. Not only was he behind on time, but he was also lost! “Haladi!” he screamed again, drawing out the Hal. He would have given anything to just Go Home and have dinner with his sister, her mouse, his mom, and his dad. He was such a jerk to Haladi.43

Jude called out for his sister one more time before he stopped, bending over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Tears started falling from his down-turned face, but before he could truly start crying he tore his mitt from the back of his pants and threw it at a parked car. It hit the passenger door, plopping very unremarkably before it fell to the floor. He was left alone with his regrets, sitting on the curb, for no more than a minute (which felt like an hour to him), when he stood up and started walking again. He didn’t know where he was headed, but it didn’t matter anymore. What will it be like without Haladi? Why didn’t he listen to his parents? How is he going to get back home? Should he even go home? What will he say? After another five minutes flew by, he heard a voice in the distance calling his name.44

“Jude,” it said, “That you Jude?” It was a voice he was familiar with; it was Mr. Simon Walters.45

The boy looked up and saw a blue car pulling up to him. A young (bubbly and hiccup-like) kind of laughter erupted from the inside of it, and Haladi popped out of the open passenger window with a cup of chocolate flavored ice cream in her hands when the car stopped in front of him. From the driver seat Mr. Walters waved at Jude and asked his sister to sit down in her seat, she complied and continued eating her ice cream. The lunch box was on the floor tucked between her legs.46

“What are you doing out here?” Simon asked, his arm resting on the back of Haladi’s seat. “Now I know your parents would be pissed if they caught you two walking around this place.”47

“I don’t know. I was being stupid,” the boy replied drying his cheeks with the heels of his palms.48

“Well get in the then,” Mr. Walters said with a nod to the back seat. “And be quick kid.”49

Jude hopped into the car calmly shutting the door.50

Haladi turned around to face her brother. “Haha, I saw you crying,” his sister teased with a snicker, when he buckled his seat belt. The car took off.51

“Shut up! You scared me so bad,” her brother said hitting the back of her seat, which only caused the girl to giggle more. “Fine.” Stretching his seatbelt, he pulled himself up to the front of the car and planted a big kiss on his sister’s left cheek. 52

“Eew stop,” she demanded, pushing him away. “Yuk.”53

He sat back triumphantly and grinned.54

“My hearing was cancelled,” Mr. Walters began, “and I went over to Diddy’s to get some ice cream. I spilled some sh… stuff on my suit and went into the Laundromat, dry cleaner place to get the stains out. That was when I found Haladi. By the time we came out looking for you, you were gone.”55

“Please don’t tell mom and dad,” Jude pleaded. “It won’t happen again.”56

“Well I can’t promise that, but I’ll think about it.” A brown baseball mitt fell into Jude’s lap. “I think you left that behind,” said Simon. “The game’s probably already started, but they can fit you in. I’m sure of it. Get out, we’re here.” Everyone exited the car and the boy ran for the field where he found that, to his surprise, everyone had waited for him. 57

Matt’s explanation was that “five minutes is squat between friends.”58

As Jude slipped his mitt on and headed for the outfield, he only said one more thing before the first pitch. “Yeah, sorry I took so long guys.”59