The Savior
By: Michelle Patton
November 2, 2012
Dear Diary,
I’ve finally decided to pack my things and get out of this terrible house. I know that I won’t be missed around here because though people know what’s going on in the blue house on the corner of 85th Avenue and Jefferson, they won’t help me. I’ve gone through enough around here and can’t take it anymore. I’m going to start a new life. Clean slate.
Sincerely,
Esmeralda
Esmeralda smiled down at the last two sentences and closed the small green composition notebook. She put the little thing in her pocket then grabbed her bags. She was ready to go somewhere that she felt like she has always belonged.
Knowing that her mother was asleep in the room next door to hers, she walked to the room door and locked it. She listened to make sure her mother was actually asleep then she made her way across her room toward the window. She opened it slowly trying to get out as quiet as possible. She stepped lightly on the strong oak branch outside her window then closed the window slow enough so it wouldn’t slam down.
Now that part was done all Esmeralda had to do next was climb down the oak and run without turning back. She liked the feeling of being free as she walked the streets on her own. She was happy to be out in the fresh air and wanted to go to another state to live her new life.
Oliver counted as one of his students were doing chin ups. Something was bothering him today but he couldn’t think about it right now.
“Twenty nine…..Thirty,” he said in his accent. He almost forgot what his voice sounded like since he wasn’t all that talkative lately.
“Wow Oliver.” Charles said hopping down from the bar. “Depressed over Celia again?”
Oliver refused to speak of Celia because she turned out to only “love” him for his money. He shook it off and walked to the bench press. He was lifting 250 lbs. now due to his frustrations about his love life. He wasn’t happy being alone after three years of holding a relationship that he thought would actually work out.
After several reps he went outside for a walk. When he felt like he did now the only thing he could think of was to go to the library to clear his mind.
“So many choices,” he mumbled looking at book titles in the adult section. Being nineteen years old made him feel like he could read anything but he couldn’t find his favorite book. With that in mind he went onto the library computer to check his email since it had been a while since he had checked it last.
When he logged on he was surprised to see he only had ten emails. He expected to have more but was happy they weren’t from Celia.
He opened an email from a pen pal and his eyes widened as he read the email. “She’s moving to Arizona.” He said smiling now as he continued to read the email and then logged off of the computer.
After he had logged off he took his phone out of his pocket and called somebody. “James fills in for me at the juice bar, please.” He hung up a few moments later.
He exited the library then took his cell phone out again to call the number his pen pal had sent him in the email. There was no answer but when the voice mail played in his ear he almost thought an angel was speaking. “Hello this is Esmeralda; sorry I can’t get to the phone right now. Bye.” A beep followed but Oliver was frozen to the point no words came out when he had to leave a message.
He hung up and waited for a few minutes. His phone rang with her number glowing on the screen. “Hello,” he finally answered the phone.
“Someone called me from this number.” Esmeralda said after thinking of what she was going to say to the complete stranger.
“Esmeralda it’s your pen pal Britishprince19.” The British accent answered. “My name is Oliver.” He continued trying to think of things to say.
Esmeralda didn’t know whether or not to believe him or not, so she decided to ask, “If you really are who you say you are, tell me something I told you that no one else knows.”
Oliver cleared his throat and said, “Well here I go. Your name is Esmeralda and you are a sixteen year old who hates her home life because your family is bad to you.”
Esmeralda was now walking pass a baseball field in a park and stopped to sit down on a bench. “Oliver, I don’t know Arizona all too well. Would you mind showing me around?” She didn’t know what more to say.
Oliver took the phone away from his ear and put it in his pocket. He was going to find the girl and show her possible places to stay. He was excited to finally be able to meet her after all the months they’ve been writing to each other.
“She must be close to my gym.” He said to himself trying to remember where the closest park is.
Walking toward the park she described he smiled seeing that there was only one girl sitting there waiting for somebody. He walked past her then looked at her for a moment and decided to say something to her. “Hello do you happen to have the time, miss?” He stood there and waited while she reached into her pocket to get her cell phone.
She flipped her phone open and looked down at the big numbers on the screen. “It’s twelve thirty.” She answered looking up into his hazel eyes.
“Thank you,” he said with a smile on his face. “I’m looking for someone that told me that she’d be here. Have you seen anyone else he?” He asked trying to contain his laughter.
She shook her head in response, “Is your name Oliver?”
Oliver started to laugh, “You’re Esmeralda.”
Back in Oregon Esmeralda’s mother is on the phone cursing out the police because it had been weeks since anyone called in about finding he daughter. She was mad to even find out her daughter was even missing.
November 17, 2012
Dear Diary,
Right now I’m living in a nice apartment with my pen pal, Oliver. I’m happy to start off my new life with him and in the state of Arizona. So far the search for jobs has been quite a struggle to find but Oliver says it’ll only get better now and onward. I’ll have more on my new life within the next couple of days.
Sincerely,
Esmeralda
Esmeralda looked up from the small notebook to see Oliver sitting on the stool across the room. He’s focused on the stretch he’s doing. She closes the notebook then went to the guest room Oliver had been working on before Esmeralda moved into the state. She was ready for a nice jog around the park down the street.
When she walked back into the kitchen Oliver was no longer on the stool. When she looked into the living room she saw him sprawled out on the couch, she smiled knowing he was tired from training his friend, James. With that she took her new key and walked out the door.
Hours later Oliver opened his eyes and reached over to grab the newspaper off of the coffee table next to him. He was ready for several minutes of reading. He liked looking for missing persons in it. When he looked at the page that day, his mouth dropped. In front of him was a picture of Esmeralda.
A few moments later the lock on the door unlatched and Esmeralda opened the door. “I didn’t want to wake you up.” She said handing Oliver a bag with something in it. “I got you some fruit salad.”
He took the topowear out of the bag and nodded. “Thanks.” He took a bite out of a juicy strawberry.
She smiled and set down a purse she had just bought onto the breakfast bar. “So, how’d you sleep?” She asked wondering why all of a sudden she became so talkative with Oliver.
Oliver finally sat up on the dark leather couch and patted the seat next to him. Esmeralda reluctantly walked over and sat down. “I slept well, thank you for asking.” He smiled at her. He was really starting to like her even though she was silent most of the time. He was starting to like her because she listened to him when he needed someone to talk to.
Esmeralda leaned back on the couch and stared into Oliver’s eyes. Looking at Esmeralda he smiled and slowly leaned toward her. His lips brushed against hers. Her face was red with heat on her cheeks as realization struck he features. That was her first kiss.
Oliver pulled away but kept eye contact with Esmeralda. Looking at her made his heart race and his cheeks warm. She was beautiful and he wanted her to know it.
“Esmeralda,” He took a deep breath and continued, “You’re very beautiful.”
Esmeralda shot up and shook her head. She didn’t want to get close to this boy because she was scared of getting hurt again. With that she got up and headed to her room. When Oliver followed her the door was already closed before he could step in.
He stood there staring at the door for a few minutes then he turned around grabbed his keys and walked out to the parking lot.
Standing with her back to the door Esmeralda enjoyed the scent of strawberries in the air surrounding her. The taste lingered on her lips and they longed to be brushed upon again. She was starting to feel the trauma she went through fade away as the memory of meeting Olive flooded her mind.
In Oregon at the police station Bay is hand cuffed to a chair for hitting a cop. There with her was her friend, Ty.
“Officer I jus wan my daughter bac.” Bay slurred nodding on about the fact her daughter had run away for no reason.
Ty nodded at the officer and smiled when the officer said, “We’ll put up the flyers Mrs. Patterson.”
Bay smiled knowing that she got what she wanted from the cops. The next day there were several flyers hanging throughout the city. The cop finally released her from the hand cuffs and she walked out.
When Oliver came home he smelt stir fry and rice being cooked in his kitchen. He knew Esmeralda was cooking for two because the smell was strong.
“Hope you like teriyaki chicken stir fry.” She smiled as he came into the kitchen.
He nodded as he sat down at the breakfast bar. “That’s the best food.” He said.
Esmeralda plated the food and place one in front of Oliver and another next to him for herself. “Well I thought this would be a good thing because you were nice enough to let me live here with you.”
Oliver took a spoon full of rice and looked at Esmeralda. He wondered why she felt she owed him when she didn’t at all. He let her live with him out of kindness.
They finished their meal in silence.
Weeks later when Esmeralda is finally used to Phoenix she takes the bus to a library nearby. She was ready to check her email and delete any of the ones she didn’t want to keep.
When she logged on she noticed she only had one email from MsPatterson@gmail.com.
The email read:
Esmeralda,
Where ever you are, I will find you. You will stay home when I do.
Sincerely,
Bay Patterson
Her heart beat increased at the fact her mother was actually looking for her. She quickly logged off and called Oliver to pick her up.
Twenty minutes later he picks her up in the parking lot. He was worried about her now because the nervous tone she held over the phone.
“Are you okay Precious?” He asked putting his right hand on Esmeralda’s shoulder.
Esmeralda shook her head and slowly said, “Oli, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
Oliver stayed silent and waited for Esmeralda to tell him what she needed to tell him.
“In Oregon, I lived a great life and was a daddy’s girl until the day of my thirteenth birthday. Before then my mother had lost two children with horrible miscarriages. Daddy got very mad but didn’t want to leave my mom.” Esmeralda started to cry but continued trying to be strong. “when the night came that day my dad snuck into my room and raped me. For months I was locked in my room for just that.”
The car was in motion now and Oliver was very angry. “So that is why you ran away?” his voice shook.
Esmeralda nodded.
Oliver parked the car in front of a police station and got out of his seat. Esmeralda got out of her seat as well and shut the door behind her.
“What are we doing here?” Esmeralda asked.
“Getting papers. So we can change your name.” Oliver answered.
“Wouldn’t it just be easier if you just marry me?” Esmeralda asked cleverly.
Oliver looked at Esmeralda like she had just read his mind. “Esmeralda, would you like to be with me for the rest of my life?” He asked taking a small box out of his pocket.
Esmeralda smiled down at it and kissed Oliver. “Yes, I would love to.”
The End