Strange New Feet

by Shannon Esposito

  Safia is silent for a while, trying to see as far down the road as he does, but the only thing she can see is Olivia’s face, her trusting eyes, her wide, infectious smile.

  “You may be right, Anders,” she says finally. “But, honestly I’m not interested in saving the world. I just want to give one girl, Olivia, a chance at a normal life.”

  “Good,” he replies. “But first we have to keep her alive.”

  Chapter 18

  Someone is pounding on Safia’s skull. There’s fog and a dull pain. “Stop it,” she whispers dryly. The sound of her own voice pulls her from sleep. The pounding is still there. “What the…coming!” she yells, scrambling to slide into a pair of sweats and move toward the door at the same time. She trips, and is pushing her hair out of her face as she swings the door open.

  “This better be important, Kat.” She had finally fallen asleep at five this morning. A lazy Sunday morning is not a luxury but a necessity. She stops. Her heart throws itself against her chest. “Oh…what…?”

  “Come on, we gotta go. I have a cab downstairs waiting.”

  Safia is staring at Anders, her confusion turning to panic. “What’s wrong? Is it Olivia? How did you find me?”

  He pushes through the door, glances around the apartment and then grabs her phone off the table. “Get shoes, we’ll talk in the cab.”

  Safia grabs running shoes out of the closet and is trying to slip them on and keep up with him.

  The sun is already heating up the pavement and the cab seat is warm as they slide in. She pulls the hair band from her wrist, twists her hair into a knot and secures it.

  “What the hell is going on?” she asks.

  “422 Hollow Road. As fast as possible, please.” Anders hands her a bottle of water and turns his attention to her phone. After a brief moment, he hands the phone to her. “Watch.”

  He has pulled up the newscast. On the tiny screen is a woman in a dark blue suit standing in front of a brick church. Safia turns up the volume.

  “This is definitely turning into a riot situation, Ted. We expect law enforcement to arrive on the scene any moment. Again, if you’re just tuning in, we’re here live at Friendly Manor Church where Olivia Barnes, the chimera child and her mother, Susan Barnes attend service. We don’t know all the details yet as this has just recently erupted, but it seems shortly after the Barnes’ arrival this morning, an altercation broke out. The church was set on fire at one point. There have been a few people that left the scene.” The camera pans to the side parking lot. “But as you can see, there are still a lot of cars and a lot of people still inside.” Her head snaps around as the front doors burst open and someone comes tumbling down the wood steps. “Let’s see if we can’t get a little closer.” She pushes her way through the other news people. The distinct sound of sirens can be heard now.

  “Oh, no.” Safia shakes her head. “Why did she leave the house? How did the reporters get there so fast?”

  “They followed them there from the house. Hey, an extra fifty if you can get us there in twenty minutes,” Anders says to the driver. Safia sees him nod and feels the cab pick up speed. They turn their attention back to the reporter. She’s interviewing the guy that fell down the stairs.

  “…yeah, I’ve never seen anything like it. Never thought I’d see people throwing punches in God’s house. Pastor Martin was trying to calm people down, but no one’s listening.”

  “And this is because of the chimpanzee child, Olivia Barnes?”

  Safia felt her cheeks flush with anger. She was hoping the press would be humane enough not to use that phrase.

  “Yeah, something happened with the other kids and the parents got into it, then before I knew it, the whole congregation was yelling, shoving…someone got pushed into the candles on the pulpit, caught the carpet on fire.” He was touching a spot on his head. “Jesus, I’m bleeding.”

  “Thank you, Mr.?”

  “Ross. Dean Ross.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Ross.” She motions to the cameraman and makes her way up the stairs, opening the door slowly. The camera adjusts to the new lighting and then shakes as someone falls into the cameraman. “For those of you just tuning in this morning,” she is shouting over the other shouting going on behind her. “We are here live at Friendly Manor church, where a riot has broken out, apparently over the presence of Olivia Barnes, the half human-half chimpanzee child. We’re going to try to find out where she is at this time. As you can see,” the camera moves inside the main worship hall and zooms in on two people in each other’s face arguing. “This house of worship has been turned into a house of chaos.” She finds a young girl huddled against the wall in the back.

  “Miss, can you tell me where Olivia Barnes is right now?”

  The girl points to front of the church. The reporter doesn’t hesitate. She moves along the wall, pushing her way through the angry crowd towards the alter.“Olivia Barnes,” she asks someone at the front. “Do you know where she is?” She continues pushing her way through the chaos, through a door on the right side of the alter, down a hallway packed with people and finally gets too bogged down to move further. The shouting isn’t so bad here as people are focused on trying to see something in front of them.

  “Sir,” she gets the attention of a tall man trying to look over the crowd. “We’re live on WTGQ, can you tell our viewers where Olivia Barnes is?”

  “Her and her mother have locked themselves in the toddler classroom. Pastor Martin’s trying to talk ‘em out.”

  “Can you tell us what started all this?”

  “No ma’am. Just broke out quickly, is all I know.”

  “Thank you.” She pauses. “It sounds like the sirens are right outside now. I do believe law enforcement has arrived.”

  Anders leans forward and looks out the front window. “ETA?”

  “About eight minutes, brother.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What are we supposed to do when we get there?” Safia asks.

  “I don’t know.”

  Safia falls back into the seat, takes a long swig of water and closes her eyes. She tries not to think of how terrified Olivia must be.

  It takes about ten more minutes to get there. Dozens of police cars surround the building, blue and white lights twisting manically. Reporters are interviewing people scattered around the parking lot.From the news broadcast they know the police have cleared the building and are now concentrating on getting Sue to open the door.

  “But, she’ll listen to us. We can get her out of there.” Safia is trying to stay calm as she addresses the two officers blocking the church doors. Anders is letting her do the talking.

  One of them looks at the other one then shakes his head. “Sorry, ma’am.”

  “Okay,” she takes a step back. “Just do me a favor, all right? Just go to the door and ask her if she will talk to me…Safia. Please, just do that at least. What have you got to lose?”

  They exchange another glance and the second officer nods and disappears behind the doors. He reappears a few minutes later and holds the door open. “Just you.” He says when Anders tries to enter with her.

  “I’ll be fine,” she says, giving him a reassuring glance.

  There are groups of people clustered around the main worship center, each with an officer in front of them interviewing, taking notes. She moves down the right hall, where she saw the reporter go on the broadcast.

  “Safia?” an officer asks.

  She nods. He knocks lightly on the door. “Miss Barnes. Safia is here. Will you talk to her?”

  She hears Olivia cry and call her name.

  “It’s okay Olivia. I’m right here.” She holds steepled fingers over her mouth, squeezing back tears. “Sue, can you hear me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t know what happened Sue, but whatever it was…it’s over now. The police are here. You and Olivia will be safe. You can come out.”

  She can hear Sue crying. “I thought these people were our
family.”

  Safia leans her head against the door. “Open the door, Sue. Please. We’ll work this out. Olivia needs to know this can be worked out.”

  “Okay. You’re right.”

  After a long pause, they hear the door click. Safia glances at the officers and then turns the knob. It opens.

  “Oh, Sue.” She rushes in and wraps her arms around both of them. Sue’s nose has dried blood beneath it. Olivia is clutching her waist, her eyes wide, her skin pale. Olivia transfers her death grip to Safia for a moment, hugging her tight then moves back to her mother.

  “We need to take a statement, ma’am.” Five officers enter behind Safia. She notices they are all staring at Olivia. Curiosity? Weariness? Hard to tell.

  Sue collapses into a desk chair with Olivia on her lap. Her eyes blaze. “Her so-called friends started this. They gave her a wrapped box, like a gift. I thought, ‘oh, how nice. These are true friends.’ Penney was there. Anyway, when she opened it, it was a bunch of…bananas.” Her voice breaks on the last word. “Disgusting. They laughed and laughed. Started calling her monkey girl. Olivia didn’t understand. She wanted to give Penney a hug. She thought it was really a present. Can you imagine?” She shakes her head and holds Olivia tighter. “So, then Penney pushes her down saying she wasn’t clean, she wasn’t even human. Penney’s mother looked at me and said she told me to keep Olivia away from her daughter. They didn’t want us there. I couldn’t help myself. I was so angry. I admit, I smacked her across the face. I heard someone shout that wasn’t right. God loves everybody. Then people starting shouting at each other. Then I got pushed to the ground and Olivia was trying to help me up. Someone pushed her in the back and her head hit my nose.”

  Olivia glances up at this. “Sorry, Mommy.”

  “Not your fault, Sweetie. It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have come here. It’s too soon, I think.”

  “Okay, ma’am. Unfortunately, we’ve already gotten a statement from Bonnie Packer. She wants to press assault charges. I’m sorry.”

  “What?” Safia cries. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, ma’am.” He nods to one of the female officers and she leaves the room.

  “Are you going to arrest everyone then? There were a lot more people than just Sue fighting in here.” Safia’s forcing herself to stay calm, but she can feel the panic tightening her chest. What would happen to Olivia if they carted her mother off to jail?

  “There will be more arrests, yes ma’am. We’re sorting out the facts now.”

  “Safia?” Sue’s face is drained of color; her knuckles are white from her grip on Olivia.

  “It’ll be okay,” she says. The female officer returns with Bonnie and her husband on her heels. Bonnie looks like a train wreck. Her face is puffy and red. Her husband is glaring at Sue.

  “Damn right she wants to press charges,” Michael growls.

  “It was provoked and you know it,” Safia says calmly. “Olivia doesn’t deserve to have her mother taken from her. Can’t you see she’s terrified?”

  “She’s terrified? We’re all terrified! She put all our kids in danger. She should be punished for that.”

  “You shouldn’t have brought her here, Sue,” Bonnie says, tears streaking her red cheeks. “I’m sorry.” She turns and heads back through the door. The female officer walks over and kneels down in front of Sue and Olivia.

  “Do you have family to call that Olivia can stay with?”

  Sue looks dazed and tired. She presses her lips against Olivia’s forehead and closes her eyes. After a few moments, she pushes Olivia’s head under her chin and holds her tighter, finding Safia.

  “Can she stay with you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Olivia,” she is trying to smile now, swallowing the pain. Her voice sounds unnatural. “Mommy has to take a ride with these nice policeman, okay. You’re going to go with Miss Safia for a little while.”

  “No, Mommy…no, I want to stay with you!”

  Safia has to turn away. Seeing Olivia wrap her spotted child arms around her mother’s neck, holding on like her life depended on it, is too much for her to bear. She stares at the ceiling and blinks back the tears. A few of the officers leave the room silently.

  “It’s just for a little while, Olivia,” the female officer says.

  “Hey, Olivia,” Safia turns around, wiping away a stray tear. “I was about to go and get some ice cream. I know you like ice cream, don’t you?”

  Olivia turns her head and stares at Safia suspiciously.

  “Tell Miss Safia what your favorite kind of ice cream is, Olivia,” Sue whispers. Safia can tell her resolve is about to crumble.

  “Strawberry,” Olivia answers, loosening her grip on Sue a little.

  “Mmmm. How about a strawberry cone with candy sprinkles?”

  “Yeah,” she smiles and then looks into her mother’s face. Safia watches Sue hold her breath and her fake smile.

  “Okay, kiddo. You go get that strawberry cone with Miss Safia, and I’ll see you before you know it.”

  Safia walks over and takes Olivia by the hand, helping her from her mother’s lap. She can see by the expression on Olivia’s face she’s not completely convinced she should be leaving her mother. She doesn’t understand what’s happening fully, but she understands enough to feel her mother’s sadness.

  “I love you, Mommy.”

  Sue really struggles and then looses the battle; collapsing, she begins to sob and gathers Olivia back up in her arms. “I love you, too, baby. More than you will ever know.”

  “Come on, Olivia,” Safia struggles to untangle Olivia from her mother. “We’ll see her soon, I promise.”

  “Take good care of her,” Sue adds as the female officer helps Sue to her feet.

  “You know I will.” Safia answers. “I’ll be there with bail as soon as it’s set. Don’t worry.”

  Chapter 19

  The three of them sit under a green and white umbrella, eating ice cream. Olivia stares at Anders openly from beneath the black ball cap he has put on her. A pink ring lines her mouth and her tongue keeps pushing around in unsuccessful attempts to lick off.

  “You look sad,” she says.

  “Do I?”

  “Yeah. It’s okay, I’m sad, too. Are you waiting for someone?”

  “No.”

  “Why do you keep looking around?”

  “That’s very observant, Olivia.” Safia answers. “Anders wants to make sure no one is going to try to hurt you again. He’s here to protect you.”

  “Like a guardian angel?” she says, her eyes growing wide.

  “I suppose.” Safia throws Anders a heavy look. “Maybe without the angel part,” she adds under her breath. He glances over at her and points, almost imperceptibly, to the left. Two women at the table closest to the parking, and their three children, are all whispering and leaning to look at Olivia. She is being recognized. Not good news.

  Safia leans left to block their view. “Why are you sad, Olivia?”

  “I wish mommy was here eating ice cream, too,” she says, concentrating on the melting bits running down the cone. “And Penney doesn’t want to be my friend anymore. She thinks I’m too different from her. Different means nobody else is like me, right?”

  “Yes, Olivia. But that’s not a bad thing.”

  “Different feels lonely,” she answers after a long moment of thinking. “And I heard Mrs. Waters yell at mommy. She said I had no business being in church because I couldn’t go to heaven anyway because I don’t have a soul. Is that true, Miss Safia? That I don’t have a soul?”

  Safia stares at her, stunned. Would someone actually say that? They must have. “Olivia, there are things in life that just can’t be explained. People choose to believe things for their own reasons,” she smiles then. “But, believe me, if this Mrs. Waters person has a soul, then you do, too.”

  “That’s good,” Olivia says quite seriously. “I don’t want mommy and daddy to be in heaven without me. I thin
k that would make them sad.”

  “Indeed it would.”

  *******

  The police station is crowded but quiet. Safia waits in line for twenty minutes before it’s her turn.

  “Can I help you?” The woman seems bored.

  “I’m here to post bail for Sue Barnes.”

  Her fingers move rapidly over the keyboard. “Okay. That’s going to be two hundred dollars. Have a seat on the benches to your left and she’ll be brought out. You’ll pay the magistrate through those double doors. Next.”

  “Thank you.” Safia doesn’t see any room to squeeze in the packed benches. She stands against the wall, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. The smell of old sweat and stale air turn her stomach. Someone coughs. A phone rings.

  “Cell phones off, please,” the woman behind the booth calls out.

  Safia shifts her weight to the other leg. She counts six people brought out one by one in handcuffs to be handed off to family members or friends. Some look relieved. Some look defiant.

  “Sue!” She cries and rushes over as she is finally brought out.

  “How’s my baby?” she asks, smiling wearily.

  “Full of ice cream and waiting for you in the car.”

  “This way, Ma’am.” The officer takes them both through the double doors and they have a seat in front of the Magistrate’s desk. He removes the cuffs from Sue. “Have a good day, ladies.”

  Safia pays the two hundred dollars, they get Sue’s court date—which is only three weeks away—and eagerly head out the door.

  “Sue, Anders is with us.”

  She stops. “That guy from A.R.N.? But why?”

  “Whether we want it to be true or not, Olivia really needs protection and I think we can trust him. Even if we don’t understand why, it seems to be his whole goal in life right now to protect her.”

  Sue doesn’t answer. Instead she hurries to the car and scoops Olivia up in her arms. “Oh, baby, baby. Mommy missed you. I’m so sorry. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” She glares at Anders in the front seat and then whispers harshly. “Take us home.”