Anna: The Little girl’s Finale

“Is the ambulance here yet? I don’t think she’ll make it”,

“Not yet, but almost.” The other patrolman replied

It was a starless night, and the moon was merely a crescent; making it hard for the two patrolmen. They had found the remains of a car, unrecognizably wrecked at the foot of an Oak tree when they had come through the route on their night road watch. But it was the sight of a little girl lying unconscious at the back of the car that got their blood boiling. As for the woman at the driver’s seat, seeing the large amount of blood she lost, they were doubtful she’d make it.

The ambulance came through and the victims were taken to the emergency unit. Anna, the little girl sustained minor injuries from the crash; she regained consciousness in a few hours of their hospital stay. Leila, her captor, on the other hand suffered a severe trauma in the head and had fallen into coma.

“I want to see my mommy!”

“I want my daddy!” Anna screamed.

One of the patrolmen came in to meet Anna; Trying to explain in the best possible way he could to a six year old that her mother was in coma.

“She’s not my mother. I want my mommy and daddy!” Now the policeman was stunned. He was almost sure Anna was still in shock. But she kept on and on about Leila not being her mother.

The other policemen who was older and had kids of his own took charge.
“So, your name is Anna”… she nodded.

“And you say your mommy is not your real mother”… She nodded again, wiping her tear streaked cheek.

Anna explained to him that she hadn’t seen her parents in two years. She’d been living with Leila all those time and it had not been good. She showed him the bruises on her wrist to support her story. The patrolman was inclined to disbelieve her but there was something in the little girl’s pleading eyes.

                                          *FAST FORWARD*

The man couldn’t believe his ears- His little girl was alive. As he made his way through the hospital halls, he was happy but at the same time terrified. What if she doesn’t recognize me? Beads of sweat had begun to form on his forehead.

“Daddy?”… “Daddy!”

Tears streamed down his cheeks, he made no attempt to stop them. In his arms was his lost girl, as real as the sun, after two long years.

“Daddy I missed you. And I prayed everyday like you taught me to.”

He held her oh so tightly, making a solemn promise to himself never to let her go, ever! A few minutes passed by and Anna and her father still hadn’t bulged from their spot- They truly had missed one another. Eventually, he sat Anna back on the hospital bed, walked out of the room with her eyes still on him and came back hand in hand with a woman.

“Mommy!” Anna rejoiced. Before she could jump down from the hospital bed, her ‘real mommy’ caught her and hugged her. Anna’s mother knew it wasn’t over. Her baby was going to need therapy and a whole lot of love. But looking at Anna’s gleaming face, she knew in that little girl was a fighter and together as a family, they’ll make it.

“Now this is my real mommy” Anna said “Not that other woman”, she was directing the statement at the patrolman that didn’t believe her. He smiled, and they all laughed. Everything was going to be all right.

After Anna had told the patrolman her story, he had called someone at the district to crosscheck her story with previous records. It came out true. The men who had gone to take away the wrecked car had found some personal items belonging to Leila. After few phone calls, Leila’s real mother was finally contacted and eventually the whole story unraveled. Leila was suffering from schizo-affective disorder and Bipolar 2.

As Anna and her parents walked down the green hospital halls with the older patrol man at their side, they caught glance of an Old woman whom the other patrolman was talking to. Her cheeks were wet from tears; you could hear her little sniffles from across the hall. What caught Anna’s parent eyes was what she was holding. In the old woman’s hand was a red sweater. The same red sweater they had seen at the park; that was when they realized it was the same old woman.

The patrolman standing beside who saw where their glance was directed at explained to them. The old woman had come to confirm that Leila, Anna’s captor was her daughter. Leila had told the old woman that she adopted Anna and was going to bring her for a visit when the accident happened.

After seeing how slim and pale his little girl looked, Anna’s father had no sympathy for Leila. In fact, he couldn’t wait for the trial to begin. But the sight of the old woman with the sweater in her hand broke him a little. They had found their daughter but the old woman was losing hers; the sad cycle of life.

In case you missed the first two parts, here they are: Part 1 and Part 2

Day 13: Anna, The Little Girl

“And they think I’m crazy, but I’m not”, Leila thought aloud.

“Do you think mama’s crazy?” she turned to the little girl curled up on the bed. “huh”

The little girl shook her head, she was still playing unhindered, with her doll.

“That’s my baby”, Leila lovingly patted the little girl’s hair.

“Today, we’re going to see grandma, and I hear she’s making you a lovely sweater”. Anna, the little girl, looked up. She loved sweaters especially red ones.

“Is it red?” She asked, her eyes lightening up.

“Yes baby, it is. Now go get ready before we meet grandma”.

Leila was a bit apprehensive. After two years, she was finally going to visit her mother. But that wasn’t what bothered her. It was the thought of someone recognizing Anna as the girl that got missing two years back. She tried to shove the thought at the back of her mind.
“its been two years, the story must have died down by now”, she reassured herself. “Anyway, Anna’s changed, I doubt if even her parents would recognize her now”.

That was true, Anna had changed. She had grown a little taller and slimmer in those two years. Her hair was now a shade of burgundy red, which was a far cry from its original crimson brown- Thanks to hair dye. She laughed at that the thought of Anna’s parent, remembering the first time she saw them. It was still all too clear. Leila had saved Anna from what she believed to be a disastrous life. A life filled with money, little love and fights.

That afternoon 2 years ago, when Leila first caught a glimpse of Anna on her way back from the hospital, something clicked in her, she felt a connection with Anna. And then, seeing the couple argue and bicker with the situation taking a turn for the worse and little Anna trudging slowly behind, Leila felt she had to save her. And save her she did.

Leila opened her drug cabinet, and then, she decided against it.
“If I was crazy, as they say, will I be able to take care of a girl for two years”. She put back the pills into the cabinet.

“I’m going drug free to mama today.”

ANNA:
Anna knew Leila wasn’t her mother. But she also learnt a long time ago what happens when you go against leila’s statement. She was now 6 and hadn’t seen her parents for two years. She didn’t think she ever will. The first few months were the worst. She kicked and cried and threw tantrums asking for her parents. As it turned out, Leila hated tantrums and she made sure Anna knew that with some few harsh words and smacks.

After a while, Four year old Anna adjusted into the role of Leila’s daughter. She even started calling her Ma- that pleased Leila. Her little girl instinct realized that when Leila was happy, then she was safe. And that was it, Anna became the daughter Leila had always wanted.

“Anna, are you ready?”, Leila called out. Anna was ever so ready. She was tired of always being indoors.

“Yes ma”, Anna replied.

As they got into the car, Leila could feel her heart racing. Her head felt a bit woozy and her pulse was rapid.

“I should have taken the pills”, Leila murmured. And with that thought, she pressed the ignition and took off.

Want to know how it ends, and What happens to Anna? Then Part 3 is on its way. if you haven’t read the first part, its: here

Day 9: Unknowingly Intertwined

A man and a woman walk through the park together, holding hands. They pass an old woman sitting on a bench. The old woman is knitting a small, red sweater. The man begins to cry. Write the scene from three different points of view: from the perspective of the man, then the woman, and finally the old woman.

The Man couldn’t believe his eyes. In the hands of an old woman was a red sweater that looked exactly like his little girl’s own. In the split of a second, his eyes randomly searched around. His heart was racing, he was wishing, hoping, maybe his little girl was somewhere around. Tears welled up in his eyes as it dawned on him; his little girl had been gone for two years now. And today was her birthday, is her birthday, he corrected himself. Red is her favorite color. And for a second there, he smiled at the memory of his little girl; donning her favorite red wool sweater, asking him
“Daddy, how do I look?”
How he wished he had paid more attention to her. He took another glance at the old woman knitting, he couldn’t hold it together anymore. The floodgate was open.

The Woman‘s grip tightened, he didn’t notice. The sight of an old woman with a red sweater in her hands brought back all those memories. She felt a lump in her throat but held herself together. She had to, for him. She had gifted his daughter a similar red sweater which she was wearing, the day she got missing. Everything changed that day. It’s been two years, she knew his wounds were still fresh. But she loved his little girl like her own.
And today of all days, she felt anger towards the old woman. In a second of ill-thinking, she cast a furious glare at the woman silently knitting. What am I doing? She snapped herself out of it and redirected her emotions. He needs me, that’s all that matters. She made out for his hands and held onto them, tightly.

The old woman didn’t realize the couple nearing towards her. She was happily drifting away as she completed the final touches of the wool sweater. I hope it looks perfect. She raised her head to see if there was anyone around she could ask; she noticed the couple. Before she could mumble out her request, a sniffling sound came to her ears. It was from the man, she decided to hold her tongue. A cold glare caught her stare. She lowered her head and went about her knitting. There was something familiar in the man, a resemblance. To whom? I’m getting old, she thought to herself, oh well. Her daughter was bringing the little girl around today, the one she said she’d adopted. Finally after two years, but at least she’d get to see her now. I hope she likes the sweater, i made it exactly like the one in her picture. And with that, the old woman went on inspecting the sweater, forgetting all about the man and woman that passed by her.