Diamond blue eyes

 I tossed my car keys on the kitchen counter as I arrived home after an exhausting day at the video store. Patron after patron asking about the newest releases, did we have Coke instead of Pepsi and if they could please speak to a store manager. I rummaged through a few days worth of mail and found nothing interesting. A credit card offer, a medical bill I cannot afford, “please donate to our cause.” It was Friday evening and I was yearning for a much needed night in. I flipped on the TV and the local news station came on first. “Winter storm warning in effect tonight from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm Saturday evening.” Oh just perfect. Stranded at home all alone.

Dinner was calling so I decided to head to the fridge to see what I could scrounge up. A few leftovers here and there but nothing that satisfied my taste buds. I contemplated ordering in but I decided that if I were to be stranded, I would need all of my favorites at home with me. After all, it was only just approaching 4:00 pm and I had plenty of time to head to the supermarket before the storm hit.

After putting on my best winter storm gear, I drove the 3.8 miles one way to our local grocery emporium.

The parking lot was strangely empty. Not what you would expect right before a huge storm was about to hit. Commonly you find people racing for bread, milk eggs and booze to get them through a long winter weekend. The air around me felt still. It was chilly but crisp and it was unusually quiet other than a car or two on the main road behind me. I approached the store and started out with my cart. I fully intended to get a weeks worth of groceries and enough snacks to last me through the blizzard.

I started out in the produce. Lettuce, tomato and onion for a salad. Potatoes just because. I skipped the fruit considering I had a long weekend of junk food ahead. Canned goods were up next. I scanned isle after isle until my cart was just about full. I checked the time on my cell phone. 5:30 pm. The storm was due to hit soon so I figured it was time to check out and get home. The lights flickered ever so slightly but it was enough for myself and an associate a few isles away to notice. He asked me if I saw that and I said that I had. “Must be the winds picking up.” I noted. He mentioned that he would be right there and pointed to register 3.

My items were neatly placed on the belt. I waited a few minutes and turned to see if the young associate I had just interacted with was close by. I didn’t see anyone. I didn’t even hear anyone. I called out “Hello?” There was no reply. I suddenly felt very restless all alone in this big supermarket. The young man was just talking with me...did I make that up? Where could he have gone? I searched for him a short distance and when no one called back to me I began to run. My legs took me all over the store, searching for another person, any other person to verify that I was not alone.

My legs gridlocked when I noticed something small in the dimly lit entryway. I could barely move but somehow mustered up the courage to approach the object nearly 10 feet away from me. The only noise came from the winds whipping around outside and the snow was starting to fall. Fast like tint daggers of ice coming from the clouds. I panicked as I realized that I had not made it home before the storm had hit. I am normally an anxious driver in sunny weather. I drew closer to the entryway and as I came right in front of what was on the floor something moved. An arm or a leg maybe. Lying on the floor a half of foot in front of me was a newborn baby.

I stared for a few minutes in disbelief that someone could leave such a tiny human being all alone, in the cold. Confusion struck me wondering how this baby could have gotten here. I’ve been alone (I think) for a while in this store. There were no cars in the parking lot that I could make out. The baby looked at me and started to whimper. He must know he’s alone. I think for a few seconds about what to do, glancing back and forth between the human baby and the snow outside. I cannot just leave him here, I think to myself. I scoop him up in my arms and cradle him tight. His bright blue eyes shine like diamonds as he yawns. Internally, I am panicking because I can barely care for myself let alone an infant. I bring him home anyway. I use the inside of my marshmallow white jacket to shield him from the storm outside. We make it to my car and I realize that I do not have an infant seat or anything like one. With no idea how we were going to make it home, I cradle him in my arm and I slowly start driving out of the parking lot. I don’t think I hit an average speed of over 5mph.

The drive home was treacherous. Blowing snow with icy conditions as I cradle a newborn baby in my arms. I was just about home when I spotted what looked like a truck following me. I wanted to speed up but I feared that we would go off the road and face a much bigger problem than what may be behind me. The truck inched closer to my tiny 4 door Honda. I was only one turn from my driveway when the truck stopped dead behind me. For some reason, I stopped too. The snow was coming down in sheets and visibility was low. Someone, a man opened the door and stepped out.

As he approached my heart beat with every foot step. I closed my eyes, dreading that this confrontation had something to do with the very baby in my arms. There was a knock on my window but I was frozen in fear. I turned my head to see a tall, well built man with green eyes and husky brown hair motioning for my window to be rolled down. “Hi..Can I help you with something sir?” Surely he would notice the now fussy baby as my side. “I believe you have something that belongs to us.” He told me. I glanced down and I explained how he was left alone at the supermarket emporium during a storm, I didn’t see anyone else and I knew I had to get him safe so I just took him. The man’s face showed bewilderment. “Listen miss. I don’t know what you think happened..but you took that baby from me. You were an isle away f and when I turned, you yanked him from his seat and ran. I ran after you screaming through the parking lot but you calmly kept going. I followed you in my truck..who kidnaps a child and drives slow enough to get caught? I stared off. Kidnapped? I was alone in that store! That baby was alone on the floor. I couldn’t believe what this man was telling me. Hesitantly, I returned the baby to his arms and that is the last thing I remember.

I woke up the next morning at home, all alone. No snow or groceries. My keys were on the counter where I tossed them Friday afternoon. I felt different. Out of place. On my coffee table besides me was a folded note that read “The baby is safe. We’ll be back for you next.”