Blizzard child

Ok ok, this is weird.  I should be at home.  Nobody else is even here! There is one cashier but he is obviously ready to leave as soon as I am done plus my mom can bring me her extra noodles and frozen meat.  I really should go. I take inventory of what's in my basket, 3 canned chili's, 4 cans of chicken noodle soup, and a bag of green onion chips.  Good ok this will help me gain weight and sustain me for a while, perfect. Just perfect.  The blizzard was really picking up.  As I peered out from the furthest aisle I caught a glimpse of the window and all I could see was white and wind which was swirling the snow through the street.  Pure snow was freezing the window panes.  Even the floors became icy as the thermostat stopped working.

"Store closes in 10 minutes please grab your final items and make your way to the checkout counter." the intercom sounded.  Obviously pointing to me, I was the only one here and this store is incredibly small so if someone else came in I would have run into them by now.  Plus they have a bell on the door so the cashier would be aware of anyone who walked in.  Which he wasn’t paying much attention to.  I could hear his music escaping from his earbuds from the other end of the store.  I just needed a couple more items, bread, fruit and canned meat in case I lost power so I could still have some sort of protein that wasnt chili. I didn't want to purchase anything that would go bad.  I tried living as waste-free as possible and cans were perfect crafting supplies for me.  I loved upcycling, like making planters or furniture and anything that comes to mind.  Just seeing the cans made my inspiration tingle with excitement.  The store had ice growing on the floors and the heater sounded like it needed an inhaler.  My tennis shoes glided across the floor easily, like a poorly trained ice skater.  I slipped a few times but mostly it was a fun distraction from the natural phenomenon going on outside.  As I walked into the bread aisle another section caught my attention.  Wine.  Perfect, I would drink wine and have some chicken noodle soup and read my favorite book by candlelight.  I picked a cheap red wine and realized I would need matches if I wanted to light my candle.  The memory of the other night flashed into my head I was reaching for my water and I spilled it over the tiny box with the remaining 4 matches.  I'm just lucky I was able to clean it up in time so it didn't ruin the lamp that the matches sat next to!  As I walked to the aisle I picked up some apples and bananas and some fire burning logs which are supposed to be able to burn for a long time.  Just in case I needed to use my fireplace.  I turned to keep my eyes on the shelves. I honestly was just trying to avoid eye contact with the cashier who was obviously staring at me.  I think he was pissed that I'm even at the store in a blizzard.  And while walking through the aisles, with thoughts running I realized that me biking in a blizzard with groceries was not my brightest idea and I would most likely need to walk my bike home.  But I was exhausted, the 24-hour shift I had just finished was really hitting me hard.  I hardly ever nanny for the kids in the day but the parents both had to take an extra shift to incase they couldn't do the night shift.  And so I did my first 24-hour shift today and now the grocery store was slowly getting smaller as my eyes grew heavier creating curtains that shaped my vision.  In the corner of my eye, I saw a tiny movement.  I quickly looked at the cashier who was looking at a magazine with earbuds in, I could hear the echo of his music from over here still. Then again a flailing motion in the bottom of my eye rather than the corner and I looked down.  A baby.  A baby sat, swaddled in a blanket placed on what looked like a pillow in a box, with its arms breaking free of the tight looking swaddle.  I set down my basket and walked over to pick the child up.  It was a beautiful kid with a large smile.  It’s blond hair was pulled into a tiny sprout on top of its head which made me think it was a girl.  I held the child carefully, still slipping on the ice floor, and walked up to the cashier.  Thought realization has yet to hit me that here in my hands was an abandoned child.  I stood in front of his check out counter and waved my hand in front of him trying to get his attention.

"excuse me, sir?" I said loudly through his music louder than my tired voice.

"Yes?" he said, setting down his magazine and removing an earbud.  He eyed the child before looking down at me.  He stood a good foot or two above me.

“Um,  this child was sitting on the floor, in that box, over there," I said pointing over to the still box lying on the floor, empty.  His face lit up in disbelief and he looked over at the empty box with the pillow which had an indent the size of the baby I was holding.

"oh my god." His mouth dropped and his gaze was locked on the box.

"Um, I am going to call the police, ok?" I said trying to calm him down.  It looked as if he had seen a ghost.

“Um uh,” He wore a look of shock.

“Why don’t you look through security footage? I'm not really sure what to do in this situation”

"Umm, me neither I guess umm ya I'll look at the footage let me just sign in." he broke his gaze and shook his head directing his panicked focus to the computer.  His eyes were about two times wider as he started working on the computer.

"Ok, I'll call the police."  I picked up my phone and dialed 911, it rang once before someone picked up.

"911 what's your emergency?" the lady sounded bored but excited for what we were about to report.

"Hello, I need to report an abandoned child at the Harlems Zero Store on 4th and maple," I said calmly and loudly.

"ok, I will send an officer out now but it will take a while because of the blizzard, are you or the child in need of an ambulance?" she said, I could hear the keys clicking as she talked then stop when she got to the last question.

“Nope, we are good,” I replied.

"Can I have a name and number please?"

"Yes, I'm Anj Rose. and my number is 555-777-5577." A weird silence followed.

"Sorry, Mrs.Rose but I need your full name to enter into the system."

"My full name is Anj Elizabeth Rose ma'am."  I got this all the time, My first name is normally confusing because technically it is a nickname.

"Alrighty, let me call an officer and see who is closest and I will call you right back with some more details."

"Thank you so much." I clicked the end call button and returned my attention to the cashier who was clicking away at the computer.

"Did you find anything?"

"Um, not really somebody just pushes the box into the aisle but I can't catch them on camera."  He looked worried yet focused on the task at hand.

"Ok, can I see?" The kid was sitting on my hip playing with strands of my hair, not exactly pulling my hair but more watching the curls become straight then bounce back into curls.

"ya," he lifts the monitor onto the counter and turns it so I can see it.  I walk closer to the computer and sit the kid on the counter for a minute still holding onto her back for support.  He clicks a few keys and replays the part.  Four minutes ago a box was shoved into the aisle and the person avoided the two cameras perfectly.  Which was weird because I can't remember anyone opening the door.  I would have heard them come in, there is a little bell which rings every time someone opens or closes the door.  I started to get the chills and I lifted the kid off the counter and squeezed her a little closer and tighter.  A second later my phone rang and we both jumped, then quickly answered it.  "hello?" I say.  Nervous it could be someone else I held my breath.

"Hello Anj there is a police officer just a block away and he will be there in a few minutes."

"Ok,” the breath I was holding returned and I loudly exhaled “phew,  can you ask him to hurry because we found the security footage and something’s off. It’s just weird." I started to shake as I checked my surroundings and became aware of each detail and each stillness of the different aisles.

"Are you in danger?" she now sounds concerned.

"Miss, I don't know but something just isn't right please tell the officer to hurry." My breathing becomes quicker and the cashier starts to notice too. He also starts to panic as his eyes grow larger. He starts checking out the front of the store then diving under the counter.  He reappears with pepper spray clutched between his two shaking hands.

"Ok, I'm letting the officer know right now, make sure the front door is unlocked and that you are near the front door.  If anything happens exit the store, but there is a blizzard so if you can for yours and the child's safety try to stay in the store. Oh and also I forgot to mention earlier my name is Meghan."

"Ok thank you, Meghan. Let me go tell the cashier real quick"

"Ok, I will stay on the line"

I lean over to the cashier and move the phone away from my mouth, "Hi, what’s your name?"

"Um I'm Kyle." he looks like a teenager and probably is a junior in high school.

"Hi Kyle, I'm Anj.  The police officer will be here soon. They told us to stand near the front door and to make sure it was unlocked."

"Um ok, are we going to die? Because I should call my mom and my girlfreind and..." 

“Hey Kyle we are going to be fine” I cut his spiraling off before it got too far.  He nervously nods and inches around the counter still clutching the pepper spray.  He gives me a little smile of gratitude and we walk towards the door keeping our eyes on the rest of the store.

"Oh and she also told us to exit if we needed to but stay by the store if it's safe because the officer won't be able to see much distance in this weather and plus there’s a blizzard." he stares nervously and nods to every word.  The child is still smiling and bobbing her arms up and down in my grasp.  "Here do you want to hold her? I don't know if it is a he or she but I have a small feeling she is a she." I smile as I pass her to Kyle and put the phone back up to my ear.

"Hey, Meghan I'm back. Is the officer any closer?"

"He should be right around the corner, Anj." I could almost hear her smile beaming through the phone.  As I and Kyle rest our backs on the window and observe the store in front of us I couldn't help but notice Kyle starting to smile and play with the baby he's holding.  He's a natural.  The silence is terrifying, but the baby keeps babbling which fills the void.  As the next couple minutes pass I put Meghan on speaker and every minute she asks if anything has changed.  And the answer is always no for each time she asks.  After 5 minutes a knock on the glass makes me and kyle jump away from the glass, Kyle fumbles with the pepper spray and it drops from his hands rolling to the officer who walked through the door.

"Meghan, he's here.  Thank you for all your help."

"No problem Anj.  You're in good hands." And that ended the phone call. The officer reached into his pocket for a notebook.

"Alrighty, I'm here for an abandoned child."

"Yes, I'm Anj and this is Kyle we spoke with Meghan on the phone"

"Yup I'm Officer Kinsley because of the blizzard the investigation will have to wait until the roads are safe to drive.  Yall are lucky I live really close I was able to walk here. So you should be expecting a phone call and an interview with the police soon." He stood hands on his hips putting the notebook back into his pocket.

"Ok so do you take the kid because I could take her just during the blizzard if you need.  I'm a nanny."

"NO! That's not regulation, I meant that not protocol." he seemed jumpy.  And weird, I would be more concerned but I was too tired both mentally and physically.  "Alrighty I'll just take her and you folks are good to go."

"Um ok." Kyle hands her to me and I pass her to the officer who takes her nods and starts walking out the door.  Suspiciously quick. We both watch as he covers the child with a jacket he left on a bench and walks away briskly.  I look at Kyle who is still in shock. "Hey, Kyle is it ok if I check out? I don't have any food at my apartment."

"Um, ya ya.  That would be fine."  He walks back to his counter and I retrieve my basket from the fire supplies aisle.  Passing the box which once held the child.   Recounting the last hour of events the officer jumped out as weird to me.  How did he know it was a girl and why was he so quick to cream no when I offered to care for her.  I didn't even know it was a girl.  I grabbed my basket throwing in another box of matches and walked to the checkout desk.  Kyle began scanning my items and I gave him the reusable bag I bought.  I handed him my cash and he handed me some change.

"Thank you."  I grabbed my bags and headed to the door.

"Hey, could you lock up the store with me? I'm really freaked out right now." he was shaking looking at the keys he pulled out from his pockets.

"Of course." I walked over to set my bags down.  I followed him into the back where he double-checked the already locked back door and we walked back to lock up the cash register and he added the tips into his pockets.  The last thing he needed to do was dispose of the box or the makeshift bed, as we walked over to grab it the bell attached to the door rang.  We ducked, huddled together shaking. Oh no.  We are in deep crap, I reached for my phone to discover I left it on the counter with my groceries.

"This is the police, anyone here?" the bell dinged again and another set of footprints clicked onto the floor. "Is Anj Rose here, the operator was Meghan Stout?" I stood up, Kyle still shaking on the floor. And I made my presence known to the 2 officers standing in the doorway.

"Hello, officers, was there a problem, I'm Anj Rose." I ask, concerned there were now 2 different officers and officer Kinsley wasn't to be seen.

"We just got here, we were called about an abandoned child" he seemed confused.

"Sir Officer Kinsley just left." I pointed out the door.  I turned around and motioned Kyle to come out.  He stood and walked towards me shaking with light tears streaming down his face.

"Anj, there is now Officer Kinsley in our department.  Who are you?" He looked at Kyle.  Kyle kept his eyes on the floor.

"This is Kyle, he is the cashier here," I answered for him after a moment of silence.

"Oh ok.  Where is the baby Mrs. Rose?" the same officer responded.

"I told you Officer Kinsley just left with the baby," I responded, beginning to panic.  I knew I shouldn't have let the baby go with that weird officer.  Something wasn't right.

"Mrs, there is no officer Kinsley." He repeated.

"Well someone then freed as a cop came in and we gave him the child.  And when he left he put on a jacket and covered the child.  I guess I thought he was protecting it from the cold.  But maybe he was ... kidnapping this child.  Oh my goodness. I knew he seemed suspicious.  I shouldn't have given it up that easily.  I am so tired, I just finished a 24-hour shift and its been a long day and I am so sorry.  Oh my gosh."  Panic was settling in, I could see Kyle's eyes widen.  His panic is internal while mine is most definitely talking a lot all at once. The officer approached me and lay his arm on my arm. 

"Hey Anj it's ok it wasn't your fault you thought he was an officer.  He was dressed as one and he said a believable name. It's ok we will handle it from here.  My partner will escort you and Kyle home."  He clicked the walkie talkie thing on his jacket and said "This is officer Bryant we have a possible kidnapping at 4th and Maple.  We need back up please"