Marjorie's Penny

                                          Marjorie’s Penny

                                         By, Hannah Rose.

Marjorie’s penny

In the noisy, bright, and mysterious world of Manhattan, there was Marjorie. She was eight. She had long curly hair and dark brown eyes that saw more than most grown-ups in their whole lives. She could see people’s hearts and their true nature, she could see a “good egg” in even the most devilish of faces. And though she lived in a world where she was doing her best to spread happiness and joy, no one ever spoke to her, at least not that she knew for Marjorie was deaf. She was born in California and for the first time in her life she was sitting by a chilly window, watching the snow fall down past where her eyes could see and land softly on the ground. She sat near that window for hours and watched the first snow of her life. But more than watching it she wanted to feel it, she wanted to be cold from its soft touch and to shiver with excitement after making a snow man. But Marjorie wasn’t alone up in her apartment, she was with her mother who didn’t allow Marjorie to go outside and play in the snow. So, as she sat dreaming with her eyes closed and wondering what it be like to feel the snow, she got an idea.

Suddenly, Marjorie threw open the window and felt the cold breeze on her skin just as she’d imagined. She climbed down the fire escape and nearly slipped once or twice on the transparent ice. But quicker than a flash she was looking up at the window she was once sitting in and didn’t see a lonely little girl sitting there anymore. Marjorie raced up and down the sidewalk, feeling the crunchy snow, she waved to other pedestrians who were shivering and frowning. If you looked at the street that evening, you would have seen New York in its usual manner and one little girl dancing in the snow.

When Marjorie looked up at the sky and saw the snow falling down on her face, it felt shocking, the cold drops hit her skin like tiny pebbles piercing through a blanket. But she liked it, she liked it so much, she decided to make a wish. “I’d give everything I have just to hear the city in the snow!” she said in her head and as she did, she took her penny, which was everything she had and tossed it up to the sky! When the penny fell upon the ground it caused a disturbance in the snow, making a small “poof”! Marjorie’s eyes grew big as she knelt down to the penny and tossed it again, sure enough the “poof” was there! She could hear it! Her heart beat ten times as fast, blood rushed to her cheeks and she stood gleaming with joy, on the sidewalk. She couldn’t believe her own ears! She took a step back from where she came and there it was! The crunch of the snow! She heard her footsteps and laughed! With her heart racing she picked her feet and rushed back home!

Oh! The sounds of the city were heaven! There were cars honking loudly at one another. People on the sidewalk calling out. “TAXI!” there was a man sitting in a big coat on the side walk who looked at Marjorie and spoke to her, with his hand stretched out he said, “Anything helps?” Marjorie would have given him the world if she had it, but she didn’t, all she had was the penny. Marjorie stopped to hear him speak, for his was the first voice she had ever heard spoken to hear. It was a wonderful feeling, one that brought joy to her heart! With a smile, she turned and looked to her home, she didn’t have to look far. Her mother was looking for her, she was walking the sidewalk in her big winter coat.  Marjorie looked at her with piercing vision, concentrating on her voice, waiting to hear it for the first time. But her mother was too far away still, the stranger speaking on the streets were unfamiliar sounds, though Marjorie liked to hear them, she wanted to hear her mother.

Marjorie’s concentration was interrupted when the man sitting on the sidewalk began to cough. It was a scary sound, Marjorie didn’t like it at all. It was irritating like when she felt her dog barking ring in her chest. The man’s eyes turned red from the cough as he put his hand over his mouth. Marjorie looked at him, sadly. She wanted to help him, “perhaps” she thought “the penny will make his wishes come true too.” It was a nice thought and Marjorie’s arm extended towards him with the penny concealed within her fist. “But” a thought prevented her, “what if I lose mine?” Marjorie looked for her mother and saw she was nearly there! If she could only wait for mother to come close enough! She just wanted to hear her voice. But the man’s voice was much closer. His hand was extended as he smiled at Marjorie, not wanting to frighten her.

Marjorie took a deep breath and placed the penny in his hand. She was sad about giving up her wish, but she got to hear the snow, didn’t she? That was what the wish was for after all. But as Marjorie’s hands were leaving the penny, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Marjorie turned and saw her mother, kneeling down to face her, “Marjorie!” she said in a lovely voice. It was soft and pretty but filled with emotion! “You scared me.” She embraced Marjorie and took her hands from the penny by accident. As you can imagine, when Marjorie left the penny in the hands of someone else, she lost her wish. But the little girl wasn’t sad about it, she got to hear her mothers voice! She carries it with her still, the sweet sound of her mother calling after her.

She walked home hand in hand with her mother and wore a bright smile. As for the beggar, I do not know what happened to him, but Marjorie never saw him sitting on the street again. Once she passed a man, who was dressed in nice clothes and a tall hat on that same street, he bowed and winked at Marjorie after saving her from a nasty slip a few winters later. Marjorie thought “that could have been him!” but then you again, she couldn’t be sure.

All we truly know is this, winter can be cold, gloomy and dark. It makes many people sad and takes the pleasure out of doing even the simplest of things. But for those that walk with warmth in their hearts and spirit of giving, the first fall of snow can be truly magical.

End