A Christmas Eve Wish

Linda Linden, swathed in a heavy brown coat, yellow scarf, blue mittens, and red wool cap, started to say something but her tiny voice was obliterated by the loudspeaker. "Passengers are reminded there are two trains waiting. Those headed for New York City will be boarding first; then those going to Buffalo. Wait until your train is called. All aboard now for Hudson, Poughkeepsie, and New York City. Please be prompt. For those who are westward bound, boarding will be announced in five minutes."

Disobeying her mother's bidding, Linda took one step into the waiting room at the same time that a sudden rush began for the exit door. Linda was unwittingly swept into the melee. "Mommy, Mommy" she called out. "Hurry!"

It was early in the morning on a bitterly cold December 24. There had been no snow so far this season and many had been hoping for a white Christmas. If the weather reports were to be believed, there would be enough snow today, beginning at noontime, to amply satisfy those desires. Already the skies were turning an ominous gray.

Linda's large brown eyes opened wide as she caught sight of the train. The cold air stung her face like shards of ice and tears started in her eyes. The passenger cars outside the waiting room loomed massive as dinosaurs. There was a stool on the pavement and people were treading on it then scrambling up the short series of steps that led to the inside of the car. Linda was too small to climb. She tried but failed. She stared upward and began sobbing. A stout woman, in a black fur coat that doubled her girth, impatient to clamber on board, placed her hands under Linda's elbows and lifted her bodily nearly to the top of the steps. "Your mother should be doing this," she grouched. "Where is she anyway?" The woman's body, acting as a battering ram, drove the little girl up the remaining steps until she was inside. But her involuntary actions did not cease there. From the pressure of others behind her, she was propelled forward. Staggering, she managed to stay upright for a few steps, then suddenly toppled into an empty seat. The train began to move almost immediately.

In the meantime, Arlene Linden was frantically exploring the waiting room. "Linda! Linda, where are you?" The public address announced a call for the westbound train and the rush to the doors resumed. Arlene drove her way fiercely to the front of the line. "Linda, Linda!" she screamed, her eyes darting in every direction.

"Where is your mother, little girl?" A kindly-looking, blue-uniformed conductor was speaking. Linda waved her hand pointing to the back of the train. "Back there," she said. "Got separated, eh?" he said.. "Don't be afraid, I'll find her and bring her to you. Wait right here!"

"Rensselaer, Rensselaer, next stop! Rensselaer in five minutes." The train was beginning to slow. The aisles instantly filled with passengers working their way toward the exit. Instinctively, Linda joined them. Again, she found herself in an irresistible torrent, her movements beyond her control. She was shoved forward several steps when suddenly she was pushed into an empty seat beside a young woman, engrossed in a magazine. Linda sat quietly while several passenger left and a few came on board.

"Tickets please," the same conductor was demanding. "The woman beside the little girl handed a ticket to him and he punched it ceremoniously. Linda made no move and the conductor went on to the next person taking a moment to smile broadly at her as if to day, "I see you found your mother." The young woman turned to Linda and asked, "Where are your parents, little girl?" For the first time Linda looked closely at her accidental companion and was comforted by what she saw. The woman was slim, dark-haired and pretty. She was wearing a charcoal-gray woolen coat with a white scarf loosely wound around her neck.

"Where are your parents?" the woman asked again. "She's losted," Linda replied.

"You mean your mother? Is she on the train?"

"I don' think so," replied Linda.

Alarmed, the young woman asked, "Where are you going?"

"To see Gran'ma."

"You can't go there alone. My name is Nancy. What is your name?"

"Linda."

"What's your last name, Honey. Where do you live?"

"My name is Linda Marie Lin'n an' I live at 22 Main Street, Skin Your Neck Today, New York," she stated in the well-rehearsed rhythm that she had learned at home.

"That's a funny name for a city," said the young woman. How old are you, Linda?

"Four 'n a half."

"How did you get on the train, Dear?"

"A lady lifted me. My Mommy said to wait, but I couldn't."

"How long have you been on the train?"

"A long time!"

The next stop was Hudson. Nancy held Linda by the hand waiting in the car until it became obvious that Linda's parents were not on board. Carrying a light bag over her shoulder, she helped the little girl to the pavement..

"Ooh, it's cold!" said the little girl, shivering vigorously. "That's OK, Honey, Nancy replied, taking her mitten-clad hand.. "Soon you'll be comfy in that big truck over there." She pointed to a huge tractor trailer parked nearby, its engine running.

There was a tall, sandy-haired, young man dressed in a heavy gray lumber jacket standing beside the shiny red cab. He smiled and waved as he spied Nancy walking toward him. His face took on a quizzical look when he saw that she was accompanied by a little girl.

When they met, Nancy and Tom embraced briefly and kissed while Linda, amused, averted her eyes. "This is Linda, Tom." She somehow got on the train accidentally. Her mother must be frantic with worry. We need to take her home-when we find out where home is."

"Why us?" Tom asked. That's what the police are for."

"I think we can do it more quickly and smoothly than anyone else can, Tom. Her home can't be far from here. A little girl needs to be home on Christmas Eve!"

Tom helped Linda climb the several steps of the ladder that led to the spacious interior of the cab. With the heat fully on, it was cozy inside. Linda giggled with delight as she gazed at the myriad of gages on the dash and peered through the panoramic windshield. "Way high up! She squealed."

"She said she lives on Main Street in Skin Your Neck Today," said Nancy. Where in the world would that be?"

"I have no idea," Tom replied. "It would help if we had a radio in the rig. We could learn a lot from the other truckers. One thing we can do is get on the Thruway and ask at the rest stops. Someone should know something."

Within an hour it was snowing hard and the wipers were racing furiously across the windshield barely keeping up with the downpour. There were now several inches of moisture-laden snow on the highway, and the few vehicles ahead of them, their emergency lights blinking, had slowed to a crawl. Saturated snow splashed high from their wheels, all but obscuring their presence. It was nearing noontime and Nancy arranged the bed in the cubby behind the seats for Linda to lie down. Linda happily did this and was soon fast asleep.

"I hate to trouble you," called out the officer. "There's been little girl lost or kidnaped. She's between four and five. Her name is Linda Linden. We're hoping someone coming this way might have . . ." The wind was picking up in intensity. "Never mind Tom, the sergeant is calling me. Have to hurry! Carry on! Drive carefully! This noreaster is getting worse." He departed, quickly disappearing into the murk.

"Whew, that was close," murmured Tom, as they resumed their trip. "Why so?" declared Nancy rhetorically. "We're not doing anything wrong!"

"I've got it," Tom suddenly exclaimed. We kids used to recite little jingles. Did you ever hear, 'Chicken in the car, the car can't go; that's the way to spell Chicago!' Linda must have heard something similar for her own town. What does 'Skin your neck today' sound like?"

An exit sign came into view on the side of the road. They stared at it and simultaneously began to laugh. "Schenectady, of course!" they cried out in unison.

"Well, now we know the name of the city" said Tom. "I've been there. I know where Main Street is!"

Because of the deepening darkness and the deluge of snow, Tom could barely see the road at the Schenectady exit. He slowed to barely a walking pace as he approached, then went through the EZ Pass gate at the toll booth.

"Sweetheart!"

"Yes, Honey!"

"Did you hear her say she likes me?"

"What's there not to like? I like you, too."

He was maneuvering the unwieldy vehicle carefully down Broadway hill.

"You know what I wish?"

"No what?"

"I wish our first child were a little girl!"

"That's OK with me. But, didn't you tell me you were hoping for a boy?"

Except for the laboring wipers, there were several moments of silence.

"A guy can change his mind," he commented quietly.