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Chapter One

A Bad Day

The cold winter wind blew against my cheeks as I walked out to the car. Maria followed close behind me, hiding behind me to get shelter from the wind. I opened the door to the car and walked away a bit so that Maria could get in. I then walked around to the other side to get in and start the car. The sky was grey and cloudy and looked about to snow. I looked over at Maria as I started the car. She was wearing a fuzzy white shirt and white pants. She wore her long brown hair in pigtails with little fuzzy white balls holding the pigtails. I wore a yellow shirt under a dark red jacket and blue jeans. I also wore a striped red scarf. My curly reddish hair was put into pigtails like my sister’s, but mine were held in by ribbons the same blue as my eyes. I pulled out of the driveway just as the first flakes of snow started falling. My little sister stared out the window in awe. Since we lived in Texas, we didn’t usually get snow; in fact we hadn’t had any since Maria was 12, about three years ago. I smiled at her amazement. She was so cute, even when she didn’t mean to be.

I followed the directions that my friend, Kayley had given me to her house. I was meeting up with my friends from that year. We were all going to college the next year and wouldn’t be able to see each other for years to come. So we were throwing a little goodbye party for all of us. Some of the people there I hadn’t seen since seventh grade! So it was going to be fun. I had told Kayley on the phone that I would have to bring my little sister, too, because of the fact that my parents were flying to Paris. She had said that that was okay because all of my friends adored Maria, too. You just couldn’t help falling in love with those cute eyes and charming smile. You just couldn’t.

Many people said that my sister and I looked alike; we both had the same blue eyes and face shape. But she had a nicer smile and a smaller nose. She and I were about the same height even though she was about four years younger than me. We pulled into the driveway of Kayley’s house and I opened the door. I was met with a stinging cold wind as soon as I stood up and my first reaction was to pull my head into my scarf and rush inside. But, on second thought, I closed my eyes and turned my head up to the sky. I delighted in the prickly feeling the wind gave me and the softness of the snow on my cheeks. I turned to Maria, her head was buried in her scarf and she was pulling her arms around her to get warm. “Come on, Mary.” I called my sister by her nickname. “I bet they’ll have some hot chocolate.” At that, she perked up and bolted for the door. I had to run to catch up to her. Maria had knocked on the door and Kayley had opened it before I got up there.

“Hi, Maria!” Kayley greeted, “How are you doing today?”

“Cold,” Maria shivered.

Kayley giggled and held the door open wider and Maria and I rushed in. Maria started throwing her scarf and jacket on the floor and she kicked off her boots, leaving them in the middle of the floor. “Maria!” I chided. She looked at me innocently. I pointed to her discarded clothing and glared at her sternly. “Just because you live like a pig in your room doesn’t mean you can be like that in someone else’s house. Pick up your clothes!”

Maria rolled her eyes, but obeyed. She hung up her jacket and scarf and fixed her boots. I put my jacket and scarf next to hers. I put my boots under the coat rack so that I could slip them on in case I had to leave suddenly. Maria, when the weather got really cold, tended to get sick sometimes. “So,” Kayley said, leading us to the kitchen, where my other friend, Julia was waiting. “Can I get you guys something to eat or drink?”

“Do you got hot chocolate?”

“’Have’, Maria, ‘Do you have hot chocolate?’” I reminded. Maria was a star student, but she still had problems with getting her grammar correct. Mom wanted me to crack down on that while they were gone.

“Sure.” Kayley said, getting out a cup and a packet of Nestlè Instant Hot Chocolate. I went over to talk with Julia for a little while. She was Chinese and had, a few years ago, gone to China to visit with her family. She had taught me to speak a little Chinese and she also taught me to eat with chopsticks. I then went over to the couch where Kayley’s dad was watching the television. Kayley’s dad, Abraham, and I had been good friends. I looked to the television where he was watching the news. I asked him what was going on. All that was showing was a rescue boat over the ocean.

“An airliner went down. It was heading for France. It was full of people. No one has been rescued yet and it’s been down for about a day.”

My first thought was sorrow for the many people who had lost their lives and the families of those who had relatives of those on the plane. My second thought was automatically my parents. I was glad they were safe in Paris. I turned my thoughts to the television. I didn’t usually watch the TV because I was either reading or doing house work. But, I thought it was the least I could do for those who had lost their lives in the crash. The news reporter started talking, “For those of you who are just joining us on Channel 8 News, we are above the Atlantic Ocean where I believe it is a Boeing 767 went down at noon Central Time yesterday. This plane was scheduled to land in Paris, France. Unfortunately, no survivors have been recovered.” A knot was forming in the pit of my stomach. My parents had left on a Boeing 767 heading for Paris. I turned my attention fully to the television screen. I didn’t even notice when my best friend that I hadn’t seen in years, Dani, came in. Suddenly, I heard a shouting on the TV. The cameras zoomed in on a spot on the ocean. “Make that a correction!” the announcer practically shouted. “We have just spotted a survivor!” I looked intently at the screen. There was a man floating on a piece of broken-off bulkhead. He was really pale and didn’t look conscience. I was glued to the TV.

I distantly heard Maria calling to me, “Sondra, SONDRA!” I waved my hand back, shushing her.

The man was towed to the boat and was brought up on it. The announcer said that they were asked to cut back as the coast guard asked the man a few questions and checked that he was okay. A few minutes later, they zoomed in again on the man and the announcer came back on. “They say his name is Charles Manning. He has suffered internal injuries and hypothermia and is being taken back to the coast. If you are the family of Charles or if you know the family, please have them call us at-” but I didn’t hear the rest of the number because I was pulling on my jacket and man, Charles Mannning, was my father. I called overMariaas myheart was being torn out of my chest.I yelled out that I was sorry but I couldn’t stay any longer. I rushed Maria out of the house before she even had her jacket on. I yanked open the door and got in. Maria tentatively got in the car. I quickly pulled out of the driveway. Tears silently streamed down my face and I was instantly thankful that Maria hadn’t been watching the news. But I didn’t know how I’d break the news to her. All I knew was that I needed to get home.

“Sondra, was it something that I said? I understand that I was being a little rude at the party, but-”

“No,” I choked out, “No, it’s not you.” I knew that then I had to tell her. “Maria, you know the flight that Mom and Dad went on?”

“Yeah,” she cautiously answered.

“Well,” I paused, gathering my words, “The plane went down over the ocean.” I heard Maria gasp, but I had to keep going, I couldn’t let her say anything yet. “They found a survivor just a few minutes ago. It-it…it was Dad.” I blurted out. “We’re going to go home, pack a few things, then go to the hospital that he’s being held at. They said that he was probably suffering from hypothermia and internal injuries. They didn’t say what hospital he was going to, but I’m going to call the news channel and request the Hospital name and where it is and then we’re going to hightail it out of here.”

“How are we going to get there? We’re far away from the coast.”

“I got my pilot’s license just a few days ago. I can rent one of the Cessna 150’s and we can be at the coast in a few hours.” I explained, pulling into our driveway. I rushed inside and was greeted instantly by our bright, blue-eyed Husky, Dustie. I pushed her aside and went into the garage. I pulled out two of the smaller suitcases. I gave one to Maria and told her to pack enough for a week. I closed the garage door and set down my empty suitcase. I went to the phone and dialed the number for Channel Eight News. A woman answered, “Channel Eight News, how may I help you?”

Calmly I told her that I was the eldest daughter of Charles Manning and I was requesting the Hospital he was staying at and where it was.

“It is 503 Rushfield Rd. in Connecticut. He is in room number 105. Good luck.”

“Thank you.” I said, hanging up. I then rushed upstairs in order to get my bag packed. We’d be leaving for the airport in one hour exactly.

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