Hoping for the Best
Beep, Beep, Beep! The sound kept ringing in my ear. The clock showed seven- thirty; time to wake up. I had exactly an hour to get ready for my first class of the day, history 101.
“Hey Nick, did you watch the news this morning?” asked Jonathan, Nick’s best friend.
“Yeah, why?” he replied.
“The hurricane in California was a terrible hit and it nearly washed out all of Blue Lake City.”
“Oh yeah I saw that, it looked really bad.”
“Do you think we will volunteer as a group to help out?”
“Maybe.”
Hurricane Louis was all over the news on the TV’s in the cafeteria. They were serving pepperoni pizza and I was hungry so I ate a slice. Everyone who knows me knows I don’t eat meat because I’m a vegan, but I couldn’t help myself. Everyone in the lunchroom stayed quiet as a breaking news report came up.
“Breaking news on Hurricane Louis: fellow citizens of Blue Lake have been found and sent off to shelters, and some are still being rescued right now,” announced the reporter on TV.
“That really sucks,” said Danny, Nick’s roommate.
“Yeah, it’s pretty bad,” answered Nick.
All of this was starting to get to me. I couldn’t help but feel the need to want to help. I was hoping Mr. Johnson would volunteer us, although, he didn’t mention it today in class, so I just might have to offer the idea.
When the news changed to something else, Cassidy joined us at the table.
“I really wish we could find some way to help out the people in Blue Lake,” cried Cassidy, another friend of Nick’s.
“Maybe there is a way,” offered Nick.
As soon as I told her how we could mention it to Mr. Johnson, she didn’t think offering him the idea would be enough to convince him. So she decided on a presentation instead.
After staying up all night with Cassidy, I couldn’t stay awake the next morning. I skipped breakfast and finished the last slide on our PowerPoint, and then I went to class.
“Well I’m not sure going out there would be such a good idea, but you can show me the presentation.” said Mr. Johnson after we gave him the idea.
“Ok first of all, these people shouldn’t have to suffer this terrible outcome. California is a home to many. To see that many people die because of this dreadful storm we just can’t sit here and do nothing. Nick and I really want to help them out with whatever we can. Food, clothing, and any supplies they need; we could at least start out with that. We actually talked about going up there and meeting them because I think it would teach us a great lesson; a lesson to learn to set aside your differences and help those in need,” concluded Cassidy.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” added Nick.
“Well, I suppose we could work something out as far as helping with supplies. I’ll give it some thought. Thank you Cassidy and Nick,” finished Mr. Johnson.
Well it wasn’t what I hoped for, but maybe he will change his mind.
In the afternoon, I was heading back to my dorm after I was done with my classes and I heard a voice call out my name from behind.
“Nick!” I noticed it was Jonathan running up towards me.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Mr. Johnson decided to let us all go as a class to Blue Lake!” said Jonathan out of breath.
“That’s great. When do we head out?”
“Tomorrow, so start packing for a whole week.”
I can’t believe it worked. I called Cassidy to make sure she heard the news and was already packing.
Friday morning on the airplane, I sat next to Cassidy and behind me were Jonathan and Danny as loud as could be. Looking out the window, there was nothing but white clouds all around. For some reason it reminded me of my mother, who I knew lived in a place similar to this. It was peaceful and beautiful, just like her. I remembered when she use to make those soft chocolate chip cookies, so warm and they would always make me feel better.
“I can’t wait to meet them, I’m so excited!” exclaimed Cassidy anxious to get off the plane.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a long day Cass, so you should get some sleep,” I said as my eyes wandered off back to the clouds and then closed shut.
“Ok everybody, we are exactly fifteen minutes away from our destination, so let’s all wake up!” yelled Mr. Johnson.
“This is going to be fun,” I heard Jonathan say behind me.
“Fun? This is going to suck,” said Danny.
What a jerk, I knew he didn’t want to come in the first place. He probably just did it for community service hours.
“Alright class, remember we are to stay together as a group. Don’t make any rude remarks, be on your best behavior, and let’s give these people what they need,” Mr. Johnson said on their way out.
Here we are in our bright colored t-shirts, or so they seemed in the dullness of the area, with old shoes that aren’t worth keeping, and jeans, on what seems almost like a city under water. Rescue boats traveling through the water, following what you could barely make out as the roads of this city. There was nothing but boards and scraps, tree stumps that could barely be seen, dogs swimming, and people being pulled out of the water. Just to think back home, New York is still in one piece.
Then there she was, a little girl. She was sitting on what seemed like a tree stump that was nearly sunken into the water. So I got in a boat that was empty and I paddled my way down there. Behind me I heard everyone asking, “Nick, what are you doing? Get back here.” I didn’t listen, I just kept going. As I got closer, I noticed her auburn messy hair and a shirt that was shredded in certain areas along with her soaked, muddy jeans and torn up shoes.
“Hey, what’s your name?” I asked.
“Juni,” she said quietly and scared.
“Are you lost?”
She just nodded her head yes.
“Well, come with me. I’ll help you find your family.”
She climbed into the boat and when I was paddling back, the rescue team took over and I was mad that I couldn’t do anything more to help.
“Nick, we are to stay as a group, don’t pull another stunt like that again,” said Mr. Johnson.
“Yes sir,” Nick replied.
After everyone settled in we all headed to a shelter that was said to have around two hundred people in it. When we arrived there were rolled out beds lined up all across the damaged building and packages of food and clothing that had been sent from all around the nation. We were all assigned a family to talk to for forty minutes then we switched around. It wasn’t until my third shift that I saw her again.
“Hey Juni.”
“Hi.”
“I’m Nick, remember me?”
She just nodded her head yes.
“Did they help you find your family?”
This time her head shook no. I couldn’t believe it.
“I’m sorry. Is there a way I can help? Can you describe them to me?”
“My sister, Kimberly, and my father are missing. Those people over there said they are gone.”
“Hmm. Well, I’ll be on the look out.”
She described her sister and father to me saying that she last saw them swimming in the opposite direction as the waves took her towards the city. She was alone for two days and finally found people rescuing others. I just have this feeling that they are alive somewhere out there. I want to believe it.
I decided to go outside for some air. It was not so fresh but it was better than all the mugginess inside the ruined building. Then I overheard someone on the phone saying,“Kimberly Hawkins and Charlie Hawkins have been sent to a hospital in the nearest town. I don’t think we have any Hawkins here, so they are good.” That man didn’t even bother asking if any Hawkins were settled out here. So I went back inside to find Juni.
“Juni, what’s your last name?
“Hawkins.”
That was her family!
“Juni wait here! I’ll be right back.”
I started towards Mr. Johnson but then I realized he would probably tell me to leave it to the head people around here so I went up to a woman in a suit.
“Excuse me ma’am, are you the head advisor?”
“Yes sir what can I help you with?”
“I want to look in on the Hawkins family. I heard that they are in a nearby hospital and there is a little girl here by the name of Juni Hawkins who is missing her family.”
“Ok young man, thank you, we will get to it ASAP.”
I wasn’t sure if they would but I decided to head back to Juni before our time was up. When I got there I only had ten minutes left and I made sure I could at least make her laugh before I left to distract her from all the sadness. I didn’t want to mention her family just yet, but then we had to switch.
“Well I’ll see you around Juni, I’m sure you’ll find your family.”
“Thank you, Nick,” she said as she gave me a tight hug like I was her only friend here.
When the day was nearly over, I decided to go back to the head advisor and see what was new about the Hawkins.
“Excuse me ma’am. I was here earlier to tell you about the Hawkins girl?”
“Oh yes, well we called and checked on it and it was her family. She was sent there immediately. Nice job, you were truly helpful.”
She’s gone. I’m never going to see her again. I’m going to miss those deep blue eyes looking right into mine for hope. I didn’t know what to do it all ended so quickly. One minute I was worried about helping her find her family and the next she’s gone to be with her family. I was happy for her, but wanted one more chance to talk to her to get to know her better. I knew she was full of great things for her to survive on her own the way she did.
The next day, everyone was packing and ready to go back home as Mr. Johnson decided not to stay the full week realizing we would miss too many classes and he didn’t want to interfere with the other professors. As we were loading on the airplane Cassidy told me something that gave me an idea.
“Man I really wish we could just somehow keep in touch with them you know? Like maybe visit them or something,” said Cassidy.
“You know what Cassidy? Maybe there is.”
With that said, I decided to visit Juni and her family at the hospital in Eureka, CA. Cassidy wanted to visit the family she met with in Trinidad. Jonathan went to Arcata to visit the Jackson family he really loved. As for Danny, he ended up staying with Mr. Johnson the whole trip as he was caught talking rudely to other families and smoking outside. He was nothing but trouble and went back to the dorm after the trip.
When I arrived in Eureka it was different, there was a sense of a new start here. As I drove up to Saint Joseph Hospital I got off the truck and felt the fresh air. Walking up to room 236, I was anxious to see her again. When I walked in there she was asleep next to her sister on the hospital bed, all cleaned up. I noticed her freckles on the right side of her cheek along with her rosy pink lips. What I assumed was her father, was lying on the other bed watching TV.
“Excuse me, Mr. Hawkins?”
“Yes, can I help you?”
“I was looking for Juni Hawkins. I helped her find her way here form Blue Lake after the hurricane. I’m Nick Andrews,” I could see tears begin to build up around his bruised face.
“Oh my, thank you so much Nick, I owe you so much for helping my daughter.”
“It’s ok there’s no need sir. I enjoyed getting to know Juni, in fact that’s why I came here.”
Just then, the sound of our voices seemed to have awakened Juni as well as her sister.
“Nick!” she said excitedly as she hopped off the bed.
“Hey Juni!”
“What are you doing here?” by then her sister propped up on the bed.
“What do you mean what am I doing here? I came to see you.”
“Nick, I missed you! Thank you so much for helping me. I knew there was a reason I felt something about you. Oh, this is my sister Kim and my dad Charlie,” she said happily.
I felt in the right place for once. The lesson was learned. Everyday is just a continuation of life that seems to go on forever. We never realize what is in our hands until it is all gone. When the worst occurs, then the best is yet to come. This family will be worth meeting, I can just feel it.