A Promise of Hope

Chapter One

The night was dark and the general absence of light that would normally scare brought an unorthodox calmness to me. I felt the sway of the train. To. Fro. Back. Forth. To. Fro. Back. Forth. This enumeration quickly entranced me into a deep sleep. My deep slumber was reinforced by heavy rain and the motion of the train, like a mother singing to her newborn while rocking back and forth in a rocking chair. It was times like these when I felt most at home. The whole world was sleeping, and so was I.

When I awoke I looked out of my window to the bleak, smoky city. This is my future. The rain was still drizzling and the dew of the morning was visible on the windows of the ever deteriorating residential buildings and the light posts. Despite the thick smog and dirt, the city had a feeling of being alive. The city was buzzing with life even in the damp, grey morning. Something about this liveliness gave me hope about my future at this place. Ma had always said I would love everything about New York. She was set on the idea that I would love the energy and the way of life. The possibilities. That was one that always stuck with me. They say in New York, you can be a new man. We'll see, I'm tough to change. I glanced down at my punched, one-way ticket.

Alice Ferganstan. New York. September 1931.

The train slowed to a stop as it approached the train station. I stood up and looked around. This cab had been my home for the three-day trip and I would miss it. My bed was in the corner of the room. Adjacent to that, a tapestry hung on the wall next to two armchairs that were facing a small coffee table which had been of little use on the journey. Never mind that now. I picked up my suitcase which carried what little I had brought and slid my door open. Many other passengers were doing the same. People wearing attire of all sorts. The men wore simple suits with ties emblazoned with decor. However, some ladies wore elaborate dresses while others opted for the more simple option. I was one of these ladies. We wore a body length dress with a fold at our breasts that made a sort of backward, thick 'Y'. This was my nicest dress, most of my packed clothes consisted of a blouse and some sort of knee-length skirt. My colors were bland at best; my suitcase was filled with faded pinks and browns. I intended to change that as soon as possible.

I walked down the aisle that was, in my opinion, far too narrow for its intended purpose which was, of course, to allow many people to traverse the length of the train. However, the number of people that were actually able to walk down the aisle at a time was significantly limited due to the size of the rooms. The aisle was merely six feet in length. It could be eight or nine if they just would remove that darn coffee table from everyone's room. Rooms lined both sides of the aisle. As a walked down it I begin to relive the past three days here. This place was my bridge from my old life to the new. I approached the end of the aisle and the guard at the end who had always looked like he was drunk. Today, however, he appeared completely sober and his clean-cut face looked up from the book he was reading. He tipped his hat to me. "G'day my lady," he said as I walked past. I gave a quick curtsy and continued to the door. The guard's name was Robert and he had always looked out for me, no matter how drunk he was. I can recall many occasions when he would step in the way of someone trying to harass me or extort me for what little I had. Now, as I walked by him, I felt a little pain of leaving this place. Aside from my mother, Robert was the only other person who had ever cared remotely about me. Even if it was his job to ensure the well being and safety of all the passengers aboard, It still felt somewhat like how it had the night I kissed my mom through all my tears when I had to leave to New York. I knew there were more Roberts out there, I just needed to find them.

As I stepped onto the portable staircase leading me down into the train station, I felt a wave of determination wash over me.

Find them I will.