The Adventures of Alfred Adams

By Maria Ladenburger
Prologue
On a misty morning twelve years ago a small boy was born. He was born to a
young woman. The young woman had come a long distance. Her clothes were torn,
her hair unwashed, and her clothes were ragged. It was wintertime and she was
shivering in her thin coat. She went to the orphanage in the center of town to give
birth to her son. She died giving birth to him but before she died she said that he
was to be named Alfred. She also left an address written out on a piece of paper.
Alfred opened his big blue eyes and began to wail. Little did he know what awaited
him ahead.....
Chapter One

On a Thursday morning the rising sun streamed in through the attic window. The
attic was a dingy place. The walls were a lifeless gray color and there was a bed in
the corner with a mattress and a white blanket. The bed took much of the space but
there was some room for the wardrobe crammed in the corner. On the bed was a
boy.

This boy had white blond hair that was thin and wispy. His eyes were a clear blue
like a summer sky. He was skinny but looked healthy enough. As the sun streamed
through the windows, onto his face Alfred yawned and stretched out his legs on his
lumpy mattress.

He only had a second more to rest when a shrill voice cut through the air and
Alfred's sleep was cut short. "Alfred, Come down here and cook breakfast," screeched
the voice from downstairs. Alfred yawned sleepily once more and shuffled on to
the cold floor. Alfred hopped down the stairs trying to keep his feet off the freezing
wood floors. He slid into the kitchen and was met by Monica Adams.

Monica was a bitter looking person. She had a pointed chin, mousy brown hair, a
constant frown on her face, and was exceedingly stout. Her voice was shrill and
high pitched. She was also incredibly lazy. At the moment her arms were crossed
and she glared at Alfred from across the room.

Sitting at the brown table was Wendell, her husband reading the newspaper. He
was sipping his coffee with a scowl on his face. Wendell was a very thin man, he
had beady black eyes like a hawk. His hair was a thin lank brown that was almost
gone from his head. He couldn't stand Alfred and Alfred could not stand him.
 Behind him Alfred heard a noisy clatter on the stairs. It was Mona and Rona, their
two twin daughters. They were both exceedingly lazy and complained constantly.
Both girls had their fathers eyes. There hair was their mothers brown and they
were stout just like their mother. Both twins hated Alfred and it was their life's goal
to make his life miserable.

Just the other day they had chased Alfred out of the house and up the road pelting
him with eggs. He had come home covered in dried egg yolks.

Alfred was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by Monica who thrust a pan
into his hands. "Well where's breakfast," snapped Wendell without looking up from
his newspaper. He looked up and his beady black eyes bore into Alfred. "Don't
forget why we took you in, boy, " he snarled again. Alfred sighed and started frying
the eggs. Wendell never lost the chance to remind him why they had taken him in.

Cooking the eggs was soothing to Alfred and he quickly became lost in thought.
He thought back to the story Wendell had told him. His mother had given birth to
him at the orphanage in the center of town. All that she left him was a scrap of
paper with an address on it. His mother had died but her last dying words were to
name him Alfred.

Wendell and Monica constantly reminded him why they had taken him in.
Monica and Wendell had decided to take him in because they wanted someone to
help them do the housework. Monica was very lazy and hated cleaning. Ever since
he had turned five years old he did all the housework, cooked all the meals, and did
whatever else they wanted him to do. His room was up in the dusty, old attic.

All the possessions he owned were a few dingy tattered clothes, a small carved
brown box, and a scrap of paper with an address on it.
 The scrap of paper was his most precious item that he kept safely in his carved
box. He kept the chest hidden under the bed so that Mona and Rona could not steal
it. Both of them loved to snoop in his room and take anything they liked. Alfred
always wondered where that address led to. All he knew was that it led to
someplace in New York City.

Suddenly, Alfred was jerked out of his thought from a terrible acrid smell that
was filling the tiny kitchen. It was the eggs! Wendell and Monica had started
angrily shouting at him while both Mona and Rona were arguing again. Alfred
sighed and started cooking more eggs, still lost in thought.

Chapter Two

Later that day Wendell gave him some money and told him to go to the market
and get some more eggs. "Were out because you burned the eggs this morning,"
Wendell said gruffly. Glad for the chance to leave Alfred sprinted out the door as
soon as Wendell handed him the money. He breathed in the cool clean air that met
him outside and set off along the winding cobblestone streets.

When he got to the market the street vendors there started yelling at him trying
to sell him their goods. Alfred kept on until he found an old woman holding a
basket of eggs. Alfred bought a dozen eggs and payed the old woman.

As he was walking away he heard a familiar voice behind him. With a sick feeling
in the pit of his stomach he slowly wheeled around. Standing there was Kane, the
school bully.

Kane was known throughout school as being the meanest, biggest, and strongest
boy in the whole town. Kane knew he was stronger and bigger than everyone else.
He bullied small children and took lunch money from others. Although he was the
strongest he was the ugliest and dumbest boy at school.

He had scraggly brown hair and pockmarked skin and everyone hated to look at
him. His beady eyes glared at anyone daring enough to look him in the eye. Kane
had hated Alfred ever since he had stepped foot in the school. One time Alfred told
the principal what Kane was doing. Kane had gotten suspended and had never
forgotten what Alfred had done.

"Going somewhere," said Kane menacingly. Beside him was his faithful dog Ripper.
Ripper was a huge dog, with long sharp teeth, and matted black fur. Kane leaned
forward and said again, Going somewhere? Instead of answering Alfred turned
and started running. Sic him Ripper! Kane shrieked.

The big black dog bounded forward and Alfred began to run. He ran through the
vendors selling cakes, candies, fruits, and vegetables. He dashed by nearly colliding
with a man buying several cabbages. He passed by some kids from school who
snickered when he came by. He kept on running until he collided with a man
selling watermelons.

The melons flew everywhere landing hard on the ground and breaking into
hundreds of pieces. The sweet red innards of the melons were all over the ground.
Ripper had already started greedily gulping down some of the melon pieces
forgetting about Alfred for the moment.

Alfred gulped and looked up into the reddening face of the man who was selling
the melons. He picked up Alfred by the neck of his collar and asked him : Where
do you live? Alfred gulped and didn't answer the man. The man shook him and
asked him again where he lived. Alfred knew he had no choice but to answer.
Alfred answered the man and he started walking still holding Alfred by the collar
of his neck. Alfred's neck started to hurt and as they neared the house his worry
mounted. When they got to the house Wendell was already outside doing yard
work.

Wendell was obsessive when it came to his yard. As soon as he got home from his
job at the store he went to work on his yard. When Alfred and the man got to the
house they found Wendell crouched on the ground holding a pair of a clippers and
carefully cutting of a branch on a very ugly thorn bush.

Wendell finally noticed Alfred who was still being held by the collar of his shirt.
The man started to yell. "This boy destroyed my melons, you have to pay for this!".
He demanded that Wendell pay him for all the destroyed melons. Wendell protested
but the man would not leave without the money. " Just who do you think you
are?!" Wendell angrily shouted. The man did not listen and kept demanding
Wendell pay up. Wendell turned to Alfred, "I don't suppose you have an
explanation for what you did," muttered Wendell. Alfred got angry , it wasn't his
fault! It was Kane's fault, he shouted.

"Now just a minute," the man shouted. "Kane's my son!" He would not listen to
Alfred's story. The man shook his head and said, "My boy would never do that, now
pay up!" In the end Wendell was forced to pay. As soon as they went inside and the
door had snapped shut Wendell started shouting. Alfred was sent to his room with
no supper.

In bed Alfred stewed on what happened. Downstairs he could hear the family
eating the supper he had cooked for them. His stomach grumbled loudly and he
could smell the food he had cooked for them. "It's not fair and it wasn't my fault,"
thought Alfred angrily as he turned on his side and drifted into sleep.
Chapter Three

The next day Alfred got up early. He rolled out of bed and got dressed quickly. He
sat on the floor and grabbed the carved wooden box from under his bed. The box
was dusty and made him sneeze really loudly. He hoped he hadn't woken any of
them up. He then opened the clasps and peered inside the small box.

Inside was the single slip of paper. The paper was yellowing and the edges were
folding over. Alfred carefully picked up the slip of paper with the address on it and
examined it. The address was 124 Canal Street. He flipped the slip of paper over and
there in the corner he spied some words, a name written in pencil.

He had never seen these words before. His heart began to beat faster as he looked
at the name. The words were tiny and hard to read. He had to get a magnifying
class. Fortunately he had one laying on his desk.

He peered through the magnifying glass and saw the word. The letters were hard
to read and were smudged he was just able to discern a name. It was Clark Hanson.

Thoughts and ideas raced through Alfred. Who was Clark Hanson? Was it his
father? Alfred was excited, for the first time in his life he had hope. He had hope
that he would find his family. He put the slip of paper back in the box, closed and
latched the lid, and slid it under his bed.

Alfred went downstairs and started cooking breakfast. When Wendell and Monica
came downstairs he was whistling a cheerful tune and flipping pancakes. They
looked at him strangely but he kept on whistling. He didn't even mind that he had
to go wake up Mona and Rona who were very grouchy when they first got up.
They tended to hit the first thing they saw.
 He crept up the stairs and went into their room which was extremely messy.
There were clothes littering the floor. There were old, moldy slices of pizza on the
chair. To top it off the drawers in their desks were falling out, littering its contents
onto the floor below. Alfred walked carefully and made sure not to step in
anything gross. When he got to their bed he shook them. They kept snoring. He
shook them again. They still did not wake up. Then he decided to try another tactic.
He shouted, "Your favorite movie star is here !".

Both Mona and Rona rolled out of bed wide awake with faces filled with
excitement. Alfred snorted and said, "I was just kidding he's not here." Both the girls
rolled their eyes in disgust and stomped down the stairs aiming punches at him.
Alfred followed them downstairs and continued making more pancakes whistling
happily the entire them.

The whole day Alfred yearned to go back to his room and keep examining the slip
of paper. Later that evening after he had finished all the chores Monica gave him
Alfred went up to his room.

When he walked in he gasped. His room was a mess! It looked like it had gone
through several rounds of a tornado! The book shelf was on the floor and almost all
the books were torn apart. His blankets and pillows were on the ceiling fan and the
mattress on his bed was half on the floor and half on the beds frame. In fact one
pillow had been ripped open spreading feathers everywhere.

In the center of the room amid the chaotic mess sat Mona and Rona. In between
them was his precious box. The box was wide open and the slip of paper was in
their grubby little hands. They looked up at him surprised. Then they grinned at
each other maliciously and tore the paper into a million pieces.
 The pieces of paper fluttered to the floor making the room messier but Alfred
didn't care. His eyes blurred with tears and he tried not to cry but a tear escaped
rolling down his cheek and onto the floor. How could they do this? All his life they
had treated him like he was something disgusting they had found on their shoe. He
was fed up. He had to leave but where would he go?

Just then Mona and Rona walked past. Jeering, they said, "That's for lying to us."
Mona jabbed him in the side with her elbow and said " That's for waking us up!"
They left the room with Alfred seething with anger.

That night Alfred cooked supper, did all the dishes, and cleaned up the kitchen. He
was extremely quiet all night. They were all pleased to see that Alfred was upset
about what had happened.

After finishing up his chores he went straight to his attic room. He lay on the
mattress he had pushed back on the bed. He did not bother to pick up the rest of the
room he would be gone soon. He quietly waited for Wendell, Monica, and the twins
to go to bed. He heard them creak up the stairs and head into their rooms.

As soon as he heard Wendell snoring he started packing. Earlier that day Alfred
had taken an old green backpack that he had found in Wendell's closet. He had
tiptoed into the room when Alfred was busy taking care of his lawn. Once he was
in the room he crept to the closet and went inside. He searched for a while until he
had found the green backpack. Alfred couldn't even remember the last time
Wendell had used the backpack. He didn't have many clothes or items so he
finished packing quickly.

Now that it was time to leave Alfred filled the backpack with the clothes that he
had. He also put in the money he was saving. Alfred had a little tin jar where he
saved up his money. He would do odd jobs at the grocery store or find some coins
on the ground. He had about twenty dollars in there. He knew it wasn't enough but
it was something, he thought. After his backpack was filled he quietly tiptoed down
the stairs to the kitchen. He avoided the stair that always creaked when you
stepped on it.

I need some food for the road, he thought. Once in the kitchen he headed towards
the fridge but was suddenly stopped short. There was a padlock on the fridge. He
had forgotten about that. Every night before Monica went to bed she padlocked the
fridge. She thought that he would steal food out of it. I guess she was right, he
thought as he shook the lock hopefully. The lock made a loud clanging noise which
scared the living daylights out of Alfred. He waited a second before continuing

"I guess there's only one thing to do, I'll have to steal the key from Monica and
Wendell's room." He sighed and started up the stairs. He had to do this if he wanted
to leave. Twenty dollars wouldn't last long. He didn't want to have to spend all his
money.

He quietly went up the stairs and went to their room which was at the end of the
hall. He passed pictures which seemed to leer at him in the dark. He passed the
twin's room where he could hear them snoring away. He drew closer to the
impossibly dark door. The door was shrouded in darkness. Alfred was scared, he
didn't know what would happen to him if he got caught. As he got closer he saw
that the door was slightly ajar. He slid through and tiptoed quietly. There was the
key! It was on the bedside table.

Suddenly Wendell heaved a great snore. Which scared the living daylights out of
Alfred who was already standing on end. He crept closer and closer to the bedside
table until one of the floorboards creaked under his weight. Alfred froze like a deer
in headlights. Wendell and Monica both rolled over once and kept on snoring. Then
Alfred quickly tiptoed to the table without making a sound and took the key. Then
he quietly left the room. In his hurry he did not notice that he had left door wide
open and the snoring had abruptly stopped.

Once downstairs Alfred bounded to the refrigerator. He put the key in the lock and
with a turn the lock opened with a satisfying clink. Alfred smiled for the first time
that night. The fridge was filled with an assortment of foods. Alfred quickly
grabbed some of them and stuffed them into his backpack. The next thing he did
was ransack the cupboards. He found some crackers and granola bars.

He spun around and there in front of him stood Wendell. Glaring at him
menacingly Wendell said, What are you doing, boy? Alfred smiled and said
smugly: I am running away! With that he dashed away. He ran through the hall
and nearly slipped. He put on his shoes and crashed through the front door into the
misty night.

Behind him he could hear shouting in the house. He turned to look at the house
one more time but kept on running. Alfred ran hard and didn't stop. He kept on
running until he knew he had left town. He knew that they would call the police to
search for him. The first place the police would search was the town. He looked at
the now residing town knowing he would never come back.

Chapter Four

After a while he got tired and he started to walk. He walked until he saw the first
rays of sunlight peeking out. Up ahead he saw an abandoned farmhouse. The
farmhouse was old and falling apart. Parts of the roof were caved in and there was
no glass in the windows. Alfred found some long grass and tried to form it into a
bed. He gave up and collapsed on the grass sound asleep. As he was sleeping he had
terrible nightmares. In one of his nightmares Wendell, Monica, the police, and the
twins were chasing him! Alfred woke up sweating. His hands were clammy and he
felt like he would puke. He got up and peered outside. It was dusk and the sun was
setting. He sat down on the grass and pulled an apple out of his back pack. He ate it
hungrily as he watched the sun set. Once he had eaten he set off again. The lonely
farmhouse was left behind looking lonelier than ever.

Alfred walked and walked. He did not know where he was. All he knew was that
he was on his way to New York city. Earlier he had mapped out his route. He
would walk along this highway and catch a ride if he could. He would have to pass
through a couple towns and cities but it would be okay.

The sun that had been setting a minute ago was now completely gone but Alfred
kept walking. It grew darker and darker until it was night time. The moon and stars
twinkled in the great expanse of the sky.

After walking for a couple of hours Alfred decided to settle down for night. He
found a cluster of trees and a creek hidden from view. He decided to spend the
night here. It was a sheltered place hidden from view.

He was so tired that when he lied down on the hard ground he fell asleep instantly.
This time he had no dreams.

Two hours later Alfred was awoken by cold drops of water that were falling from
the sky. It was raining! He scrambled to grab his scattered things. Within seconds it
started to pour and Alfred became soaked to the bone. He curled up closer to the
tree trunk to get cover from the rain. It started to thunder and Alfred started to
shake from the cold. Then the lightning started.

The lightning cut across the sky with a blinding light. The next tree over started to
creak. The thunder was tumultuous. A lightning bolt flashed through the stormy
sky and hit the tree to the right with a thunderous crack! The tree swayed for a
second before crashing to the ground!

Alfred huddled closer to the tree trunk. He looked beyond the trees to see if there
was any abandoned buildings nearby. There wasn't but there was a town. The
houses windows were all lit up. The light was a cheery yellow. Now more than
ever Alfred ached to have a family. The rain was still pouring and Alfred was
freezing! Lightning was still flashing through the sky.

He left the trees and dashed across the field. He raced passed a sign that said
"Welcome to New Haven" and dashed through the main street and looked around
blindly for shelter. Up ahead he saw a small alley between two houses.

He dashed to the alley and looked around. He saw some empty crates near the
back door of a house and decided to spend the night here. He huddled by the crates
and tried to get as comfortable as he could. His stomach grumbled but he was too
tired to eat. "At least the rain can't get to me, he said aloud. It took a while but he
drifted off to sleep, his thoughts on his father.

Chapter Five

The next morning Alfred was abruptly awoken by screaming. He quickly opened
his eyes and swiveled around. In front of him was a woman with her mouth
gaping open. She was clearly shocked to see someone back here. Her eyes were
wide and she

dropped the garbage bag in her hand. "What are you doing here? she asked . Are
you a runaway?" Alfred didn't answer but stared warily at the woman. He
considered shoving her and bolting through the alley way. "Well ,whats your
name? " she asked. "Alfred," he mumbled looking down at his shoes. Do you want
some breakfast? " she asked. Alfred didn't answer but followed her across the deck
and into the house.

Her house was very cheerful. The walls were painted soft pastels colors. The
furniture was all soft and comfortable looking. In the corner of the living room
there was a piano. They walked down a hallway filled with pictures, through a
living room, and into a kitchen.

The kitchen was little and cozy with a nook for all sorts of spices. The counters
and the stove in the corner were all clean. On the table she had already set out a
stack of blueberry pancakes and a steaming pot of tea. She let him sit down and
made him some eggs and bacon to go with the pancakes.

Alfred was so hungry he dove in and barely came up for air. When he finally
looked up he realized Melody was watching him. "You must have been mighty
hungry," she said. He looked down at his plate instead of answering. Alfred couldn't
even remember the last time he had eaten blueberry pancakes.

Before long the food was completely gone. "Do you want a glass of orange juice?,"
Melody asked. Alfred nodded and she handed him a glass of the sweet juice. She
kept asking him questions that made him nervous. He didn't answer any of them
but something felt off. What if she thought he was a runaway? One of the first
things she asked him was if he was a runaway.

After he had finished the juice he stood up to leave. Melody jumped up blocking
his way to the door. "You can't leave," she said. Alfred froze behind her as he saw a
police car pull up in the driveway. "You're a runaway , aren't you"? I saw your
picture in the newspaper . There's a cash reward for you, you know".
 Alfred saw that she wasn't going to let him go through the front door. He could
push her away but the policeman was already heading up the driveway. The only
choice was to go through the backdoor.

Alfred bolted around and through the kitchen. He dashed through the living room.
The back door was just up ahead. He could already hear the policemen footsteps
behind him as he ran through the kitchen. He burst out the door which Judy had
thankfully left unlocked.

He could hear the policeman running down the hall almost to the back door.
Alfred looked around his heart racing where could he hide? Suddenly he spotted a
recycle bin in the corner. He raced to the recycle bin, lifted the lid and dove in.

Inside the recycle bin there were cans, cardboard, and plastic. The air was musty
with an odd smell to it. Outside Alfred could hear the policemen running through
the back door but he dared not move. He could hear his heavy footsteps in the yard
searching for him. He walked all over the yard. When he came near the recycle bin
Alfred's heart started to pound. Thankfully he walked away to stand by the back
door. He muttered angrily and spoke into his radio. "I need back up, the kids
disappeared". Alfred heard the back door open and slam shut with a resounding
thud.

As soon as the policeman disappeared Alfred sprung into action. He lifted the lid of
the recycle bin and sprang out. He ran to the neighbors yard because he knew the
policemen would be searching for him on the streets. He took one last look at Judy's
house and began to run faster than ever.
Chapter Six

He raced through the yards. Expecting to see the policeman chasing after him. He
came to the end of the town and started walking through the fields by the side of
the road. The tall corn would hide him from view. He had left his pack at Judy's
house but he still had his money in his shoe. He could go to a fast food place for
food.

He kept on walking until the sun had set completely and the moon was out.

Alfred could not sleep by any more houses. It was too risky he decided. Instead he
went to rest in the corn fields. He stuck by the road so he wouldn't get lost in the
endless maze of corn. He curled up and fell to sleep immediately exhausted by the
events of that day.

The next morning he woke up with a stiff neck. He had nightmares of the
policeman during the night .

In his nightmares the policeman had swelled to four times his size. He was chasing
him and shouting at him: "You will never find your family, you have no one!' He
had woken up with a start. His heart beating madly in his chest.

For breakfast he had a slightly stale granola bar while wistfully thinking about
Judy's pancakes. After breakfast he started out on his long and endlessly grueling
walk.

All day long all Alfred saw was the endless fields. The sun beat down on his neck
and he quickly got tired. He stopped and ate once. His food was quickly
disappearing. He would have to get more food and fast! He decided that at the next
gas station or fast food place he would stop.

Before long he came up to a gas station. It was pretty empty except for a cashier
who looked to be really old. The man had white hair that was almost all gone. His
aging face was covered in liver spots. His skin was hanging off him like paper!

He browsed through the aisles looking for something he could eat when suddenly
he heard the door crash open and the bell tinkling madly. He peered to see who had
come in. It turned out to be three rowdy teenage boys. He decided to stay away
from them.

He kept browsing until he found something he thought he could eat. Maybe he

could buy some jerky. He wondered if there were any granola bars in the gas
station. Behind him he could hear the teenagers horsing around and shoving each
other.

He pulled his money out of his shoe and counted it to see if he had enough for
some beef jerky. He was counting when behind him he heard a voice. "Whose
money is that?" asked one of the teenage boys. "Mine," Alfred answered and pulled
his money to his chest defensively. "Well , me and the boys have gotten into a spot
of trouble, we don't have any money but it looks like you do, said the older boy.
Two of the boys grabbed his arms and held them behind his back. The money
spilled onto the floor.

Suddenly the old cashier came up. Whats going on ,boys? asked the man sharply.
He peered at each of the guilty teenage boys. The boys acted quickly. They dove
and grabbed Alfreds money, shoved aside the old man, and left the gas station
laughing and jeering. Alfred could hear their laughter fading and the roar of a
pickup truck as they sped away.

All of his money was gone except for one dollar that was lying dejected on the
linoleum floor. What was he going to do? Without any money he might as well
give up now and go back to his old miserable life. Who was he kidding? I could
never have gotten all the way to New York City, thought Alfred bitterly.

The old man peered at him kindly. Im sorry about this, I banned those boys from
here a long time ago, -he said. He picked up the dollar bill left on the floor and
handed it back to Alfred. How much did you lose? he asked. About a hundred
bucks, Alfred groaned miserably. That money had been his life savings and now all
of it was gone.

Alfred turned around preparing to leave. He would have to turn himself in, there
was no other way. Now wait just a minute, son, said the man. He had pulled out
his wallet. He handed him two crisp twenty dollar bills. Alfred was completely
shocked. Its not a hundred bucks, but itll do, - said the old man. Alfred sputtered
a thank you. He grabbed a box of granola bars and some beef jerky. The man rang
him up and smiled at him kindly.

Just as he was about to leave , the man suddenly asked him where he was going.
Im going to New York, sir, - answered Alfred nervously. The man looked at his
watch. Well , I could probably give you a ride to Stamford, -he said. Alfred looked
down at the floor. The man looked to be harmless so Alfred told him he would go.
They had to wait for his shift to end but it didnt take long.

They left as soon as they saw the next cashier enter the building. The next cashier
was a pimply teenage girl with braces. As they walked to the car the man told him
he was called Mr. Grady. The car was old and Mr. Grady had to turn the key several
time for the car to start. Soon they were driving along the endless highway.

Chapter Seven

They got to Stamford within 45 minutes. They passed the town of Milfort, and a
small city called Bridgeport. Somewhere in between Bridgeport and Stamford
Alfred had fallen fast asleep. As soon as they got to Stamford Mr. Grady woke Alfred
up. They stood awkwardly on the sidewalk. So, I guess this is goodbye for now, -
said Mr. Grady. Alfred walked right up to him and gave the kind old man a hug.
Thanks for being so kind, - Alfred whispered quietly.

After Mr. Grady left , Alfred went and explored the city. While he walked people
were giving him odd glances. It made Alfred felt uneasy. He soon came to a cafe
where he bought an espresso. The waitress who was serving him was wearing a
large purple apron. She barely looked at him once as she took his order.

After he finished his espresso he payed and left his tip. As he was leaving he
passed the newspaper stand. There on the first page of the paper was a picture of
him. Alfred stood shocked looking at the newspaper. He had to do something, but
what could he do? He decided to try to disguise himself. He bought a pair of
sunglasses and a hat at the department store next door. He quickly put them on
hoping no one had noticed.

Alfred set off walking along the streets of Stamford. He noticed that there were
some cabs. The cabs were black with the word cab painted on the front. Alfred
pulled out his money and counted out $27. He walked over to one of the cabs. A
man was sitting reading a book. Alfred knocked on the window. The man looked up
surprised and rolled down the window. I want to go to New York City,- said
Alfred. That will be $15, - said the cab driver. Alfred payed and the cab pulled
away and began the way to New York City.

Chapter Eight

The drive to New York took one hour. The drive made Alfred hungry so he ate a
granola bar. He was nodding off when the car came to an abrupt stop. They were in
New York City! Alfred got out of the yellow cab and gasped. There were towering
skyscrapers and huge bill boards advertising all sorts of goods. There were cars
covering the lanes of the street. People were swarming on the sidewalk.

Alfred paid the cab driver who abruptly pulled away and turned back to go to
Stamford. Alfred wasn't sure where to go but he thought that the first step would
be to go to the address on the slip of paper and see if he could find his father.

It was getting dark outside and the chilly autumn wind blew through his thin
jacket. He wasn't sure where Canal street was so he decided to ask someone.

Alfred didn't know where he was going so he walked up to a friendly looking

woman. The woman was wearing high heels and an expensive looking red dress.
He walked up to her and said : "Please ma'am, do you know where the Canal street
is?" The woman took one long look at him and turned up her nose. She stormed
away with her heels click - clicking on the sidewalk.

Discouraged, Alfred decided to ask someone else. He looked around a spotted a

heavy set man wearing a black sweatshirt and ripped jeans. Alfred walked right up
to him and asked him for directions. This time the man smiled and kindly pointed
the way to the Canal street.
 Alfred thanked him and hurried off into the crowd of people. As he got nearer and
nearer to Canal street his hope to find his father burned inside him. Finding his
father did not seem so far fetched anymore.

He kept walking but it was steadily getting darker. It was bitterly cold and Alfred
did not think he could go any farther. Up ahead was the New York Public library.
Alfred decided to hide in their for the night.

This library was magnificent. There were large stone steps leading up to the
library. People were going in and out constantly. As Alfred walked in the warm air
hit him. There were shelves and shelves of books. There tables to study at and
computers to use. There were lots of great places for Alfred to hide for the night.

Alfred walked through the stacks of books and found a quiet, dark corner with an
armchair. He settled in the armchair. He was too nervous to fall asleep so he waited
until midnight when he knew everyone was gone. The library was eerily quiet and
it a little scary. The stacks of books were warped in the dark and looked like
prowling beasts ready to spring out and attack. .

Alfred crept through the library and stubbed his toe painfully on a shelf. He was
searching for the computers. He tiptoed and reached the computers where he
looked through the newspaper archives. He searched for the name Clark Hanson. If
Alfred was in the newspaper maybe his father was mentioned in one too. Alfred
searched and found one newspaper the mentioned the name Clark Hanson. Alfred's
heart quickened and he almost stopped breathing.

He clicked on the newspaper. Clark Hanson dies in fire on Canal street, screamed
the headline. Alfred was shocked. His eyes blurred with tears. This whole trip had
been for nothing. Alfred had gone all this way to find out he had no one. He was all
alone in the world. He slumped down in the chair and began to sob.

The early morning sunlight shone through the large windows and onto Alfred. His
eyes slowly fluttered open. He sat up and the reality hit him like a wave. He had no
one. Alfred sat up and gathered his things. He would wait for the library to open
and then he would leave. He decided to sit in the dark corner to wait. As he sat he
thought about what had happened. He had been so sure that his father was here.
The hope that used to be inside of him was now replaced by a dry, empty feeling.

He was pulled out of his train of thought when someone came in. He heard the
door open and slam shut with a thud. The women walked over to the front desk
and set down her things. Soon after other people began to arrive and check out
books. Alfred decided it was safe to leave.

He walked out into the dry November air. The sun was shining and the birds were
singing. It was nothing like the mood Alfred was in. He walked and yet he didn't
know where he was going. Suddenly he realized with a jolt that he was on Canal
street. He walked forward until he came to a yard. This yard had nothing except
some black bricks and park bench. When Alfred came closer he was words
engraved on the bench. They said "In memory of Clark Hanson." Alfred sat down on
the bench. This was as close as he would ever get to his father or any of his family
members.

He started to cry great heaving sobs. Suddenly there was an elderly woman
standing beside him. She patted him on the back. Whats wrong,dear? - she asked.
Before he knew what he was doing he told her the whole story. He told her about
the address and name. He told her about his mother who died and he told her how
far hed come.
 The woman was silent for a while until she asked him a question. "So youre sure
that this man was your father?" she asked. Alfred nodded looking miserably at the
ground. When he looked up he realized she was staring at him, almost hungrily.
"This man was my son, he died in the fire but his pregnant wife was able to get
out," -she said sadly. She suffered from depression when she left without a trace,
she didnt take a single thing, - she whispered. Suddenly she dropped her purse.
You look just like my son! - she exclaimed swooping Alfred into a long hug.
Alfred felt more joyful than ever. For the first time in his life he felt he was finally
home.

Epilogue
 Alfred had spent five glorious months with his grandmother. He enjoyed every
second of it. His grandma had enrolled him in a school in New York City where he
even made some new friends. A month ago Wendell and Monica requested to have
him back but his answer had of course been no.

He finally had a family, life was perfect or as close as it would ever get to perfect.
Alfred thought about what had happened. The other day he went back to Wendell
and Monica's house to pick up his carved wooden box.

As soon he entered he saw that the house was in a disarray without him to clean
up. Wendell and Monica were both glaring down at him from the stairs. Their eyes
watching his every movement. He smiled at them but neither of them smiled back.

He went up the stairs and into the attic. The attic was just as he'd left it when
Mona and Rona had torn up the room. He peered under the dusty bed and found
what he had been looking for- his old wooden box. He grabbed the box and
quickly went downstairs. The next moment he was out the door and in the
brilliant sunshine. The twins stood on the lawn glaring at him but he didn't care.
The new chapter of his life was just beginning........

Citations
About the New York Public Library. (2017). Retrieved from

https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl

Justivis. (2016, June 17). [New York City]. Retrieved April 3, 2017, from

https://justivis.wordpress.com/2016/06/18/how-i-would-spend-my-sum

mer-if-i-won-the-lottery/veix-goodbye-new-york-color-1200/

[New York City]. (2017). Retrieved April 3, 2017, from

https://pixabay.com/en/city-new-york-new-york-city-1183075/

The New York Public Library. (2017). Retrieved April 3, 2017, from

https://www.nypl.org/

[Pile of books]. (2017). Retrieved April 3, 2017, from

http://www.uglydogbooks.com/