A Girl in the Big City

When Georgia is uprooted from England to New York her entire life is turned upside down...

Life was going to be very different from here on out. Gone were the days sitting in my garden and watching the clouds drift by, listening to the chirping of the birds in the trees and making daisy chains out of the lush green grass. All of that was gone, left behind in a past that already seemed mere memory. Instead, I looked around at the buildings beside me and had to crane my head and cover my eyes to even attempt to see the top of them. Lyrics from a song came to me and I shook my head sadly,

“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.”

My dreams would not come true here. I was a country girl; I was at home in the outside, in the fresh air. No weather would ever hinder me, I was as happy in the rain or the snow as I was in the sunshine. Since a young child I had always been able to appreciate the beautiful things in life, the delicate flutter of a butterfly’s wings, the intricate workings of a spider’s web; my dad had always told me that you could take the girl out of the country but you could never take the country out of me. That was before we’d moved here of course, dragged half way across the world for a new start. He’d told me that I would soon fit in; I would learn in time that the city is just as beautiful. But what beauty was there to appreciate here? New York wasn’t the place for me, no matter what Alicia Keys said.

 

The bus stop was crowded with commuters, the endless shrilling of ringtones filled the air as they all informed their offices that the bus was once again late and could they move back their appointment with Mr Smith as they were going to be unable to make it. I held my bag tightly across my shoulder as I was shoved relentlessly through the oncoming crowd from all directions. I tried to stutter my apologies as I trod on someone’s toe but I was greeted with a blank look. I didn’t dare to take my phone out of my bag so I just stood there, not making eye contact with anyone and hoping that the bus would arrive soon. I thankfully had a couple of weeks until school began so dad had suggested that while he was at work I should look at the area and get to know my new home. My protests fell upon deaf ears, all he did was leave me a note each morning with a list of tourist sites that he’d heard were the places to go and a stash of money. I didn’t want to take his guilt money but how else was I supposed to get around? So each day I reluctantly packed my bag with a map, the list and my purse. That was how I found myself at the bus stop on my third day in New York, miserable of waiting. I’d already exhausted 5^th Avenue and Times Square on my first two days and was unimpressed by the hustle and bustle, the suffocating fumes of the never ending traffic and the constant noise. I missed the quietness and stillness of the countryside, being able to walk down a lane and only being able to hear the sound of your footsteps on the gravel or the occasional hello from a friendly neighbour. No one said hello here. I was all alone in the city and I hated every second of it.

 

My dad had promised me that the move from England to New York would be the best thing for us. I knew that he was wrong but what choice did I have? I was a fifteen year old girl, wise beyond my years but still not old enough to take care of myself, even if I could take off alone where would I go? All I could do was pray that dad hated the city as much as I did and we’d be back before we knew it. Saying goodbye to my best friend was the hardest, we’d been inseparable since we were young and rarely a day went by that we didn’t spend together. My dad had always teased me about Aaron but I knew that he was like a brother to me, best friends is all we’d ever be. But I’d never get the chance to know now; my dad had taken away my entire life and my choices with it. Aaron promised me he’d visit as often as he could but I knew that he was lying, I’d known him too long. I hadn’t heard from him once since I’d landed in New York and the loss of his comfort and friendship left an ache in my heart that was too great to ignore. I knew that it would be harder as soon as school started, I would be instantly the outsider with my accent and strange dress sense and who knew if I’d ever fit in. I shook my head to shake my dark thoughts and looked up in time to see the bus come round the corner, already packed but somehow always managing to squeeze more on. I put on a smile and joined the queue.

 

Top of today’s list was Central Park Zoo and I’d be lying if I wasn’t excited, even though I’d told my dad that I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than go. But the thought of seeing animals, no matter what kind, made me feel happier than I had been in days. I paid for my entrance fee and rushed through the gates, not sure which way to go. I heard the faint roaring of thunder in the air and I prayed that the rain would hold off until I was finished, nothing was going to ruin this day. At home I’d helped out on the farm every Saturday, helping Aaron and his dad look after the sheep and occasionally being allowed to help with the birthing season in the spring. I pulled open the map that I’d been given with my admission ticket and frantically scanned the page; my spirits lifting dramatically when I saw that there were polar bears! I practically ran down the path, almost bumping into a large group of tourists with cameras round their necks and all holding large maps. But instead of saying sorry, I just laughed and carried on running through the crowds, darting under the arm of a man holding the door open and into the polar bear enclosure. I wish I hadn’t. I stood frozen unable to process what I was looking at. I knew that the whole point of a zoo was to keep the animals enclosed but this was something else. I shook my head in disbelief, this was supposed to be Central Park Zoo, one of the world’s most renowned. So how was it that the beautiful creature before me was in an area no bigger than my apartment, the glass was dirty and the water looked like it had come straight from a sewer. I could feel the hot tears threatening to escape my eyes and I whirled round and fled back out of the enclosure and into the now pouring rain. I didn’t hesitate until I was clear of the gates and my sides were starting to ache. The rain added to the already grey dullness that surrounded me and I wished more than ever that I could be at home, where even in the rain you could still see green and the smell of rainwater was something to be enjoyed not hated. I splashed miserably back through the park, my spirits thoroughly disheartened and the ache for Aaron and home pounded in my heart.

 

“Excuse me?”

I turned around slowly; the rain had soaked me through and mixed with the tears running down my face. Through the downpour I could see a boy running towards me and I hesitated, had he been calling to me? He stopped in front of me and held his hands to his side; he was panting but still grinning at me. I smiled uncertainly.

“Is this yours?”

It was only then that I saw that he was carrying my purse in his hand. In my hurry to escape the zoo it must have flown out of my bag.

“Yes! Thank you so much, where did you find it?” My smile was not forced anymore, I was genuinely relieved that he had returned it to me, for I knew that if anyone else had picked it up then it would have been lost forever. He handed me my purse and I opened it up, the picture of my mum smiling through the plastic the same as it had been for years. I closed the purse to stop it from getting wet and safely returned it to my bag before turning back to the unknown boy and holding out my hand.

“Hi, I’m Georgia; it’s nice to meet you.” I was stunned when he looked at my hand, laughed loudly and then drew me to him in a tight hug. I wasn’t sure how to respond; here I was in the middle of Central Park being embraced by a total stranger.

“You English are always so polite,” he laughed at me as he let go. “I’m Matt. Fancy going for a hot chocolate? It’s soaking out here and I did just save the life of your purse so I believe you owe me.” Matt winked at me before heading back towards the zoo, his hands shoved in his pockets. I hesitated for a second before running after him; all my bad thoughts were washed away with the rain.

 

“Hang on, say that again? You HATE New York?”

“Yes, I just want to go home. I don’t understand how anyone can stand living here, no one says hello or thank you or sorry. I was on the subway yesterday from Times Square and every single person had headphones in or was on their phone. What happened to communication? No wonder the world is falling apart, there’s no compassion or human abilities for those who live in the cities.”

“So you’ve been here three days and you’ve already judged us all?”

I opened my mouth to argue but realised he was right. He grinned at me and ruffled his hair, the last of the rain escaping.

“I just don’t understand how everyone goes on about how beautiful the city is, when all I see is buildings and dirtiness and all I hear is cars and people on the phone. I come from the most beautiful place; I wish you could see it.”

Matt looked at me for a second, his eyes unblinking and I found myself blushing at the intensity of his gaze. He stood up and held out his hand, this time I didn’t hesitate when I took it and stoop up next to him.

“I’ll show you beautiful, come with me.”

 

“Can you please uncover my eyes now?” I tried to tug his hands away but they were held fast. It had fallen dark and the rain had thankfully stopped by the time Matt had dragged me back out into Central Park and I blindly followed him, my fear of the city at night was somehow insignificant in his presence. I was lost as always so didn’t recognise the building when we finally arrived, but I did notice that we were the youngest by a long shot. He assured me that his uncle worked here before leading me up a back set of stairs that must lead up through the building. It was at the top, before he opened the door that he covered my eyes with his hands.

“It’s a surprise,” he whispered softly in my ear. I somehow trusted him completely and followed him where he guided me. Without any sound or warning he removed his hands and I gasped. Through the window was the entire city sprawled out in front of me, lit up in all of its famous grandeur.

“Welcome to the Rainbow Room, most people would take you to the Empire State Building but the tourist queues are awful. My uncle is the manager here and knows that I like to sneak up every now and then before it gets busy to enjoy the view.” His eyes never left mine the entire time he spoke and this time it was my hand that reached out for his. My head found his shoulder and together we looked out onto the vast, sprawling city. It really was beautiful like he promised. New York may not be what I was used to, and it certainly wasn’t home, but I could get used to it.

 

Yes Alicia Keys, you were right.

“These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let’s hear it for New York.”

Reviews

[zainul]

Reading the whole piece with patience offered me immense pleasure.
The standard English without a single slang impressed me.
It's a wonderful write.
Congratulations,EmilyMay91!!!

[EmilyMay91]

Thank you very much! I'm glad that you enjoyed :)

[zainul]

You are most welcome,lovely writer :)