Continue The Legacy

Ashleigh, a petite and pretty, twenty-something-year-old blonde with shiny, blue eyes, was homeless. She held up the door jam at Store 24, where she panhandled, begging those, who passed her by, for spare change and cigarettes. Jenna, nearly twenty years her senior, started out giving her loose change that quickly escalated to a few dollars, then a ten replaced a five dollar bill and, now twenty dollars was her normal daily donation, before Ashleigh confided in Jenna that she was pregnant.

Certainly, Jenna could afford to give Ashleigh twenty dollars a day, even more, had it not been for the fear of ruining their friendship. Certainly, she didn't want Ashleigh to know that she was wealthy, but she suspected that she knew, anyway. Anyone and everyone was wealthy compared to poor, little Ashleigh.

Yet, even though Ashleigh had nothing, not even a roof over her head, Jenna recognized that Ashleigh had false pride, much like she had when she was a woman her age. She knew that if she came on too strong, Ashleigh would either resist her financial friendship, and/or disappear finding another street corner to haunt, or would play her by accepting whatever charity she could get from her, thereby trading her offers of friendship for money and ending their symbiotic relationship of friendship and trust. Either way was not an appealing alternative to blossoming the emerging new friendship that Jenna so looked forward to having with the young woman. She decided to take it slow, until Ashleigh bonded more with her emotionally and needed her, as much as Jenna needed her friendship, and as much as Ashleigh depended on her financially.

"This is the last day I'll be seeing you," Ashleigh said with a smile to Jenna with mixed emotions of sadness and happiness.

She was so pretty when she smiled. Jenna imagined how much prettier she'd be with some tender loving care, a warm bath, her hair done, makeup, and some clean clothes.

"Why, Dear?"

She expected the worst figuring that the girl had been arrested and was heading off to jail for loitering, panhandling, pandering, prostitution or worse. Immediately, she thought that she'd telephone her lawyer and give Ashleigh whatever legal help she needed. With her money, power, and influence, Ashleigh wouldn't spend more than an hour in a jail cell.

Suddenly and selfishly, Jenna felt lonely that her friend was abandoning her and her door jam at Store 24. Emptiness consumed her like hunger with the thought that she wouldn't have Ashleigh there at the end of her walk to occupy a few minutes of her time with some light conversation. Jenna so looked forward to seeing her every day and had hoped that their friendship would blossom and lead to more than just a few minutes of dialogue. Presently, Ashleigh was her only contact with humanity and without her there, she felt that she'd fade away into herself becoming even more reclusive. Jenna looked at the woman, while waiting for her to explain. She was so frightfully thin, looking as if she had not eaten in a week.

"I'm getting back with my man," she said with a contagious smile that enveloped Jenna making her happy to see her continue with a better life, hopefully.

"That's nice, dear," said Jenna suddenly saddened by the realization that she may never see this girl again, a fixture at this street corner for so many months.

"I want you to know," she delayed Jenna's escape by touching her arm. "That I didn't use any of the money you gave me to buy drugs." She wiped her nose with her sleeve and Jenna handed her a clean tissue from her pocket. "Thanks," she said blowing her nose hard and loud. "I've been clean and sober for more than three months, now." She gently hugged her stomach with her hands, "Since the doctor at the clinic told me the good news. And I stopped smoking and drinking, too, to protect my baby."

"That's wonderful, dear." Jenna opened her purse, pulled out a one hundred dollar bill, and placed it in her hand.

"Thank you," she said accepting Jenna's charity.

Then, when she looked down at the money and saw that it was a hundred dollars, she threw her arms around Jenna's neck, hugged her, and kissed her on the cheek. The pedestrians who pass by looked at this homeless girl hugging this woman of obvious wealth and position with horror. Maybe they figured she was her mother or aunt. Who knows what they thought? Certainly, they'd never suspect Jenna of being a recruiter and wanting and needing to recruit another young woman to continue the legacy that was established by Ruth and now passed on to her to continue. Only, now that Ashleigh was getting back with her man and pregnant with child, she'd wouldn't be a good candidate for the continuation of Ruth and Jenna's legacy.

"You're welcome, Dear," said Jenna returning her hug and feeling nothing, but Ashleigh's bones and another loss of someone taken prematurely from her life.

"Thank you," she said again and breaking off her hug. "I've been saving the money," she looked around as if she didn't want anyone to hear her secret, "for my baby." She looked at Jenna and smiled. "I'm pregnant and, you know what, it's a girl."

Deducing that she was pregnant by the information of her sudden doctor's visit, what she said about having stopped smoking and drinking to protect her baby, and noticing the obvious bulge beneath her clothes, Jenna already deduced that she was pregnant and she smiled at Ashleigh's innocence, as well as her good news.

"I'm so happy for you, Ashleigh."

"And you know what else," said Ashleigh smiling again, beaming actually, while looking down and running a slow hand over her stomach, before looking up and making eye contact with Jenna. "I'm going to name her Jenna, after you."

"Oh, how delightful," said Jenna smiling at Ashleigh.

She lost her smile suddenly when, upon closer inspection, she looked down at the girl and noticed the disarray of her clothes and the condition of her person. Jenna knew that Ashleigh and her baby were not getting the proper nutrition or medical care that she needed for her to have a healthy child.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"No, not, yet, but we're working with an agency to help us."

"And where is your young man, now?" Jenna looked over her shoulder thinking he may be with her. "Is he nearby?"

"Bobby? His name is Bobby," she said with a smile that showed that she was in love. "He's at the shelter taking a shower. I gave him some money to buy new clothes, a suit and a tie, so that he could get a job." She smiled a smile that made Jena smile. "He has a job interview today."

"Wonderful," said Jenna. She hoped what she said was true and that he didn't just take her money to buy drugs.

"I just know he'll get this job." Ashleigh looked so determinedly hopeful. "I just know it." She nodded her head, as if that would reinforce her belief and convince her that everything would be okay. "Things are finally turning around for us." She touched Jenna's hand and squeezed it with her dirty, little hand. "I'm so happy."

"Well, I hope things work out for you, Dear. Good luck with your baby," she said turning to leave.

Jenna noticed the looks of the people, who passed by them, circumventing Ashleigh in their haste to move away from her and to make their escape without touching her. Ashleigh, either oblivious or accustomed to their looks of disgust and distain, concentrated her attention on Jenna.

"Thank you for your kindness," she said letting go of Jenna's hand. "Good-bye," she waved after her, as Jenna turned the corner.

Weeks passed without Jenna seeing Ashleigh. Although, she was happy that her man, Bobby, obviously had, finally, found employment and they, apparently, had found housing, she missed the simple pleasure of chatting with her street urchin of a friend. Besides, she was beginning to have feelings for her and was beginning to imagine her life with Ashleigh playing an important role, as the next potential candidate to continue the legacy.

Ashleigh reminded her so much of herself, when she was a young woman her age. If nothing else, Ashleigh gave her reason to get up and go out for a walk and to keep her in touch with reality. Now, without her daily conversations with Ashleigh, Jenna could go days and weeks without human contact with anyone, other than the doorman, the waiter, the concierge, and the manager at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Nonetheless, she was happy that her friend was getting her life back together. She probably should have given her e-mail address, so that Ashleigh could have sent her a note with photos of the baby and of her new apartment. Unfortunately, despite being happy for her good news, she was saddened by the news of losing her friend and she didn't think of giving her e-mail address to her at the time.

Today, a new day with the grey skies of winter giving way to the blue skies of spring, Jenna had a bounce to her step. The sunshine felt good on her face and warmed more than her person, it warmed her mood. She was immensely enjoying her walk to the library with sidewalks that were finally free of ice and snow and was in good spirits, that is, until she saw Ashleigh standing at her familiar spot panhandling. Happy to see her but saddened by the sight of her, it was a bittersweet sighting. At first, she was excitedly happy to see her young friend, until she walked closer.

"Ashleigh..." Ashleigh's worse than usual appearance cut Jenna's question short. She was going to ask her what she was doing back but changed her question to, "...what happened to you?"

Ashleigh avoided Jenna's direct eye contact. She had a black-eye, a mouse on her cheek, and a bandage dirtied with dried blood on her forehead and on her right hand.

"Bobby didn't get the job," she sniffed. She wiggle wiped her nose with the back of her dirty hand and sniffed again, only harder this time. She looked cold and sickly. The dried blood that caked beneath her nose held back the mucous like a dam. "He took my money. All of it," she said with a nervous shiver and darting eyes. Jenna wondered if she was high on drugs.

"You poor dear," said Jenna touching her arm.

As soon as Jenna touched her, Ashleigh started crying and covered her grimy face with her dirty hands. Jenna stepped forward and hugged her. She was a mess. Yet, as soon as Jenna hugged her, she felt Ashleigh's tough veneer crumble. Suddenly, she turned into a young, frightened little girl that she always was beneath her brave facade, instead of a do-whatever-you-must-to-survive homeless woman.

"I told him that I needed the money for the baby, but he laughed and said, what baby? That was when he beat me and pushed me down the stairs and left me there to die." She took a step forward and sobbed in Jenna's jacket. Jenna put her chin on her head and hugged her, while pedestrians on the sidewalk circumvented them, as if they were navigating to enter an express toll booth on either side of them.

"There, there, now, Ashleigh. Everything will be alright."

"No, it won't," she said looking up at Jenna with a face full of hurt and disappointment. "I woke up in the hospital and when they kept giving me drugs for my pain, I ran out of there. I had enough of drugs ruining everything and destroying my life. No drugs, no more drugs for me. I'm done with drugs." She stepped back and held her face in her dirty hands and shaking and sobbing spoke through her tears. "I lost my baby. My baby...she's gone. Little baby Jenna is dead."

Beyond despair, Ashleigh looked up at Jenna with a look of hopelessness. As if looking at herself in a mirror, Jenna recognized the look. It was a sadly familiar look that Jenna had seen before on the faces of too many women, including her own. Now, to see the same look on Ashleigh's face, the look broke Jenna's heart. The look pushed her to take action, something that she had the means, influence, and power to do.

Much in the way of a fairy Godmother, Jenna could change Ashleigh's life forever with a wave of her hand. Only, would Ashleigh accept her help or reject it and her? It was the same scenario that Jenna faced when Ruth proposed her plan to Jenna so many years before. Able to see both sides of it now, Jenna wondered what Ashleigh would do.

She felt the color drain from her face, replaced with renewed rage for men who beat women. Now, she had even more determined conviction to help the women that these angry men took out their frustrations by beating them. She saw so many victims; every year she gave of herself and her money to women's shelters, and, every year, there were more women requiring food, shelter, jobs, training, and needing protective care from the men they did nothing to but love.

Ashleigh, to her, was her special case and Jenna couldn't bring herself to drop her off at a shelter, abandon her, and leave her there alone to eventually return to the streets. Even in her unkempt condition, it was obvious that she was an attractive woman and was a potential victim for rape or worse. More than that though, seeing her again, after such a long absence, it was obvious that she loved her. She loved Ashleigh and because of that, she was determined to help her.

Besides, many of the shelters weren't safe. Although, they were staffed by paid employees and volunteers, many of the women who used the shelters were criminals, tough prostitutes, drug users, and crazies. Even though Ashleigh confessed her drug use, Jenna could tell she wasn't like the others. She had been around enough of them to recognize the good ones from the bad ones and it was obvious to her that Ashleigh only needed a bit of loving care that Jenna could give her to turn her life around. Residents virtually had to have eyes in the back of their heads before closing your eyes for the night in a shelter to survive. Another woman would steal anything you had of value or murder you, while you slept.

"I haven't had lunch, yet..." she said putting her arm around Ashleigh and brushing a strand of greasy hair from her face, along with a tear. Ashleigh's tears streaked the accumulated dirt making her face appear older and tracking it with thick, black dirty trails that resembled age lines. She put a finger beneath her chin lifting it up to look into her tear-filled, blue eyes, "...and I'm famished." She smiled at her with the delicious thought of her next suggestion. "Would you join me for lunch?"

"Me? Have lunch with you?" Happiness replaced sadness when Ashleigh looked down at herself. She wiped her tears from her face with both her dirty hands and suddenly reddened with embarrassment. "Nah, look at me. I'm a mess," she said looking back up at Jenna. "I smell," she said. She rubbed the back of her dirty hand at her nose and snuffed back her snots. "They always throw me out of eating joints when I walk in asking to use the lady's room." She looked down at herself, again. "They'd never want me to actually sit down and eat a meal."

"I can assure you that the place where we'll lunch will not deny you service," said Jenna with her head held haughtily high.

"Sure," she smiled. "Okay, I haven't eaten, yet, today or yesterday, I think." She smiled, again. "I could eat something." She leaned into Jenna and whispered. "And I have to pee like a racehorse."

Jenna laughed at Ashleigh's simplicity and together, they walked the length of Newbury Street. Those who walked towards them and behind them quickened their step to avoid contact with Ashleigh by walking to the other side of Jenna and, as they passed, they turned to stare. Enjoying the attention and feeling like she was playing the celebrity being in the company of her diamond in the rough with Ashleigh on her arm, Jenna, full of compassion and love, ignored their stares of horror.

When they reached the end of Newbury Street, Jenna turned to her left and motioned for Ashleigh to follow.

"This way, Dear," she said, as the doorman held open the door for her.

"I can't go in there," she said in a hoarse whisper, while taking a step back.

"Why not, Dear?

"This is the Ritz." Ashleigh took another step back, looked up at the splendor of the building, and gave Jenna a panicked look. Jenna stepped towards her, took her beneath her arm, and pulled her forward.

"I can assure you the food here is very good."

"No, it's not the food," she said looking down at her torn jacket, stained blouse, soiled pants, and dirty shoes, "I'm too embarrassed to eat in their restaurant." She looked down at herself, again. "Look at me. I'm a mess." She appealed to Jenna with a frightened look. "I'm so...dirty," she said disappearing within her rags, while running a hand through her wild, matted hair.

"Nonsense," said Jenna pulling her forward purposefully. "We'll get a room, a suite, and order room service, so that you won't have to mingle with the other guests." She smiled at her homeless friend, "No one will see you. I can assure you of that, that is, until we're ready to be seen and ready to be noticed."

Reluctantly, Ashleigh followed Jenna inside the posh hotel. Once inside, Jenna approached the front desk with Ashleigh tagging behind.

"Yes, Madam," said the front desk clerk to Jenna, while eying Ashleigh with a stare that could have chilled a red hot charcoal briquette. "How may I help you?"

"I'd like a room, a suite if you have one available."

He looked at Ashleigh again, who tried her best to disappear in the background by standing behind Jenna, before redirecting his attention to Jenna.

"I'm sorry, Madam, but we are full," he said with a thin smile and raising his chin victoriously. "We have no rooms available," he said looking at Ashleigh again, who turned away ready to flee. "Shall I reserve a room for you at another hotel?" He picked up the telephone, ready to make the call for her.

"I see," she said feeling the sudden chill of his stare and chilling him with hers, "a room at another hotel will not do and won't be necessary." She smiled, "And what is your name?"

"Paolo, Madam, at your service," she imagined him bowing his head and clicking his heels.

"May I see the manager, Paolo?" Jenna reached out took Ashleigh's hand, squeezed it, and pulled her to her side.

"Of course, Madam, one moment, please."

The clerk disappeared around back and reappeared with the manager.

Jenna couldn't quite hear the clerk whisper his fears to the manager, but she was certain of the outcome. The clerk reappeared with the manager and as soon as the manager rounded the corner, he recognized his guest.

"Ms. Charles, how nice to see you, again," said the manager stepping out from behind the desk to greet her. Shaking hands with Jenna, he gave Ashleigh an inappropriate look. "Is there a problem?" He gave her another stern stare. "Should I summon the police?"

"Heavens no, of course not, Michael. This is my guest. I want a room, a suite, if you have one available, for my friend and me." Her mouth ran away with her thoughts, as she smiled her delicious smile. "Ashleigh is my new special project." She turned to Ashleigh, "Ashleigh, this is Michael, the manager of the hotel. His job is to make us happy." She turned to him, "Isn't that right, Michael? Isn't that your job?" She smiled, "To make us happy?"

"Yes, of course," he said with a forced smile to Jenna looking from her to Ashleigh and back again, "however I can be of service to you, Ms. Charles and your special guest. I'm delighted to make you happy. That's my job." He smiled to Ashleigh and said, "My pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ashleigh."

He looked at Jenna again and she held her ground returning his stare.

"You want a suite. Wouldn't you be more comfortable with a room in back?"

"A room overlooking the alleyway? No, that will never do, Michael. I want a corner suite overlooking Newbury Street, the Public Garden, and the Boston Common, something higher up. I never tire of that view."