Dana Couch
Hour: 6
11/18/14

“Tomorrow, I'm going to Wall Street,” I boasted to Morris, my lunch partner for school. He was chewing on a sloppy tuna sandwich.
“Cool,” he said, with food still in his mouth. “My dad works there, does yours?” he questioned. I knew what to say, my dad is a bricklayer in New York City. We only have enough money to get along because my uncle works on Wall Street and he helps out our family.
“Yeah, why else would I be going?” I say slyly.
“Oh, what does he do?” he asked. My mind went blank; I should have told the truth. “It's okay, I don't know what my dad does either,” he smiles, with bread plastering his teeth. I turn away and don’t speak to him for the rest of the day.
In Preparation
The real story for this trip to Wall Street was to meet my aunt and uncle where my uncle works, and then our aunt would take us to lunch and early birthday shopping. Our aunt loves spoiling us and our siblings, as she has no children of her own. My sister and I, Laverne, have around the same birth date, but I am eight years younger. Laverne is the eldest. As you can tell we have a big age gap, but we still love spending time together.
Before we left, Laverne told me to ask mother for spare change, just in case. She told me not to take any more than fifty cents, more than enough to get us both hotdogs and drinks, she reminded me not to be greedy. I ran into the house and found father first.
“Dad, do you have any spare change for me and Laverne?” I asked.
“Sure do, honey pie!” He dug into his pocket and handed me four quarters. My eyes swung up to his face and he smiled, “It’s your birthdays isn’t it?” he laughed at his own words. I shook my head, gave him a hug, and ran back out to Laverne.
“Did you get fifty cents?” She asked.
“Of course,” I said.
“Only fifty cents?” she persisted.
“Mhm,” I replied, I handed her two of the quarters, and when she wasn't looking, put the other two in a tiny coat pocket. I walked slowly to make sure they didn't jingle.
Welcome to Wall Street!
When we arrived on Wall Street, it was all coat tails and brief cases. At last we met our aunt and we were on our way out of the US Assay Office when she announced, “I forgot my coat!” and dashed back into the building.
“I suppose we should just wait here,” Laverne says. I take this opportunity to soak up the site. Tall buildings surrounded us; compared to them we were ants. Wide streets filled with working men. Automobiles parked off to the sides. Just then, a horse and buggy pulled up next to us.
A man got off the cart when I asked, “May I please pet your horse, sir?” Laverne was at my side immediately, apologizing to him.
  But, instead of talking to Laverne, he looked at me and said, “Of course.” His voice was different sounding. I walked towards the horse and gently ran my fingers along its coat.
Aunt Carol dashed back out of the office and yelled, “Okay girls, let’s get this show on the road!” I hugged the stead and walked over to my relatives. From there, we made it to the end of the road...

Kaboom!
A blast filled the air as well as ear piercing screams. I fall to the ground, Laverne's weight crushing my legs. My ears buzzed and the earlier screams turned into wails and moans. I sat up, my head spinning. Tears fell down my face. The spot of destruction was where we were standing minutes before. The cart was no longer there and the horse was a heap on the ground, my tears turned into sobs. I gently move Laverne off of me as I head for the silent creature. I quickly notice my mistake, bodies litter the ground. I find my balance against a towering building. Shattered pieces of concrete are on the ground around me. There are holes all over the wall as big as my hand. And then I noticed the metal...
I started screaming, “Laverne! Laverne!” I am remembering her wounds; she didn't wake up when I moved her, why didn't she wake up?
My aunts voice reached me, “Opal, come here sweetie. Where are you honey? Opal?” I walked to her, making sure I didn't catch a glimpse of Laverne. The thought set my cries louder again.
“Is she okay?” I choked out. “Is Laverne okay?”
“She'll be okay, but we need help. Honey, I can't walk but I'm going to need your help. Can you find someone? Maybe a doctor?” she was repeating her words like a broken record.
I walked around to by-standers, “Is anyone a doctor... does and one know a doc-”
“I'm a doctor!” A man rushed out of the crowd. I immediately recognized him as the guy with the horse.
“Hey! Yo-” a look from his eyes shunned me to silence. I led him to where my Aunt and Laverne lay. He grimaced at them, mostly Laverne. After tying some ripped cloth around aunt carols leg and I didn't watch to see what he did to Laverne.
“I'm so sorry, der is noding else I can do, we need dem to ah hospital.” I looked around. How in the world are we supposed to get to a hospital?
The man pointed out an officer. I could tell he was scared of him. I thanked the man for his help but only a worried look played across his face. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I turned to the officer again and when I turned back the man was gone. When I got to the officer I asked if he could give me, Laverne, and Aunt Carol a ride to the hospital.
He replied, “I'm headed there now so hurry it up.”
“No, you don't understand. My Aunt can't walk and my sister... isn't awake.” I said.
“Alright, where are they?” he asked.
“Right over on that street corner,” I pointed out to him.
“Little lady, you go over there and I'll pick you up. You are lucky that you're on that corner or I wouldn't be able to get to you.”
Off to the Hospital
The ride in the automobile was very uncomfortable. I sat on Aunt Carol’s lap, while Laverne lay against us. Her dead weight pushing into my shoulder.
At the hospital Laverne went right into a room that I could not enter. My aunt went into a different room and quickly came out with a cast on her leg, sitting in a wheel chair. I was mighty tired. Just as I was dozing off, two men, dressed really fancy, came over to talk to aunty.
“Ma’am would you and coming with us to give some information on the tragic event that just happened?” The man who just spoke had shown a badge at us that said FBI.
“Well boys, I', mighty tired...” Did she just call them boys? “...maybe Opal here can help you.” she nodded her head in my direction.
“That won’t be necess-”
“I want to help!” I chirped. The man cocked his eyebrows, “Well alright little miss, follow us. Aunt Carol squeezed my hand and smiled. There was sadness in her eyes.

Scary Men, Scary Rooms
We ended up in a room with no windows. I sat down in a cushy chair and the main sat across from me.
“So, Opal is it?” he asked, I nodded.
“Do you know what happened?”
“There was a bomb,” I told him.
“Right,” he said, “Did you see where the bomb was?”
“In front of the US Office building, I don’t know where though, I didn’t see a bomb, I said, he nodded.
It seems that the bomb was in a cart, a horse was pulling it,” he said. My eyes widened. So did his. “Do you know what I’m talking about?” he asked, grabbing a pen and paper, he leaned forward.
“I pet that horse,” I said, my voice quiet.
“Did you see a man at all? With the horse?” he questioned. I felt like saying no, he helped us after all. Did he place the bomb? Did he kill the horse? Willingly? Did he hurt Laverne…?
“Yes,” I blurted. “There was a man, and he had a funny voice, but he helped us. He came back and helped us, helped us find the hospital.” The man’s face looked puzzled.
“The man with the cart helped you?”
“Yes,” I said, “he came back.”
“You said he had a funny voice, did it sound like this…?” he had a machine in his hand and it played a recorded voice.
“Yes, that’s what he sounded like, just a little different,” I remembered.
He smiled at me, “That’s what you call an Italian accent,” and rose to his feet, I followed in suit. “Thank you so much Opal, you’ve been a big help!” he stuck out his hand and gave mine a shake. And in that moment I was very happy I told the truth.
Laverne
I felt the weight on my shoulders heavy as I realized the lies I have told in the past twenty four hours. I began to run through the halls, nurses glared, but I needed to reach Laverne. Aunt Carol gazed up in worry
“I need to see Laverne!” I gasped.
“Honey, I don’t know that you can…” she replied. The doors of Laverne’s room opened, the doctors walked out, I looked away, and Laverne’s blood clung to them.
“You can go in,” a soft voice said. I walked straight in. Laverne was o n a bed with tubes going in her mouth and wrists.
“Lav, Lavy,” I whispered. I twirled her hair around my fingers when her eyes fluttered open. “Lav! Hey, I took four quarters instead of only fifty cents, I’m so sorry I lied to you,” tears wear falling.
I handed her the two quarters, she smiled and laughed painfully, “It’s okay Opal, it really is,” she said, and I knew she was telling the truth. I hugged her and then, that’s when the beeping started…
Where’s my happy ending?
She died later that day; I heard she was one of thirty. Her birthday was unbearable. Mine was only a little better. I got her off my mind for a while. The nights were the worst, when I had nothing else to think about. I swore to myself never to tell another lie again, because the last thing I said to Laverne was sorry. An apology for my stupidity. And I don’t know how I’m going to forgive myself.