Someone

She just lays there in the middle of the sidewalk.  It’s springtime in New York, hundreds of people rushing around her, but still no one notices.  Everyone rushes past her pretending she’s not there.  They step around her and occasionally on her.  Every day she lays there and sees the countless faces rush by.  So many familiar faces going past, but no one looks into her pleading eyes.  She just lays there.

            “Who’s that?” she hears.

            ‘Someone—someone.’ She thinks.  As smile begins to press against the back of her lips.  She doesn’t let it show, instead she waits, holding the smile off for just a moment.  She glances up to see who spoke; it’s a new unfamiliar face who’s walking alongside and old familiar face.

            “Just ignore her.  She does this every day.” The old face replies.  The smile stops pressing against her lips.  It never had the chance to show through.

            The new and old face walk on by.  She just lays there.

            All alone she lays there.  The crowd of people starts to die down as it gets darker.  ‘Someone—anyone.’ She thinks.  More faces pass without even a glance, feet shuffle past her head.  So badly she wants to reach out and grab one; just to make someone notice.  The people walk on past.  She lays there.

            It’s dark and hardly anyone is passing by anymore, still she lays there.  “Hello?” she hears.  She looks up to see who spoke; ‘Someone—someone!’ she thinks.  It’s the new face she saw today, but the old familiar face isn’t with her this time.  She wonders who the new face is talking to and looks around to find who it is.  She sees no one else around and looks back up into the new face.  Those new eyes are looking right back into hers.  “Hello?” the new lips say, again.

            “Hi.” The word escapes her lips before she realizes it has come out.  The sound of her own voice startles her.

            “My name is Grace.” The new face says.

            “Hope.” She says in reply.  Grace smiles in return.  “You noticed me.” Hope says in disbelief.

            Grace smiles again and nods.

            “Thank you.” Hope says.

            “You’re welcome.” Grace replies and then turns around and walks away.

            Hope lay there for a moment more and then stands up.  She looks down at the place where she had lain, where she had been laying for months.  A smile began to press against the back of her lips.  She didn’t hesitate this time and let it instantly show.  It was a strange feeling, her first real smile in years.  Hope had finally been noticed.

            That was all she had ever wanted.