Part II - The Young Woman

Although the wind was cool the clear blue sky and warm sun made it for a fantastic day to walk and discover Prospect Park.

Part I - The Child

After Christmass holidays, on an early Saturday, I headed to NY to visit Prospect Park. Taking the Q line discovered that for xy reazon that particular line did not stop at the Prospect Park station. So got off at the station on 55nd Street to catch the returning train. Being an avid photographer often look around for a photo op (see photo above). With only a couple people waiting for the train the station was fairly desolate but a young boy got my attention. He was standing on my left as I faced the tracks. He had a blue warm looking jacket and had a small football in his hands. Since it was after Christmass it was to be expected that he had with him one of his favorite toys. Although it surprised me that he was alone since there was no other person around him.

I continued observing the area and lovely Saturday morning and clear blue sky but when I looked over to my left the young boy was gone. Intrigued I looked around to find him seating down on one of the benches about four feet from a woman who was also seating down. My first thought was that the woman was his mother but after observing a while it was obvious the woman did not even noticed the boy was seating close to her. Having worked with youn kids I started to wonder whether the kid was homeless and was pretending that the woman was his mother. Paying a little more attention to the boy, who by this time noticed my curiosity, I noticed that although his clothes were not particularly clean they were not dirty as a homeless child would have them, however it was clear he had an eye infection that needed some attention. (Interestingly) I thought to myself if the boy lived with somebody that person did not care enough to clean up the boy's eye this particular morning. Not to may my curiosity more pronounced I looked away and continued to look around.

Shortly after I looked to my right again expecting to find the young boy. The woman was there but not the boy. With some surprised I looked around the station turning clockwise 180 degrees as to see where on the platform was the boy. But did not see him. I turned back towards the tracks and looked accross to the other side of the station, just in case the boy went to the other side but he was not there. But as I turned around one more time I found the boy right behind me.

The boy looked at me and asked me if this was the right station since he was heading north and to some other station. Not familiar with the NY subway I gratiously pulled my subway map out and confirmed that he was on the right station. He thanked me with one of the most angelical and kind voices I have heard. It made me wonder what is such a lovely boy doing alone in the NY subway.

Then the train arrived and the few passenger got on board. Regretfully I don't remember ever seeing the boy in the train. In any case, there was no reason for me to ponder since I myself have taken the wrong train and i was on the mission to visit Prospect Park.