Robert's Mirror, Chapter 11, by J.M. Stevenson, www.jeannesbottle.com

Daisy Broady stood with the background of the tall corn field extending as a backdrop. A large microphone within a square plate reading 22 was held loosely within her grip. It was early afternoon when the news 22 live cam began to broadcast the story of the missing two year old who officials believed wandered off within the thick of the vegetation.

Eloise Ivanyo had just finished grilling a cheese sandwich and slicing pickles to fill the void on her plate. Missy's perfume bottle was carefully placed along the ledge of the window allowing her the choice of peering outside or watching the lineup of afternoon soap operas on the television.

Eloise balanced her lunch tray as she shuffled into the living room. Her gaze was on the food shifting as she swayed. Eloise was starving since the day was Tuesday, her official day to trim along the fence in her yard. She had worked herself until exhaustion. Not paying attention to the television blaring from the corner of the room, she backtracked to retrieve a fresh cup of black coffee.

"What's this interrupting my show?" Eloise spat with annoyance.

"A missing child." Melissa responded.

The camera panned from Daisy Broady to the hind end of Caitlin Ivanyo's dilapidated home. Daisy's face suddenly filled the entire screen in a close up as she continued putting into words, her take of the situation.

"The child, Faith Ivanyo who was last seen in her living room this morning at seven a.m., was reportedly wearing only a diaper. It is believed that she somehow wandered into the fields behind her home in search of a neighbor's dog and her brother Richard."

"Over one hundred volunteers are currently searching the infinite expanse of farm field by ground. A police helicopter has been circling above without so much of a trace of the missing child."

"Police Chief Rex Blankenship compared finding the tiny child to looking for a needle in a haystack."

The image on the screen shifted to the chief. The man's eyes appeared oversized through the thick magnification of his glasses. His face was round, similar to a fleshy marshmallow.

"Our canine unit has been brought in, but the problem we face is that the child is very tiny and difficult to see. The girl could be just about anywhere."

A photograph appeared on the screen as Eloise Ivanyo shoved her tray onto the coffee table. The toddler was smiling, an innocent grin lined her small toothed mouth. A birthday hat was positioned crooked on top of her head and tufts of hair scattered in all directions. The only way a person could not be effected by the image is if their heart was made of ice.

"Oh my!" Eloise said as tears welled up in her eyes. "That poor baby girl!"

The camera panned as Daisy Broady hurried to the side of the house where a young woman stood. There was an air of snootiness as she plastered a fake smile for the camera.

"This is Dora Smith, a former classmate of Caitlin Ivanyo, the child's mother. What can you tell us about the situation?"

"Caitlin and I attended high school together. Even back then, she was never very responsible. This doesn't surprise me, not one bit....everyone on this side of town could see how her kids were left running wild all over the place. I think they were expected to somehow raise themselves."

Eloise stood and gazed out her front picture window. Her hand trembled as she clicked the remote and the television responded with silence. Missy could sense an inner turmoil.

"You are heading over there?" Missy questioned.

Eloise gazed at the genie within the bottle of cheap perfume. Her expression reflected a mixture of worry and stubbornness.

"If Caitlin needed me, she would've called. I haven't exactly heard the phone ringing off it's hook, now have you?"

"That's your daughter for cryin' out loud! Your baby granddaughter is out there wandering around heaven knows where.... How can you not rush over to help?" Melissa wondered out loud.

"There's too much from the past to forget. I've written Caitlin and her children off a long time ago. Nothing has changed just because of what we saw on that tv over there."
"You're being ridiculous! Just drive us over... maybe that's the child I'm here to save." Melissa pleaded.

"Save, how exactly are you going to do that? Spray fragrance so that the volunteers have something pleasant to smell?"

"Listen, remember when I mentioned my specialty is kids? You've got to take me over there! Please... What's it going to hurt?"

Eloise rolled her eyes as she hurried into her bedroom and closed the door.

"ELOISE!" Missy screamed surprised that she could turn her back on a family that needed her.

Ten minutes later, Eloise slid from her room. She had changed her clothes and was now sporting a dressier summer outfit. Shaking her head she hurried to the window's ledge and pulled the bottle into her grasp.

"I know I'll live to regret this." She warned as they rushed away.

Oak Street was completely blocked off forcing Eloise to park further down the main road. Leaving the car parked between two driveways, Eloise carried perfume within her left grip, her purse in her right.

"What am I doing here?" She asked in dismay.

People were scurrying about in every direction and the neighborhood reflected total chaos. Missy could sense a certain amount of nervousness radiating from Eloise as they neared Caitlin's home.

At one point, the grandmother nearly turned around, but Melissa mentioned that Faith was more important than some grudge she was holding towards her daughter.

A police officer stood outside the door to the square home, his eyes scanned Eloise with an attitude of authority.

"Is my daughter inside?" Eloise asked.

The officer nodded as Eloise stepped past and into the shabby home. There was a unshaven man sitting upright on the sofa and a police officer questioning him regarding the child's disappearance. Sobbing was audible from the adjoining room and Eloise followed the grief.

In the kitchen, Caitlin was perched by the window gazing out to the corn field above Richie's shoulder. Richie too was crying and the scene was incredibly moving, mother and son in a desperate embrace sharing a mutual support.

Caitlin gazed up and her expression reflected surprise.

"Mother!" She said rushing over and pulling her mom into a warm hug. At first Eloise was hesitant to reciprocate, but then the stubbornness within her lifted.

"Grandma?" Richie asked hurrying to join in the reunion.

Caitlin pulled away, then paced back to the window to peer outside. Her twenty six year old face had aged beyond her years in just a few short hours. "They don't know where she is mom, my baby could be anywhere. We think she headed into the field, but we're not one hundred percent certain. To think someone could've taken her! Good Lord, I don't know what I'll do if I'm never able to see my baby again." Caitlin muttered with a hysterical tone.

"Now you listen to me Caitlin Marie, they'll find your baby! You've got the whole town looking for her. Nobody's giving up and neither should you."

Caitlin gazed at her mother then nodded as if what she verbalized had dented an impression.

In a sudden burst, Pete entered the kitchen, his eyes scanned Eloise with curiosity.

"Who's the old broad?" He asked lacking all tact.

Caitlin narrowed her eyes at him as he swung to the refrigerator and pulled a beer from the shelf. He clicked the top and a spray pelted the wall.

"That's my mother." Caitlin snapped with contempt.

"Ah." Pete said swinging the beer to his needy lips.

"I didn't know ya had a mother." Pete said shuffling back to the living room.

Eloise gazed at her daughter then shook her head in an obvious attempt not to voice her disappointment.

"Pete was supposed to be watching the kids while I was working the breakfast shift at The Food Depot." Caitlin whispered.

"Well he sure did a bang up job now didn't he?" Eloise muttered, her face shading with anger.

Instead of Caitlin fighting with her mother, she simply nodded. Her gaze trailed back to the field, back to the crowds of people searching for her child regardless of such impossible odds.