An Unusual Saturdayby

The Students of Wilbur CrossBridgeport, Connecticut

A special community projectIn cooperation with:

Greater Bridgeport Symphony|Bridgeport Public Schools|Yale School of Music

June 7th, 2010

Begin

Saturday morning started as usual. Crystal was sharing breakfast with the Japanese maid, Ling. By now, Crystal’s Japanese was perfect. Crystal’s mother, a cardiologist, worked all of the time. Her

father, a lawyer, spent his days in court and his nights preparing for his cases.

Even though it had been that way forever, this morning Crystal was fed up. When she was ten and ran away, her parents didn’t even notice she was gone for six hours. At sixteen, Crystal knew a lot

more about the world. She wouldn’t run to the guest house this time. Crystal was going somewhere they couldn’t find her: New York City.

Crystal packed what she needed and boarded the train to New York. She had her long brown hair in a ponytail. She was tall like her father, but her features were her mother’s. When she was upset, Crystal’s eyes looked like the sea during a storm. When she was happy, like today, her eyes were as

blue as the summer sky.

While on the train, Crystal’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Two men, who looked familiar, approached her.

What happens next?The men don’t seem to recognize Crystal

ORThe men do recognize Crystal

The men didn’t seem to recognize Crystal. They just asked if the seats next to her were

taken. “No, they’re empty,” Crystal said. They were talking about the Yankees. “Who’s pitching tonight?,” she asked. “Pettitte. Do

you like baseball?” one of them asked.

“No,” she replied, ducking her head behind her map. One guy was ordinary, except for the scar that cut one eyebrow in half.

The other guy was tall and muscular, and he had a tattoo of a heart with a date on his arm.

Crystal remembered her mom telling her about a patient she once had. He had a tattoo put on his bicep. It was a heart and the date her mom had saved him. Crystal also remembered a day last

year when she was sick and her parents couldn’t stay home. When Crystal went to work with her dad, she saw a young man who was found guilty but kept yelling, “It was the guy with half an

eyebrow!” Later Crystal’s father said that if they could prosecute the real criminal they would be famous!

“How do you know each other?,” she interrupted. “School, but we lost touch. I’m Hiro, and this is Vince,” said the big guy. “We ran into each other and found out we both had tickets,” said Vince. “I have another ticket,” he told Crystal. “Do you want it?” Hiro mumbled, “No to iu.” Why was

he saying, “Say no,” in Japanese?

What happens next?Crystal asks for the extra ticket.

ORCrystal doesn’t ask for the extra ticket.

Crystal asked for the extra baseball ticket. Vince, with the half eyebrow, smiled. Hiro, with the tattoo, wondered, “Why didn’t she listen?” Crystal planned to capture Vince to

get her father’s attention. She called her dad, but he didn’t answer.

Crystal realized that Hiro was speaking to her maid Ling on the phone. She asked if he

would come with her to get snacks.

She asked him, “Why were you calling Ling?” Hiro replied, “She’s my mother. Vince changed after his mother died in a car

accident and he survived. Every time he sees that scar, he remembers the tragedy. He

hasn’t cared about anyone or anything since.”

Crystal explained what she knew about Vince’s criminal past to Hiro. Crystal sent their location and a photo of Vince to the police. At the next stop, Vince was arrested.

Crystal’s father saw her on television. He hopped into his helicopter and called her cell phone on the way, but she didn’t answer. When he got out, he ran to Crystal.

“You found me,” she said. “I’m sorry Mom and I haven’t been there for you, Crystal. We will never let you forget how important you are to us.” “That’s all I want. Thanks, Dad.”

Crystal and her dad went back home together.

THE END

return to the beginning

Crystal decided to call her dad about the guy with the scar.

Crystal called her father, but he didn’t answer. She called the house and Ling, the maid,

answered. In Japanese, Crystal said to Ling, “The man in the Bacon case is on the train

headed to New York. He’s going to the Yankee game. Tell my dad and call the

police.”

Crystal asked Vince how much he wanted for the ticket and bought it. The tattooed man whispered to her in Japanese, “I’m an undercover cop, and it’s no accident that we found you on

the train. Vince wants the search for him and the case against him dropped.”

At that moment, Vince grabbed Crystal. He dragged her off of the train and into the subway. Hiro followed them into the subway and called for backup. When he got down the stairs, he saw

Vince force Crystal onto the subway just as the doors closed. Crystal was alone on the subway with Vince.

Realizing that she was on her own, Crystal pretended to pass out. As Vince tried to catch

her, Crystal used a karate move she learned from Ling to force him onto the floor. An older patrolman who was on his way home

from his shift saw the whole thing, recognized Vince and cuffed him.

At the next stop, the train filled with police officers. Through the crowd, Crystal saw her father. His face was full of sorrow and tears ran down his face. He pulled Crystal into a

hug. He hadn’t hugged her like that since she was a little girl. He said over and over, “I love

you. I’m so sorry. You’re my one and only daughter. I promise things will be different

from now on.”

THE END

return to the beginning

The men sat beside her and said, “Hello, Crystal. How’s your daddy?” At the next

stop, they forced Crystal off of the train into a waiting black van.

Crystal was blindfolded and paralyzed with fear.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Crystal blurted out without even realizing she was speaking Japanese. Shockingly, the tall,

muscular man replied back in Japanese, “Shhh! Quiet, before he hears you and I blow

my cover.”

“Yo, Hiro, what you doing? I knew you was a softy, man, but she’s our prisoner, ya got it? So get straight dog; we on a mission. Stick to it or you out! I don’t mean let go neither. Both y’all will

suffer!,” commanded the man with the scar, who was named Vince.

“Yeah, I got ya, just chill out dude. We don’t want damaged goods. No one is going to pay for a bruised up girl.” “No one?! Yo, man, I only got one dude in mind, and that’s daddy. I’m gonna make him pay. See, we got a score

to settle.”

“Yeah, don’t hold your breath; he probably doesn’t even know I’m gone,” cried Crystal

softly.

Both men looked back at her, but only one of them seemed to be concerned: Hiro. As Vince focused on the road and their speedy getaway,

Hiro secretly wiped a tear from Crystal’s beautiful eye. At that moment, Vince noticed

a police car speeding towards them in the rear-view mirror.

Vince slammed on the gas and bolted down the freeway.

What happens next?The police catch the van.

ORThe van gets away.

After a long high-speed chase, the van crashed into the freeway railing. Vince had planned the crash to get rid of Hiro.

Before the police could see where he went, Vince grabbed Crystal and dragged her to an abandoned warehouse where his brother, John, was waiting to tie her up.

Vince hissed, “Keep quiet while I call your father.” “What did my father do?” she asked.

“Your father let the man who killed my mother get away with murder,” replied Vince, bitterly. “He was high on prescription drugs

when he ran her down. By the time they thought to test him, his levels were normal.”

“Oh,” said Crystal, softly.

Hiro, the undercover cop, was knocked unconscious by the crash. He ended up in the hospital where Crystal’s mother worked. As he regained consciousness Crystal’s mom walked by. He

called out, “Crystal?” Crystal’s mom went back to Hiro and asked, “What? That’s my daughter’s name.”

Hiro blinked slowly and told her, “Your daughter is in danger.” He quickly explained the situation. “Call the police. They’ll locate

the tracking device I put on Crystal.”

Meanwhile, Crystal loosened the ropes and slipped away when her kidnappers began to

argue.

She called her father. The police, using the tip from Crystal’s mother, caught and arrested Vince and John.

Moments later, Crystal’s father arrived. He hugged her and said, “I’m sorry your mother and I haven’t been around much, but from

now on, that’s going to change. We love you so much, Crystal.”

THE END

return to the beginning

The men got away from the police. Crystal was falling for Hiro, but was wondering why he was undercover. She also wondered what “score” Vince had to settle with her father.

 Vince saw Crystal looking at Hiro when he

glanced back. He began to think Hiro might be a liability. He told Hiro to drive.

 “Why do you hate my father?” asked Crystal?

 “While in law school, your father and I sold

prescription drugs. He got scared. I was expelled and spent three years in prison.

Your father kept the money and his future.” 

“I recognize you from a picture in Dad’s office,” remembered Crystal. “You were best friends. He told me you died in law school.”

Vince said to Crystal, “Call your dad and tell him that he must come to the chicken coop

alone and bring one million dollars.” 

Crystal didn’t know what that meant, but she did what she was told. “Who has you?,” her

father asked. 

At that point, the line went dead.

When they met an hour later, Crystal’s dad immediately recognized Vince. “I’m sorry,”

he told his former friend. 

“You’re sorry? You have everything you ever wanted and you ignore your own daughter.

You don’t deserve this life.” 

“You’re right, Vince. Let me try to make it right with you. You need to understand, I’ve

always felt terrible about what happened. I’ve been paying your mother’s expenses ever

since you were locked away. She never told you because I told her I didn’t think you

would accept help from me. I’m so sorry for my cowardice. Can you forgive me?”

 “I’ve waited twenty years to hear you say

that.” Vince extended his hand in friendship.

Crystal’s dad turned to her. “Vince is right about the way I’ve treated you. Fresh start?”

 “I’ve waited sixteen years to hear you say that,” smiled Crystal as she hugged him.

 

Crystal’s family decided not to press charges against Vince. Hiro told Crystal, “Next time you think about running away, call me first.” They both turned and walked away smiling.

THE END

return to the beginning