The Valentines Day Mystery

The Valentines Day Mystery

Every weekday morning Hazel Weatherfield had the same routine; wake up, get washed, put on her uniform, eat breakfast, and then catch the bus to school. But this February 14th was particularly a special day. Hazel awoke on this nippy Tuesday morning to the smell of fresh baked brownies shaped as a heart on her nightstand. She didn’t know why she received them, so she thought of all the people that it could be from.
"Orphanage mommy, no. Orphanage dad, no no no. Carrie, orphan sister, maybe. Josh, another orphan, possible." But Hazel thought, "Who else would give me something on Valentines?" So, she went downstairs but didn’t ask any of her orphan mates anything about who dropped the brownies off or where it came from. Although she was still puzzled she sat at the table and ate her breakfast. When all of the orphans were done eating they walked outside to catch the school bus.
As Hazel, Carrie, and Josh were waiting outside bundled up, something out of the corner of Hazel's eye caught her attention. It was a white teddy bear dressed in winter attire sitting on their mother's rocking chair with a paper flapping. Hazel then walked to pick it up and read the paper attached to the bears heart. The card read,
" Dear Hazel,
Happy Valentines Day! I know you are trying to figure out who I am. But I'm not going to tell you until you figure it out yourself. So, I set you up a little scavenger hunt, which will lead you to me. Have fun!
Your first gift was brownies in the shape of a heart. Now, this bear is yours to keep because you were separated from yours. Your next clue will be at school.
Love, L."

"Love, L" Hazel was bewildered by that. She didn’t know anyone who was named L. But being the detective she was, she was determined to go on this little scavenger hunt L set up for her. Their school bus finally came, and the three of them jumped on and sat by each other on their way to school. Hazel noticed that all the girls on the bus had something from their admirers, their moms probably gave it to them, but they all looked so happy. But Hazel also thought that maybe someone had an actual secret admirer like her. Hazel was amazed that someone actually gave her something this valentine because usually no one receives anything at the orphanage.
The school bus had reached its destination and dropped the kids off at school. The school was decorated with all these hearts and filled with red and pink streamers. School was always decked out for holidays, but that didn’t side track Hazel from figuring out whom her admirer was.
Hazel went upstairs to her classroom cause third graders were on top, through the classroom window she saw a dozen roses on top of her desk with a card on it. Hazel was thrilled because she was one step closer to figuring out who this mystery guy was. Hazel walked to her desk, smelt the roses, and read the next clue.
"Hello, Hazel (: Here is your fourth present and second clue.
We see each other everyday, you were always an inspiration to me even when you
went to your new house. I miss you dearly and I think you miss me too. I will meet you at the roller skating park after school on the bench. Oh yeah! Your teacher has goody bags for you to pass out to the class. Love, Lu"

"Love, Lu?" Who could that be? Hazel thought of all the possibilities but none of
them worked. She thought maybe it was someone from her real family, but that wouldn’t be probable she thought. No one ever remembered her, that’s why she didn’t really think of her family that much. Although her older brother, Luke, who was in college always wrote her letters and kept in touch with her because they were close when they were growing up. Luke was the only one that kept in touch with her after she left to the orphanage because her mother wasn’t giving her the care she needed, and her dad left the family. Despite that, Hazel didn’t think he would fly from college to leave her a scavenger hunt for Valentines.
Throughout the whole day at school she was trying to put the pieces together and figure out who would leave her all these presents and leave a note telling her that they were going to meet at the roller-skate park. The roller skate park is where everyone in her grade after school hangs out. With that she thought it had to be someone from school to know that everyone in the grade goes there. Hazel was antsy for school to finish because she was always a detective that got to the end of the case without any time being wasted.
"Its 2:15, SCHOOL ENDED! " Hazel screamed. She was the first to run down the stairs and burst through the doors and reach the skate park. Here at the skate park Hazel started to lace up her roller skates, to skate for a couple minutes before the rush of kids came. Hazel was skating around and then noticed that there was a new guy who appeared. "She described him as a tall attractive gentleman about 20 years of age."(p 68) With Hazel being the curious detective she is, she walked on over to the bench the old man was sitting at. Hazel didn’t have to say a word to ask whom he was and if he was her secret admirer. The old man was wearing a shirt saying," Happy Valentines Sis!" with a Polaroid camera on his side. Hazel's case was closed.
Her brother Luke came down from college to set up a scavenger hunt and wish her a Happy Valentines. Hazel and Luke took a picture and he gave it for her to keep. This moment was her happiest yet. Hazel thought her family forgot about her, she didn’t think that her older brother still cared and loved for her dearly. Now she knew what L and Lu stood for. It was the beginning of Luke.

Analysis
This story, "The Valentines Day Mystery" could have been one of the unfinished stories written by Phoebe in the book because Hazel Weatherfield is always solving detective mysteries. But didn’t specify if Hazel was instigating on someone else's case or one of her own.
In "The Valentines Day Mystery" Hazel is the kind of girl that Phoebe always wanted to be or dreamt to be because in real life Phoebe is kind of a loner like her older brother, Holden. Phoebe and Holden, Hazel and Luke both had a family incident that impacted their lives. For the Caulfield's they lost a brother, which hit Holden and Phoebe pretty hard. So both Phoebe and Holden became closer to one another when growing up. As for Hazel and Luke their incident was that Hazel was put into the orphanage while Luke stayed at home. Luke and Hazel were very close siblings and Hazel looked up to her brother. See, they both share an older brother, younger sister bond.
In these unfinished stories by Phoebe the main character, Hazel, could be representing how Phoebe really wanted to be. Phoebe lives through her writings. This relates because Phoebe is glad when Holden comes back to visits her and asks him if she got the letter she once sent him because she still wanted to keep in touch. Holden cared about Phoebe because he always thought about her and when he went in to New York City, he searched through record stores to find Phoebe the "Little Shirley Beans" record. In Hazel's life especially on Valentines Day it ran across her mind that this "secret admirer" could be her real older brother because she missed him and still wanted him in her life. Luke is also known as the older man and he always appears; the older man is her brother who set up the whole scavenger hunt because he wanted his sister to feel special. Hazel's older brother, Luke is like Holden for Phoebe.
In the book Catcher in the Rye, Holden says that Phoebe goes to the roller skating park on Sundays quite frequently (p115). In "The Valentines Day Mystery" Hazel appears to be at the roller skating park everyday after school. Phoebe and Hazel both share a common hang out spot.
This fits in to the time period because back then people would go in to each others houses without them knowing, everything was more care free and trusting. That’s how the brownies appeared to get in to Hazel's room, but of course with the help of her orphanage parents. Also then and now there was always a close brother, sister relationship and one always looked up to the other one. In Catcher, it's more like Holden looks up to Phoebe but in "The Valentines Day Mystery" Hazel looks up to Luke. This story also shows how people, family members will always care for you and surprise you even if you hardly communicate because of distance or incidents.