This was too good to be true, thought Lizzie Jane, but she was so excited that she did not stop and think that the man may not be telling the truth. Also, he appeared to be a gentleman. What harm could come from that?

She decided to take him up on his offer.

The police was back at Reverend Walker’s home. “We may have some bad news,” one of the officers reported.

“When the Mobile police got to the address she called from, she was gone. They questioned some boys who last saw her and they said that she got in a car with a unknown male. The Mobile police department has been watching that address very carefully and have planted a plainclothes woman in the area to investigate the suspicion that white slave traders work out of that section of town. From the description given by the boys, the male who has her in his car may be the suspected ringleader of the group.”

“You mean---“ began the shocked Reverend.

“Yes, she may never be heard from again,” replied the officer. “She may be shipped to another country and sold as a slave — if the male is indeed the person the Mobile police think he is.

 
Chapter 2

 
Lizzie Jane almost dropped her fork. She came into the lunchroom, not knowing any one and suddenly -- someone called her name. She turned to see who it was.

Standing there was Reverend Bob Walker, the young man who had announced his call to the ministry at the church that Lizzie Jane had attended. She did not know what to do — run and hug his neck, say something — or what?

Equally shocked was the staff of “Child’s Refuge”. A young preacher, who had just driven 150 miles to accept a position at the children’s home, recognizing a young girl who claimed that she accidentally came over 100 miles in a boxcar to the same area.

It was Reverend Walker who broke the silence. “May I take this young lady to my office and speak with her — that is, if I have an office and you tell me where it is?”

“Certainly” replied the head of the home.

Lizzie Jane went through the entire process of what had happened and how she found herself so far from home. “I wanna get back and see Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie.” She whimpered.

“Oh, I am so sorry, child,” replied the preacher. “When your aunt heard that you could not be found, she assumed you drown and her mind just shut down. She doesn’t speak and doesn’t know anyone. Your Uncle Jed could not take either situation, so he went off and got drunk and, as far as anyone knows, he is still drunk.”

“But, Brother Walker, if I can just get to Aunt Maudie and speak to her, I think she may snap out of it. She loves me and I love her.”

“Sorry, Lizzie Jane, she was carried to the state mental hospital in Tuscaloosa because a regular hospital could not be found that could take her. But, I tell you what — I will see if the people here will let me carry you home with me. I know that Mary, my wife, will be happy to see you,” offered Reverend Walker.

“But, I wanna see Aunt Maudie — I’ve just got to!” cried Lizzie Jane.

“But, honey — don’t you see? — We cannot do that,” answered the preacher.

Lizzie Jane could not understand why. Her reasoning was that, if she could talk to Aunt Maudie, that would bring her aunt back to her senses and the both of them could help Uncle Jed. It made perfect sense to Lizzie Jane.

She made up her mind that she was going to ‘Tuscaloose’ (or whatever it was called) if she had to walk all the way. The thing for her to figure out was, where was Tuscaloosa?

Reverend Walker sat there a minute and, then his face lit up. “Stay right there, Lizzie Jane. I’ll be right back.”

Reverend Walker trotted down to the main office of the children’s home. His plan was to make arrangements for Lizzie Jane to live with him and his wife. They did not have any children, so a young lady would be most welcomed. They had a lovely house which contained a very feminine room that would be perfect for Lizzie Jane.

Mrs. Watkins, the head of the home, thought that was a good idea since they were already acquainted, so she gave permission for Elizabeth Jane to go home with him immediately. The home was for orphaned and homeless children and they tried to place each child in a loving home as soon as possible. In hiring Reverend Walker, she had already checked his reference and was sure that placing Elizabeth Jane with his family was suitable.

Being the polite child she was, Lizzie Jane accepted Reverend Walker’s hospitality with grace. It would be a place to live while she formulated her plans. She had decided not to ask too many questions such as, the location of Tuscaloosa. That might raise suspicion. She would find that out later.

Although it had failed once, maybe hopping a freight train would be the answer. No, that would not be wise — not the second time. She thought about hitchhiking — too dangerous for a girl — but how about a boy? She liked the idea. She had lived as a boy once and no one questioned it. Although she had discovered that she was mostly girl, she was intersexed, so that would make it okay, wouldn’t it? Yep, she believed it would work.

She needed to find some boy clothes. The only thing she had was two dresses — the one she was wearing when she climbed into the boxcar and one they gave her at the children’s home. If she could get back to the children’s home, maybe she could borrow some boy trousers and shirt. The thought of stealing something was terrible, so she convinced herself that she would only be ‘borrowing’ the clothing.

No, that would be too difficult. Maybe she could find a clothes line somewhere. She would look for one tomorrow. After all, she was not a prisoner in Reverend Walker’s home, so she could walk around the neighborhood. She knew that everything she did would take careful planning and assured herself that it was okay. After all, it was for Aunt Maudie and Uncle Jed, wasn’t it?

The couple that had lived in the house before Reverend and Mary Walker had a teenage daughter who went away to college, so there was a special room already furnished for Lizzie Jane.

Lizzie Jane’s room was as beautiful and feminine as any girl would desire —Victorian style furniture with Queen Anne style legs. The comforter and furniture coverings were rose with a dainty rosebud print. Of course, since every girl needs a vanity and mirror with a vanity bench and an assortment of makeup to make her beautiful and desirable, Lizzie Jane was not an exception.

Just seeing her room almost made Lizzie Jane give up her plans, but she was sure that Aunt Maudie needed her and that is what was important. True, Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie could not give her anything to compare with the room she had inherited, but Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie were family. Lizzie Jane’s heart was so heavy, she fell across the bed and quietly sobbed. She was a girl who wanted to please everyone and make them happy, but priorities takes first place.

With a sad heart and confused mind, she cried herself to sleep. She stirred a little when gentle hands placed a blanket over her, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and tiptoed out, quietly closing the door. She dreamed of pleasant days with Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie, their home, a cool drink from the well, and the marvels of country life — the gorgeous landscape as only a loving God could have created.

Next morning, she was awaken by a gentle shaking — “Wake up, sleepy head. We have got things we need to do today.”

Lizzie Jean sleepily rubbed her eyes, rolled over, and sat up on the side of the bed. The voice belonged to Mary, the preacher’s wife. “I have drawn you a bath and put out some bath oils and powder so you can smell as sweet as you look.”

Lizzie Jane had never had anyone to tell her she looked sweet or beautiful. Actually, she had not though about it very much. She had been too busy learning the things that a girl needed to know to please a husband.

She, and none of the other girls she knew, wore makeup and Aunt Maudie only used a little face powder and lipstick and that was when she went to church — and sweet smelling bath oils and powder — well, that was something new, too. She had never used anything but soap — but as she began to remember, her mother was very beautiful and smelled sweet. Lizzie Jane wanted to smell sweet, too, and learn how to use the cosmetics that had been supplied her setting on the vanity. But, she knew her plans did not include makeup. After all, she was going to look like a boy — she hoped.

“I have put you a clean skirt and top in the bathroom. Be sure and change your panties. I think you will find some prettier and more comfortable.”

Pretty panties? Lizzie Jane thought to herself, what was the use of that? Nobody was going to see them and she certainly was not going to exhibit herself to anyone. She had a lot to learn about being a girl. But, all that did not matter now.

The bath was very nice and comforting — a lot better than just having a wash pan as she used when she lived with Aunt Maudie. She lay back and relaxed, letting her body soak in the water with its warmth and comfort. It was so nice that she almost fell asleep again.

The breakfast was close to the same — eggs and toast (Aunt Maudie baked biscuits), grits, orange juice and she was allowed to have a little coffee with cream and sugar.

“I am going to see about enrolling you in school today,” Mary mentioned.

School! Lizzie Jane had not thought too much about that until now. That might be a good way to get away from the Reverend and Mary to further plan her departure so that she could find Aunt Maudie. So, school was okay for now. It would not last long. She might even skip school one day to get a head start before anyone knew she was gone. But first, she had to find some boy clothes.

Lizzie Jane missed the one-room schoolhouse back in Carter’s Bend, but she tried to make the best of it. She surprised the teachers when she began to read above her grade level. She thought it wise not to mention the McGuffey Reader and learning the rules of phonics. That would be her little secret, but it did enable her to see how education had deteriorated because of the lack of individualized instruction.

The school had a gym and, for one reason or another, clothing was often left at the end of the school day and forgotten as time passed. Lizzie Jane noticed that and watched for some boy clothes her size. One afternoon, there they were–almost a new shirt and blue jeans. Perfect for her getaway.

She quietly tucked them into a bag when no one was looking and continued to make plans. Near the school, she noticed a truck stop where truckers stopped for breakfast and lunch. She noticed that some of the doors of the trailers were often unlocked. She assumed that the truck had made its delivery and was empty. As she continued to observe the area, she noticed an old empty store building that had easy access so she could change clothing. One evening she found an old cap, but in good condition, on the side of a road. She quickly snatched it and placed it among her clothing. She had watched the movement of the police, who were predictable in their rounds, so she knew where they would be at any given moment. She was all set.

She selected a cool Friday morning, so she would not get too hot in the back of a trailer.
Mary drove her to school, as usual, and after they said their goodbyes, Lizzie Jane slipped off the school grounds just before the bell rung to begin the day’s activities.

She gained access to the old store building and found her boy clothes hidden in a hole under the floor. She quickly changed, put on the old cap, pulled off her shoes and bare-footed, made her way to the truck stop. Since she could not find any shoes, she would get some later — somehow.

As expected, she found an eighteen-wheeler with an empty trailer, so she climbed aboard. She checked the door to make sure that it could be opened from the inside and settled down and waited.

It wasn’t long until she heard the cab door slam and the tractor start up. Nervous and excited, wondering if she was doing the right thing, she closed her eyes and prayed. The trip was long and boring. Lizzie Jane wished that she had brought some magazines to read, but actually it was too dark for that anyway, so she dismissed the thought.

The truck eventually came to a stop. She was wondering if it had stopped for a traffic light or something when she heard the cab door slam. She waited in anxiety for a few moments, hoping the driver would not open the back door of the trailer and find her. He didn’t.

She eased the door open, carefully checking to make sure nobody was around, and she jumped out. It was quite a jump for a young girl and her bare feet stung a little, no serious harm. She discovered that the driver had parked in a truck yard with a chain-linked fence around it. She followed the contour of the fence until she came to a place where she felt she could crawl under it.

After leaving the fenced in area, she walked a few blocks in what seemed to be a city until she came to the largest body of water she had ever seen. It stretched out until it seemed like it met the sky. Lizzie Jane marveled at the sight. She was viewing the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico for the first time.

Chapter 3

Staring at the ocean before her, Lizzie Jane was confused. She had no idea where she was, which way to go — and where was Tuscaloosa from here. One thing she did know —she was hungry and she did not think to bring anything to eat.

She was upset with herself. With all the planning, she had not thought about food or money — she did not even have any identification. She started to blame it on her age, but that was ridiculous. A nine year old should have more sense than that. She was so hungry, she felt that she could eat anything.

As soon as that thought crossed mind, she spied a restaurant and thought, “They throw away food. If I could just find something suitable---” Immediately she tried to dismiss the thought, but her hunger pangs caused her to reconsider and look for some discarded restaurant food.

She discovered a whole hamburger and thought it probably belonged to a small child since there wasn’t any sign of a single bite missing. She remembered something in the Bible that indicated that, if thanks were given for food, any thing could be eaten and it was purified. So, she bowed her head and gave thanks for the burger. It was very good, but she knew that she could not rely on garbage can food, so she tried to think of some other plan.

Since her hunger was satisfied for the moment, she remembered leaving a note for Reverend Walker to keep him from worrying so much and had copied the telephone number so she could call when she found Aunt Maudie. She decided to call now and let them know she was okay.

She had seen on television somewhere that a person called another person collect or something like that, so she dialed the operator and tried doing that, giving her name when the operator asked for it.

The police arrived at Reverend Walker’s home and was shown the note that Lizzie Jane left. They were taking notes when the phone rang. Mary picked up the receiver and her face suddenly turned pale and stated, “It’s her.”

“Try to find out where she is”, suggested the police officer.

“Ah — where is the call from? Okay, we will accept the charges,” Mary said, talking to the operator. She covered the mouthpiece of the phone and whispered, “The call is coming from Mobile.”

The police officer whispered to his partner, “Go to the radio and tell them what is happening and see if they can trace the number.” To Mary, he said, “See if she will give you a street number or a phone number.”

“Hon,” we are so worried. Are you sure you are okay? What is the number on the phone you are using? We would like to know if you are all right,” Mary asked Lizzie.

Lizzie saw the number on the pay phone, reported it to Mary and she repeated it for the benefit of the police. The police officer told his partner to check with the Mobile police and see if they could locate her from the phone number and pick her up.

“Keep her on the line as long as you can,” advised the officer.

“Lizzie —Lizzie— no–wait — wait a minute”, pleaded Mary. With tears in her eyes, she said, “Elizabeth hung up. She said she was going to have to find the way to Tuscaloosa.”

“Poor kid”, tearfully replied Reverend Walker. “She left here to find Tuscaloosa and winds up in Mobile. She has no idea which way to go.”

Lizzie Jane hung up the phone because she figured out that she did the wrong thing in giving the number. She had to be on her journey. She ran across the street so quickly that some teenage boys in a jalopy had to dodge her.

“Watch it, man,” screamed one of the boys. When her cap fell off her head in the rush, another boy said, “That ain’t no guy. That is a girl!”

They weren’t the only ones that noticed. As she went back to grab her cap, a man stopped Lizzie Jane in her tracks. “Whoa, where are you going young lady?”

Excited and not thinking, she blurted out, “I am going to Tuscaloose to see my aunt!”

“Not so fast. You are a long way from Tuscaloosa,” replied the man.

“Well, can you tell me how to get there?” was the disgusted reply.

“Sure,” the man answered. “I am going that way myself and just happened to be on the way to the airport to fly my plane up there. I would be most pleased to have some company on the trip.”

This was too good to be true, thought Lizzie Jane, but she was so excited that she did not stop and think that the man may not be telling the truth. Also, he appeared to be a gentleman. What harm could come from that?

She decided to take him up on his offer.

The police was back at Reverend Walker’s home. “We may have some bad news,” one of the officers reported.

“When the Mobile police got to the address she called from, she was gone. They questioned some boys who last saw her and they said that she got in a car with a unknown male. The Mobile police department has been watching that address very carefully and have planted a plainclothes woman in the area to investigate the suspicion that white slave traders work out of that section of town. From the description given by the boys, the male who has her in his car may be the suspected ringleader of the group.”

“You mean---“ began the shocked Reverend.

“Yes, she may never be heard from again,” replied the officer. “She may be shipped to another country and sold as a slave — if the male is indeed the person the Mobile police think he is.

To be continued...

Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue