Poor ole Joe Bockkernodd . Upset with life. Work, work all the time. Whenever he saw a girl with her boyfriend, a wife with her husband, he thought, “Oh how lucky they are. Never having to work. Always having somebody to take care of them. Oh, if only he was one of the lucky ones with someone to take care of him.”
Poor ole Joe Bockkernodd . Upset with life. Work, work all the time. Whenever he saw a girl with her boyfriend, a wife with her husband, he thought, “Oh how lucky they are. Never having to work. Always having somebody to take care of them. Oh, if only he was one of the lucky ones with someone to take care of him.”
Poor ole Joe Bockkernodd . Upset with life. Work, work all the time. Whenever he saw a girl with her boyfriend, a wife with her husband, he thought, “Oh how lucky they are. Never having to work. Always having somebody to take care of them. Oh, if only he was one of the lucky ones with someone to take care of him.”
On this particular Friday night, after a long days work, Poor ole Joe Bockkernod prepared for bed. Tired, exhausted — “Oh, those lucky females,” he said to himself.
Suddenly, there was a round bright light. “Somebody had got an awful big flashlight,” thought Joe.
“I am not a flashlight, “spoke a voice from the light. The light dimmed and there stood the most beautiful human he ever did see. Did I say human? Well, this figure had wings and spoke softly -- “I am a fairy on probation that has been sent to give you your most requested wish.”
“Wish?” thought Joe. “What wish — now, let me see — maybe it is the wish that I could win the lottery. I never won it before. Wonder why?”
“Because you never bought a lottery ticket, you dumbbell,” answered the fairy. “Your fondest wish was to become a woman and have a rich boy friend or husband, so we decided on a boy friend.’
“Let’s see now — I haven’t had any instructions to make you smarter, so I guess I will make you a blonde bimbo,” declared the angel. “Yes, a blonde bimbo. Just right.”
With those words, the fairy said something like,
“Winky, winky, dink.
How you will stink.
How stupid your wish must be,
so you will be a stupid woman, you see.”
With a whisk of a spoon (the store was fresh out of wands), poor Joe Bockkernodd became Josephine Bockernodd.
“Come and give me a kiss, honey bunch, “called a male voice. Josephine looked up and there stood a long bearded fat bald man, with tobacco juice all over his mouth.
Josephine tried to think of some way to get out of this. Maybe kissing him would turn him into a handsome prince. Naw. He’s not a frog — a frog is prettier.
“Gotta go to the bathroom,” replied Josephine.
One thing about it. She decided that she was surely not gonna kiss that thang, whatever it was. She had to escape. She tried the bathroom window. It was too small. She even though about going down through the commode, but all she got was a wet head -- well, that was smaller than the window.
“Aw. Come on,” begged the man. “Gimme a kiss. Look what you got — a perfect specimen of manhood.”
What she got? She had got herself into a mess — that’s what! Should have wished for a pumkin or something. What had she wished for? Maybe she could get a fairy momma who would give her a get-away punkin car like that Cinder-whats-her-name.
The man came staggering into the bathroom. She locked the door so he could not come in, but he was already in.
Puckering up his lips, he said, “Give me a kiss.” Josephine saw the tobacco juice all over his lips and his beard and his breath smelled like rotten potatoes — or was that his feet she was smelling? Surely he took a bath this month.
Josephine always took a bath at least once a month — she hated to go dirty. She even washed her hair once a year. For years, she had considered herself to be a very clean woman with those activities, even though she was a man just a few minutes ago.
“Gotta go to the store,” Josephine said, quickly making an exit for the door. She opened the door and ran into a bunch of clothes (in the closet). “Now, this is a fine place to hang out the wash,” she murmured as she ran through the clothes and into the wall.
“Some durn idiot parked his truck out here, “she exclaimed, turned around, ran around the room and found the other door. “Gotta complain ‘bout that truck.”
Once outside in the night air, she decided to light her cigarette. She realized that she did not have a cigarette, so she smoked her thumb. It did not matter. She did not have a cigarette lighter anyway. She bought some matches once, but they would not light. The manufacturer had put the striking part on the wrong end.
While she was enjoying the good smoke, a nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman walked up to her and asked, “Whatcha a pretty dame like you doing out on a night like this?”
“I dunno,” she said. “Is it raining?” She looked around and it was — pouring down like cats and dogs.
“What a smart man,” thought Josephine. “He knew it was raining. Must be educated or something to be that smart ‘cause he knew that without watching the weather channel.” Josephine was educated, too. She went all the way through school — in the front door and out the back.
“Better come inside with me. You might melt,” offered the nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman. “Betcha you as sweet as ice cream.”
“Yeah, I like ice cream,” answered Josephine.
“Come with me and I will buy you an ice cream factory,” said the nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen. “I am from Texas and I am a zillionaire. I will take good care of you.”
So, she did — and he did — and Josephine lived happily ever after with someone to take care of her.
The fairy who had worked her magic was not banned as expected for such a stupid spell, but was promoted to changing pumpkins into carriages. However, she got mixed up and turned an evil stepmomma into Santa Claus and all the kids got spinach for Christmas that year instead of candy and received glue to make spinach decorations.
One kid got his eye stuck shut and, when he grew up he went off to sea, but his vision was so bad that he mistook a bottle of olive oil for his girl friend.
Anyway, alls well that ends up in a well, they always say.
THE END OF THIS NONSENSE.
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Secretly copyright by Starla Anne Lowry, but don’t tell anyone.
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“You know you cannot drive without a driver license,” screamed the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman.
“Sure I can. I put something in this here hole next to the wheel that the nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman uses to stir things with and I put this thang here in “R”, get my book about Dick and Jane and Spot and put my foot on that thang down there and the car goes, but there is always that there tree in the way.”
The nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman who carried Josephine Bockkernodd to Texas and bought her an ice cream factory was not around when Josephine decided she needed to go to the store. She wanted to bake a pie and had the corn cobs, but did not have the dill pickles and po’cat meat.
She found the car, but could not figured out how to wind it up so it would go. She remembered that was how her brother started his little cars he got for Christmas.
She thought -- making her head hurt -- and finally remembered that the nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman put something in a hole near the round thing that he moved back and forth going down the road. He called it a stirring wheel. That thang was too big to put in a glass or bowl, so she could never figured out how he could stir anything with it.
After sitting there an hour and trying different things, she finally figured out what to put in the hole — her bobby pin. She got the car started (miracles do happen) and got her favorite book about Dick and Jane and Spot to read and put the lever in “R”. (That was for reading, of course.)
The car backed across the road and into a tree. Now, why would anyone plant a tree there? That was the second time she had hit that tree, being the second time she had decided to drive the car. Surely whoever put that tree there should know it was in the way.
A nicely dressed non-intoxicated police officer came up. He was the same nicely dressed non-intoxicated police officer who came up the last time she drove the car and hit the tree that should not have been in her way.
“Let me see your driver license”, gruffed the nicely dressed non-intoxicated police officer.
Driver license? That must have been the thang that the nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen got for her by “pulling some strings”. Josephine could not understand that. The last time Josephine had pulled a string, her sweater came apart.
“Now, how can I show you my driver license when you took it away from me last time?” asked Josephine.
“You know you cannot drive without a driver license,” screamed the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman.
“Sure I can. I put something in this here hole next to the wheel that the nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman uses to stir things with and I put this thang here in “R”, get my book about Dick and Jane and Spot and put my foot on that thang down there and the car goes, but there is always that there tree in the way.”
“Don’t you know to stop before you hit the tree?” asked the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman.
“Well, I stuck my foot out the door and the car would not stop.”
“You are supposed to use the brake!” yelled the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman.
“Now, what would I want to break?” asked Josephine.
"Are you trying to be smart with me?" asked the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman.
"No, but I did go to school one day." replied Josephine. "My brother was out sick and I went in his place. It was fun. I got to sit in a corner with a pointed hat on my head.'
"The teacher was so nice to me," continued Josephine. "She did not let any of the other kids do that. I think she liked me. In fact, I was so smart that she told me to never come back."
"Oh, why? Why do I get kooks like this?" asked the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman.
"Oh, yes -- I am a good cook. I can boil water without burning it. Sometimes somebody steals my water and the pan burns, though," proudly stated Josephine. "But the nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen pays a nicely dressed cook to fix some nicely dressed food for me. He loves me that much."
“That does it”, screamed the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman. “I am placing you under arrest.”
“Good, I need a rest.”
“I intend to lock you up — in jail!” the nicely dressed non-intoxicated policeman screamed — a lot louder.
“You are not a very nice non-intoxicated revooner,” said Josephine. “No wonder your wife pulled your hair out.”
“I ain’t no revenuer”, screamed the nicely dressed non-intoxicated police officer, “and my wife did not pull my hair out.”
Well, you ain’t got none on your head,” replied Josephine.
“You are coming with me” said the nicely dressed non-intoxicated police officer as he put the handcuffs on Josephine.
“Halp! I am being kidsnatched,” yelled Josephine as she was hauled away in the back seat of the police car.
That was the last time the nicely dressed non-intoxicated police officer came through that neighborhood. The next time he was a nicely dressed INTOXICATED police officer.
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--To be continued some day?
I dunno — Is it worth it?
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Secretly copyrighted 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
But don’t let anyone know that.
“Order in the court!”
“Well, it is about time,” said Josephine Bockerrnod. “I am getting hungry. I will have a chocolate ice cream cone with ketchup on it.”
Chapter 3
“All rise”, said the man with the gun and badge standing by a big ole desk. Josephine saw a lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress come in a side door and go behind the big ole desk that the man with the gun and badge was standing beside of.
She must be going to cook breakfast, thought Josephine. “All Rise Flour” was the name on the bag of flour in the kitchen of the nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen where Josephine Bockkernodd lived — or was it something else?
Everyone had stood up. Now, that was nice — everyone standing for a lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress.
“Hear ye, hear ye, the traffic court of Judge Robert R. Roberts is now in session,” shouted the man with the gun and badge standing by the big ole desk.
The man with the gun and badge standing by the big ole desk must have been hard of hearing, thought Josephine Bockerrnodd. He hollered real loud, so he must not be able to hear hisself talk. That was a shame. Josephine Bockerrnodd could hear just fine.
“Case 11287” said the man with the gun and badge standing by a big ole desk. “The city versus Josephine Bockerrnodd.”
Wasn’t that nice. The man with the gun and badge standing by a big ole desk mentioned verses. They were going to talk about the Bible.
The lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress stared straight at Josephine and said, “You are charged with driving without a license and disorderly conduct. How do you plead?”
Josephine replied, “Oh, if I am just charged with something, I will just pay it with this here Mister Card the nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman gave me. I thought this revooner had got me into trouble and that is why I was here.
“Revenuer? Are you a boot legger, too?” asked the lady with no hair who looked like a man wearing a long black dress.
“No ma’am, I don’t wear boots on my legs. I wear ‘em on my pretty feet — See?” as she stuck her feet into the air so the judge could see the boots she wore on her pretty feet.
“No, no”, said the lady with no hair who looked like a man wearing a long black dress. “A boot legger makes corn liquor from a still — and don’t call me ma’am!”
“Well, where I come from dranking that stuff don’t make a person stay still unless they pass out. Now, I knew a man who was out so long they thought he was dead, but that was okay ‘cause he was dead. Now, if he had been alive and everyone thought he was dead, being dead would have been a bad thing, but since he was dead, it was okay to be dead.”
“We are not here to talk about dead people”, screamed the lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress.
“Well, why did you bring it up?” asked Josephine Bockkernodd.
“I didn’t bring it up!” shouted the lady with no hair that looked like a man in a long black dress.
“Well, somebody did,” said Josephine Bockerrnodd.
“You did!” screamed the lady with no hair that looked like a man in a long black dress as a few giggles was heard. “Order in the court”
“Well, it is about time,” said Josephine Bockerrnod. “I am getting hungry. I will have a chocolate ice cream cone with ketchup on it.”
“We are not serving food!” screamed the lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress.
“Well, you said we could order in the court!” replied Josephine Bockkernodd. “Make up your mind. If you are going to cook sumptn’g, hurry. I ain’t ate nutting since the last time I ate sumptn’g”
“I am not going to cook, either!” yelled the lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress.
“Well, the man with the gun and badge standing beside the big ole desk was calling for All Rise Flour,” remarked Josephine Bockkernodd. “I thunk you were gonna make biscuits and gravy.”
The lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress reached up to pull her hair out and discovered that she did not have any hair to pull out.
“This officer states that you were driving without a driver license and you did not conduct yourself in a proper manner, so are you guilty or not guilty?” demanded the lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress.
“This mean ole no-so-nice not-intoxicated revooner took my driver license away from me last week and did not give them back. The nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen gave $500 to get them for me and you all treat me like I am a mean girl,” cried Josephine Bockkernodd. “The nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman even sent $500 to Judge Bob Roberts for something. That is how nice the nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen is to everybody.”
The lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress began to turn red in the face, whose eyes grew large and who appeared to be choking, finally managed to say “Now, this beautiful young girl is evidently innocent because she did not know what she was doing — so, case dismissed. And officer — if you ever bring this sweet, innocent girl into this courtroom, I will have your badge. Now, transport her back home — or store–or wherever she wants to go. That is an order.”
The lady with no hair that looked like a man wearing a long black dress must have seen a nail in her big ole desk ‘cause she hit it with a wooden hammer and left the room so quick that Josephine Bockkernodd wondered if she had seed a ghost or sumptn’g.
Josephine Bockkernodd thought just a minute and said, “She must have hit her finger, poor ole thang.”
“Where do you want to go?” asked the now-nice non-toxicated revooner.
“Let’s go home,” replied Josephine Bockkernodd. “I want some ice cream with ketchup on it and maybe some pickles.”
Judge Robert R. Roberts went to his office, pulled off his long black robe that looked like a dress and rubbed his head which did not have any hair, pushed a button on a big black box and talked into it, saying, “Lucy, where is the $500 I got last week? I need to buy some moonshine and I need it now!”
“Who–who are you?” asked Lizzie Jane in a frightened voice.
“Oh, just a traveling partner,” the voice answered. “I ride the rails often. How about you? Are you a run-away?”
“No — no — I was just trying to get in out of the rain.” Lizzie Jane replied, still with a nervous voice.
“Rain? The sun is shining, hon.”
“Well, it was raining.”
The man smiled. Lizzie Jane adjusted her eyes to the light. The man had on tattered clothing, a short beard and two front teeth missing. “You must be from North Alabama. I understand that it was raining cats and dogs up there.”
“I am from Carter’s Bend”, replied Lizzie Jane.
“Yep, know right where it’s at”, answered the man. “You are in South Alabama — a fer piece from Carter’s Bend. My name is George.”
“I am Elizabeth Jane, but my friends call me Lizzie.”
“Well, can I be your friend — Lizzie?”
“Well — I guess so,” was the young girl’s reply.
The rains came — perhaps a little early for the first weeks of November, with torrential downpours causing streams to swell out of their banks, with strong, rushing currents, even in small streams, and flooding low-lying areas.
Uncle Jed transported Lizzie Jane and other children to school because of the inclement weather, getting there before the teacher. He left the children and made his way back home, slipping and sliding on the muddy road, water lapping almost to the top of some of the wooden bridges.
Sally, the teacher, arrived shortly after Jed left and made an instant decision for everyone to go back home. The water would be over the bridges before long and they would be stranded. So, since the rain had slacked somewhat, and being brave and ready to face the elements, the children began the walk home. Mud stuck to their feet with the boys laughing at the mud squeezing between their toes, The girls took off their Mary Jane shoes to keep them clean and joined in with the merriment. To the children, the walk was fun. There wasn’t any lightning or strong wind, just rain.
The water had not gotten over the bridges yet, so there did not seem to be anything to worry about. The planks on the wooden bridge were very slick and the children began to slide on them, as an ice skater would perform in winter. There were joy and laughter until Lizzie Jane got too close to the edge of one of the bridge, and could not control her balance. She tumbled in the water headfirst. Some of the boys grabbed at her. but were unable to prevent the disaster. The children watched in horror as the current swept her downstream.
Lizzie Jane was not a good swimmer, but was usually able to stay above water, so she grabbed at everything that came by, according to the proverbial saying, “grabbing at a straw.” She managed to grab hold of a partially sawed off limb of a log and held on for dear life. Luckily, as the log came to a bend in the stream, it lodged against the bank and Lizzie Jane was able to pull herself out of the water.
She had become weary fighting the currents — in fact, she was worn out. She was nervous, wet and beginning to chill, so she looked around for some kind of shelter. A few hundred feet and away from the stream, she spotted a boxcar on a railroad siding with the door open, so she thought that would be a good place to rest and temporarily get out of the rain.
Inside she found some burlap material and, being as tired as she was, she placed a couple of material on the floor for a mattress, covered herself with a couple more and soon began to feel warm and snug. She was so exhausted that she was soon sound asleep.
The train did not awaken her as it backed into the siding, hooked to the boxcar and pulled onto the main track. Neither was she awakened as the train traveled into South Alabama.
The citizens of Carter’s Bend spent day and night combing the woods along the banks of the stream for any sign of Lizzie Jane. There was some hope of finding her alive, but as the day wore on, those hopes got dimmer and dimmer as night began to fall.
Through the night they continued to search and, by sunrise, no sign or clue had been discovered. Not willing to give up, another group went out, hoping to find something that had been overlooked during the past 24 hours.
When the news reached Jed’s house about the failure of the search crews, Aunt Maudie went into shock. Doc Brown was called to check on her, but could not get any response. It was as if Maudie’s brain had just shut down. She just lay on the bed; her eyes wide open, staring straight ahead.
She loved her niece so much that she had considered Lizzie Jane as her own child. She and Jed firmly believed that God had sent Lizzie Jane their way because they were childless and had accepted the lack of their own child as God’s will.
Reverend Bob Walker, who knew the family and with the permission of the church pastor, presented a fitting tribute to a young lady that had stolen the hearts of the community, even though she was among them for a short time. Knowing that Jed and Maudie could not attend the service added sorrow to the service.
Reverend Walker’s last visit was to see Jed and Maudie. He discovered that Jed, who had not taken a drink for years, was drunk and had not been sober for over a week. Maudie was being prepared for transportation to the state mental hospital
Reverend Walker’s last act before he left to go into a field where he felt the call of God was to pray for the couple, that God would help them regain their strength and somehow heal their wounds.
After the prayer, he expressed his best wishes to everyone and drove away in his beat-up Chevrolet, hoping that it would make the trip where he felt led to go. He was going 150 miles away to help an organization that ministered to homeless and abandoned children.
It was still daylight when Lizzie Jane slowly opened her eyes. The first thing that she realized was that the late afternoon sunlight had been occasionally striking her eyelids. Where was the rain? The next thing she realized was — the boxcar was moving.
“Well, miss, I was wondering when you were going to wake up”. The voice came from the right corner of the boxcar.
“Who–who are you?” asked Lizzie Jane in a frightened voice.
“Oh, just a traveling partner,” the voice answered. “I ride the rails often. How about you? Are you a run-away?”
“No — no — I was just trying to get in out of the rain.” Lizzie Jane replied, still with a nervous voice.
“Rain? The sun is shining, hon.”
“Well, it was raining.”
The man smiled. Lizzie Jane adjusted her eyes to the light. The man had on tattered clothing, a short beard and two front teeth missing. “You must be from North Alabama. I understand that it was raining cats and dogs up there.”
“I am from Carter’s Bend”, replied Lizzie Jane.
“Yep, know right where it’s at”, answered the man. “You are in South Alabama — a fer piece from Carter’s Bend. My name is George.”
“I am Elizabeth Jane, but my friends call me Lizzie.”
“Well, can I be your friend — Lizzie?”
“Well — I guess so,” was the young girl’s reply.
As the conversation continued, Lizzie Jane discovered that the man was a hobo — once a successful businessman — divorced and having lost his business to his wife, he had decided to see the United States hitching free ride on a train. Sure, there were perils, but the excitement of the danger and thrill of adventure is what kept him going.
Lizzie Jane told him how she was swept away by the rapids, sought shelter in the boxcar, falling asleep, and waking up to find herself in her present situation.
“Nothing to worry about, lass,” George said in trying to comfort her. “Just find a train going north and hop on it.”
They sat silent for while, watching the scenery to by. Lizzie Jane had always lived in North Alabama, so she was intrigued by the lack of mountains. She had never traveled outside the world as she knew it, so it never occurred to her that the landscape could be so different.
The sound of the whistle and the chug-chug of the steam locomotive could be heard for miles on a clear day and considered by many to be peaceful. Lizzie Jane begin to see it as a vehicle that was taking her further and further from Uncle Jed and Aunt Lizzie, the two most precious people in her life.
A couple of hours later, George stated that the train was going to stop to take on water and asked her if she was hungry. She had not thought about it, but suddenly she felt the hunger pains that swelled up inside of her, so she nodded her head.
When the train stopped, George visibly checked to make sure they were not being seen and the couple quickly exited the boxcar. They made their way through some woods, coming to a small opening which revealed a big pot of stew, simmering over an open fire. Gathered around the area Lizzie Jane noticed a few other travelers with tin plates and cups who were enjoying the enticing goulash.
George pulled out a couple of onions and tossed them into the pot. “Everyone adds something,” he explained. Locating a couple of clean plates, he filled one for Lizzie Jane and filled a tin cup with water, thinking the coffee was too strong for her, boiling in a pan and referred to as ‘stump water’.
Lizzie tasted of her meal and a delightful smile crossed her face. “This is good,” she remarked —“really good!” Perhaps it was because she was so hungry, but she thought it to be the best food she had ever tasted.
Realizing the girl was hungry, George waited until she finished her plate before he began introductions to the group.
“This is Elizabeth, a young lady, nine years old, who thought a boxcar would make a good shelter against a rain storm and, the next thing she knew, she wound up down here. I think she is a very good traveling companion. I rode with her for miles before we decided to hop off here for a bite.”
After that brief introduction, he introduced Lizzie Jane to each member of the group. It seemed that they were like a large family and cared for each other. They were very polite and welcomed Lizzie Jane.
These were the homeless people of the late 40's and early 50’s, some had been successful in business, others had professional skills, and many of the women has been homemakers -- some had come home from World War II to find emptiness -- all had faced problems in life that robbed them of everything they owned. They all tried to re-enter the world as they knew it, but for one reason or another, they failed in that endeavor, but found peace in their current circumstances.
On clear summer and warm autumn nights, they slept in the open. In rainy or colder weather, they sought shelter in rugged built shacks from whatever material they could find. Often, some came together and constructed fairly comfortable quarters, and many shared the same facilities. When together, they looked out for each other.
This night, being a warm autumn night, they bedded in the open. Some of the ladies prepared Lizzie Jane a warm, comfortable pallet in which she slept soundly. Heads were bowed as Lizzie Jane said her nighttime prayers, thanking God for George and all the other nice people, after which could be heard quite a few ‘amens’.
As she had many times before, her mother came to her in a dream and whispered to her, “You know I will never leave you, but you are going to face many obstacles. God will send the appropriate people to help you along the way. Sleep in peace, my darling. Momma loves you.”
Before her mother’s death just a couple of months prior, there was closeness of mother and child -- and after death, mother’s love continued and Lizzie Jane knew it. That helped alleviate some fear and often brought comfort when Lizzie Jane was in trouble.
The next morning found Lizzie Jane trying to decide the best way to get back home. The homeless group that she met the night before gave her a gift — all the money they had -- $1.32, thinking that could buy a few RC colas and moon pies. A 12 oz. RC cola and moon pie still cost ten cents in most places and some people made that a meal, particularly when they were short of cash.
The suggestion made by George made the most sense — catch a train going north. So, Lizzie Jane waited for a northbound train to stop and take on some water for its steam locomotives. She did not have to wait long until one pulled in and stopped. She eased up to a boxcar with an open door, trying to keep anyone from seeing her, and climbed in.
She was there a few minutes when she heard a deep male voice say, “All right, young lady. Come out of there.”
Lizzie Jane slowly came to the door. A big, burley man grabbed her by the arm in a strong vice grip and asked, “A run-way, huh?”
“No — no sir”, stuttered Lizzie Jane. “I am just trying to get home and I don’t have any money.”
“Well, you need to come with me until we get this straighten out,” barked the man.
Lizzie Jane saw a badge on his shirt. He was a deputy sheriff and she thought she was going to jail. Instead, she was transported to the sheriff’s office where numerous questions were directed to her. She tried to explain what happened, but no one would believe her. Finally a woman came in.
“Hello, dear”, began the woman. “I am from the welfare department and you can come with me until we find your parents or someone who can take care of you.”
Again, Lizzie Jane was questioned — and again no one believed her story. The Department of Social Services did not want to put her in a jail cell, so someone called a judge. Finally, after careful consideration, the judge suggested a religious organization that could keep her for a few days, named “Child’s Refuge.” So, a call was made and she was accepted.
It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was operated by a group of churches and she was assigned a room with two other girls. At least, for the moment, she had a good place to sleep and something to eat. The home had a true Christian atmosphere and when Lizzie Jane went to bed that night, she gave thanks to God for the home and the workers.
Some of the staff heard the humble prayer of the little girl and had been impressed by her politeness. However, they could not understand why she was making up such a tale as she was telling — imagine being swept away by rapid water in a creek and going to sleep in a boxcar, not waking up until she had gone over a hundred miles. Maybe she was scared, they reasoned — could be a case of child abuse.
Three days went by and they were no closer to what they believed was the truth. On the fourth day, Lizzie Jane and the other two girls walked to the lunchroom. The meals were excellent and she enjoyed the good food. When she sat down at a table with her roommates, she heard a voice suddenly call out:
“Lizzie Jane! — is that you?
To Be Continued...
Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name: Billie Sue
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
Lizzie Jane, still thinking that the strange man was giving her a ride to Tuscaloosa, was unknowingly flown to a small airport outside Miami. Still unsuspecting the true motive of the strange man, she was placed in a room with two other girls “to wait for just a little while”.
It was when she was given a pair of short-shorts and a short top that revealed her belly button that questions seem to pop up. Puzzled, she asked, “What are these for?’
“Because that is the way our clients like for our young girls to be dressed,” came the reply.
”Clients?” questioned Lizzie Jane.
“Shut up and put them on,” was the response, followed by a sharp slap on the face.
Surprised and being overcome with fear, she complied. The two other girls looked on at the spectacle.
After the door was closed, one of the girls spoke, “Didn’t you realize that you have been kidnapped and to be sold to someone of another country? We are all in the same boat.”
Lizzie Jane was speechless. The girl noticed Lizzie Jane’s confusion, so she continued, “We tried to resist and were beaten for our efforts. We have talked about escape, but there isn’t any chance."
Chapter 4
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, lay a seemingly lifeless figure, unresponsive to any therapy or medication. Her eyelids, previously open and staring into space, were now closed and she had all the appearances of death. She was still breathing on her own, so was counted as one of the living. The doctors had tried almost everything and had given up on any improvement.
“Maudie — Maudie”
The feminine voice could be heard in the darkness — a deep darkness that enveloped Aunt Maudie — a cold, empty darkness that held no memories — nothing... but a voice coming out of nowhere and so far away.
Who was it calling? Who was Maudie? There were no thoughts, no knowledge of anything -- just the voice — the voice that continued to call someone’s name.
“Maudie — Maudie. This is your sister.”
Sister? What sister? Who was this Maudie she was calling. Did Maudie exist?
“I have been sent by God to bring a message. Lizzie Jane is alive.”
Lizzie Jane? Now, slowly — but very slowly -- a memory was returning. Images of a young girl slowly begin to materialize within the darkness and a dim light began to emerge.
Ah, yes — it was becoming clearer — A young lady that Maudie once knew — one that she had learned to love. Love! Something that seems to bind memories and hearts together!
Yes, she remembers a Lizzie Jane. Something had happened — but what? Another scene was coming through the darkness — water! What would water have to do with Lizzie Jane?
Water seems to be all around this young girl — she is immersed — she is drowning! As she disappears below the waters, Aunt Maudie thinks, “I am not there for her! She needs me!”
Again the voice proclaimed the message: “Maudie… Maudie. Lizzie Jane is alive”.
Alive? Not drowning?
Slowly, very slowly, glimmers of light began to be seen through closed eyelids. The memories start flooding back — she is beginning to remember.
Ah, to remember — to remember something that she embraced. The love that she held for a child — her sister’s child — was so strong she loved her as if she were her own.
But that voice. That of her sister? Her sister is dead. She had said that God was sending her with a message. Her dead sister bringing her a message from God? A message that Lizzie Jane is alive?
With some difficulty, Maudie’s mouth begins to move. It had been silent too long.
She begins to whisper in a soft voice, barely loud enough to be heard, “Lizzie Jane is alive --- Lizzie Jane is alive.”
A little louder —as close to a shout as her weak voice could reach ---
“Lizzie is alive!”
She begins to hear other voices, not the far-way voice she heard calling her name. These voices seem excited. What are they saying? She can hear a little clearer now — “Doctor! Doctor! She is speaking! She is coming out of a coma!”
Maudie heard some movement, but could not understand what was going on and where she was.
“Maudie, Maudie, open your eyes,” a male voice was heard.
Maudie slowly tried to open her eyes. “There is too much light.”
“Close the curtains, “the male voice ordered.
As her sister’s voice began to fade, Aunt Maudie heard one last thing: “Find Reverend Bob Walker.”
The voice was heard no more.
“Welcome back to the world.” With blurred vision, Maudie saw a nurse smile. Maudie retuned the smile. She was glad to be back. She needed to see Reverend Bob Walker.
Oh yes, Bob! She knew him from his childhood.
“Need Bob Walker,” said Aunt Maudie, very weakly.
“Okay -- we have his number as a contact person. We will contact him for you,” replied the friendly nurse.
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Mary Walker had begun breakfast early. She had been unable to sleep, worrying about Lizzie Jane — the young girl was in trouble and there was nothing Mary could do to help.
On the other hand, Reverend Walker came into the kitchen, a little more content. Before Mary could express her surprise at his calm state, Reverend Walker began telling about his dream:
“I never believed much in Elizabeth Jane’s story about her mother talking to her, but never said anything because Big John claimed to have seen her and was able protect Elizabeth from a dangerous panther.’
He continued, “Last night, her mother came to me in a dream — or was it a dream? It seemed so real. She told me that Elizabeth had fallen into the hands of a dangerous man, but that God is still in charge. No harm will come to her from the man’s hand. She will keep her virginity.”
Reverend Walker continued. “But, Elizabeth sinned by what she did — stealing clothes, running away from home, disobeying her guardians. She will have to pay the consequences’.
“I asked, what are the consequences? The answer I received was very strange.’
“God created time and He is able to move back and forth in time and is able to control whatever age we find ourselves. I did not understand what ‘time’ had to do with the consequences. I was informed that it is not for me to know the mysteries in which God works.’
“Also, I was told that I would receive a phone call from Maudie today and I am to tell her that Elizabeth is alive and well and we will see her in due time.”
Mary Walker remained silent and was pondering over the strange message when the phone rang. She answered it and said, “Yes, he is here.” In handing the phone to the Reverend, she said, “It is Maudie.”
Not a bit surprised and with a smile, Reverend Walker took the receiver.
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Lizzie Jane, still thinking that the strange man was giving her a ride to Tuscaloosa, was unknowingly flown to a small airport outside Miami. Still unsuspecting the true motive of the strange man, she was placed in a room with two other girls “to wait for just a little while”.
It was when she was given a pair of short-shorts and a short top that revealed her belly button that questions seem to pop up. Puzzled, she asked, “What are these for?’
“Because that is the way our clients like for our young girls to be dressed,” came the reply.
”Clients?” questioned Lizzie Jane.
“Shut up and put them on,” was the response, followed by a sharp slap on the face.
Surprised and being overcome with fear, she complied. The two other girls looked on at the spectacle.
After the door was closed, one of the girls spoke, “Didn’t you realize that you have been kidnapped and to be sold to someone of another country? We are all in the same boat.”
Lizzie Jane was speechless. The girl noticed Lizzie Jane’s confusion, so she continued, “We tried to resist and were beaten for our efforts. We have talked about escape, but there isn’t any chance."
At that point, the girl began to break into tears and the other girl walked over and hugged her and put her arms around her waist. They began to cry together.
Lizzie Jane did not know what to say or do. She just stood there a moment and walked over and gave the girl a hug, too. She stepped back, with tears in her own eyes, and said with a weak smile, “I am Lizzie Jane.”
She stood there a moment and girl who had been talking replied, “I am Shirley. This is Christy”, as she introduced her companion. “I am sorry about crying and I am sorry that you are in this mess with us. I just don’t know what to do.”
“Have you tried praying?” asked Lizzie Jane. She was shocked and surprised at the events, but the seriousness of the matter had not sunk in.
“Yes, we have prayed. We have cried. The only thing we can do is to try to support each other. We will never see our parents and friends again and it hurts. We have talked about taking our own lives.”
Lizzie Jane started to say that would never do, but she had stopped before the words formed in her mouth. If what Shirley was saying were true, maybe death would be better. She swallowed real hard, and asked, “Where are we? In Alabama?”
“No, we are in Florida. From what I have heard, we are near Miami and will be flown to Puerto Rico for another stop to take on more girls,” answered Shirley. “By the way, how old are you?”
“I am nine years old,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“So young…to be headed for so much trouble. I am 17 and Christie is 16.”
“You said you have prayed and I will pray, too. I know that God can get us out of this mess,” assured Lizzie Jane.
“Well, Christie and I have not lived the kind of life that I think God would approve of, so prayer was kind of a last resort.”
The girls heard the door being unlocked and a huge bearded man open the door and said, “Well, I see you are ready. Let’s go.”
He followed the girls to a twin-engine plane waiting at the small airport. Lizzie Jane kept looking for an avenue of escape, but nothing availed itself.
“Just got three this time,” the man told the pilot as they boarded the place. A quick glance around the plane indicated that it could easily carry two or three more passengers.
A tear filled the girls’ eyes as the viewed their last hope of freedom disappearing beneath them as the plane took to the skies. They were leaving behind family and all their friends, so the only comfort they had were to embrace each other until they were separated.
Everyone sat in silence as the plane continued on its route. About 15 minutes into the trip, the pilot began to notice his instruments were not working properly. Ahead, he spied an unusual looking cloud, so he turned the plane around and flew away from the cloud at an angle.
The huge bearded man noticed the pilot’s actions, stepped up to the cockpit and wanted to know what was going on. The pilot pointed toward the cloud and simply stated that he was going around it.
“Just go through it,” growled the beard man.
“I have heard of something like this before. Although I have never really believed in them, I have heard tales of clouds like that — particularly since my instruments started acting up. I am going at an angle so I can eventually go around the cloud, but it is moving and gaining on me, so I may have to backtrack completely.”
“A moving cloud… gaining on you? Man, you are crazy,” snorted the bearded man.
“But, it is, look behind us!”
Sure enough, the cloud was almost upon them.
“What is going on?” exclaimed the bearded man.
The pilot replied in a scared, excited voice, “Sir, we are in the Bermuda Triangle!”
To be continued...
Proud of his accomplishment so far, the pilot turned to speak to the passengers when he saw something through a window. He screamed, “Let’s get the door open and run like the blazes!”
Chapter 5
The strange cloud swallowed the twin-engine plane. The engines sputtered and the pilot could feel the plane going down. He could not see anything and the instruments were not working, so he wished for an island — anything–except the ocean that he knew was below him.
Suddenly, as if by some miracle, everything cleared and land was visible, with trees, valleys, and mountains. As the pilot skillfully glided the plane over a mountain, he saw a clearing, so he made preparations to make a rough landing.
It was rough, the terrain being uneven, but the plane landed in one piece. It was clear, though, that the engines would need some work before they would start. It was doubtful that enough speed could be obtained to take off the rough ground, anyway. It looked like they were stuck — heaven knows where.
Proud of his accomplishment so far, the pilot turned to speak to the passengers when he saw something through a window. He screamed, “Let’s get the door open and run like the blazes!”
Seeing the fear in the pilot’s eyes, no one questioned the command. The three girls ran together in stride. Although Lizzie Jane was younger than the other two girls, she was tall for her age, so it wasn’t any problem to keep up.
They heard one of the men scream and, shortly afterwards, the other, but neither of the girls dared to look back until the reached the forest. They ran deep into the forest before they slowed down and looked back. They did not see anything but a jungle. They realized that they had run through thick bushes and had a few scratches on their faces, arms, and legs, but were out of sight of the clearing.
Breathing heavily, they sat down to rest. When able to do so, Shirley spoke first. “What do you suppose happened?”
“I dunno, but it must have been terrible,” replied Christy. “What do we do now?”
“Well, this must be an island, so I suggest we find our way to the shore and make plans there. I don’t like being in these woods,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“I think that would be a good idea,” agreed Shirley.
The three girls began to make their way slowly and carefully through the bush. Being alert, they eased by something that looked like a spider web, but the strands were as large as ropes. Looking up, they saw a spider as large as an average dog. Since they had not been caught in its trap, the huge spider did not move, but remain still as if it were waiting for an easier prey caught in its web and unable to fight back.
They saw some creatures that looked like huge worms, but the girls stayed in the bush as much as possible, staying away from what they consider possible danger. They were thinking that, if they got in the open, some larger animal might spot them. As they moved long, they felt their hearts pounding. They were three very scared girls.
They occasionally heard loud noises, sounding like elephants in a circus — or so the girls thought. Finally, Christie could stand it no longer. She broke down and cried. Trying to console her, Lizzie Jane softly spoke, “Please, just trust God. I believe He is watching over us or we would not have gotten this far.”
Although not having the faith Lizzie Jane seemed to possess, Shirley added, “Listen to Lizzie Jane. I betcha there are hundreds of monsters out there ready to catch us, but something must be holding them back.”
They heard a sliding noise close by, so the girls became quiet as a mouse. They could see a huge snake about thirty feet away through the bush. They hugged each other and prayed. After passing, Shirley said, “That thing was as big around as my daddy’s pickup truck. In fact, it could swallow the truck without any problem.”
As they continued on through the jungle, they saw many similar strange sights, always keeping their distance. They saw some creatures that looked like strange birds, but were not flying. A couple of times, some medium sized animal would stick its nose up in the air as if trying to get a whiff of the girls, but the wind must have been blowing the other way or something.
As the sun lowered in the sky and night was fast coming upon them, it seemed like the girls would not be able to hold their nerves much longer, but they softly talked to each other and fought the urge to jump up and run which might cause a ferocious animal to notice them.
They did cry often, being in shock. It seemed like an electric current was running through them continually. At times, they would vomit. Finally, all they could produce was dry heaves. Sick, exhausted, with aching bodies, they continued on.
The night produced a full moon, so they only stopped occasionally to rest. They watched every shadow, every rock, and each tree expecting to come face-to-face with some creature of the night. Continuing on, they worked their way through a very narrow valley with a creek running through it, but staying high on a slope, fearing to come near the water because of thirsty animals.
Finally, by the light of the moon, in the wee hours of the morning, Shirley saw a beach — the shore of the island. Somehow, that made them feel a little safer. They did not know why, but it just did. Crawling under a rock ledge, they pulled themselves close together and, before they knew it, they fell asleep. They were so tired.
Lizzie Jane was the first to awaken to the mid morning sun. She only had about four hours sleep, but strangely she felt refreshed. She quickly glanced around, looking for some kind of danger and seeing none, she ventured from the rock ledge. They were still shaded by the rock, so there was a marked difference when she felt the warmness of the sun.
She looked up and down the beach and began to feel hungry. During the night, the fear and uncertainty had masked hunger pangs, but now that she could not sense any immediate danger, her stomach was telling her it was time for breakfast. While the other two girls continued to sleep, Lizzie Jane decided to go looking for food of some kind. She remembered the berries that had satisfied her when she was lost in the woods back home with Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie.
She carefully walked along the beach, watching the edge of the bushes lest some creature would spring out to grab her and, at the same time, looking for some kind of food. As she walked along, she noticed items that had washed ashore, probably from sunken ships. She came upon the wreckage of a small yacht. She boarded it and slowly made her way down to the living quarters. There she found some canned food, plastic plates with spoons and some clothing.
She picked through the clothing, finding some shorts and a dress that could fit her and, guessing at the other girls’ sizes, she selected clothing that she thought would fit them. Also, some wash cloths and soap. Just the things girls would need. She tied the food in the clothing and tying the clothing together in one bundle so she could carry it better, she started back to the other girls.
When she got back, she prepared three plates of beans and woke the other girls. They were startled for a moment with fear, but Lizzie Jane smiled and said, “I thought you might like some breakfast.”
The food before their eyes was a welcomed sight. The girls were famished and the food never tasted so good. When they saw the clothing, they were overjoyed. The shorts they were wearing were dirty and torn, so each picked a more decent pair of shorts and tees, but only after they had walked down to the ocean and took a sponge bath using the soap. None dared to get in the water; not knowing what creatures may be lurking there.
The remaining clothing and soap was tied into a bundle, being sure to include their plastic eating utensils so they could be used again. They sat down under the shade of the rock ledge to discuss their situation.
Lizzie Jane spoke first. “Do either of you have any idea what happened? Where are we?”
Shirley replied, “I heard the pilot say something about the Bermuda Triangle. There have been stories about airplanes and ships missing in that area and never heard from again. I have heard stories about flying saucers being the cause and some have mentioned a time warp.”
Lizzie Jane asked, “What is a time warp?”
“Well,” Shirley continued, “A time warp is something that causes somebody to travel through time — either in the future or the past. From the animals we have seen, I am starting to believe that and we may be in the past. We have not seen any huge dinosaurs, but we did see smaller animals that could have been small dinosaurs.”
Christie piped in, “We don’t know what happened to the guys. I heard them scream, but I did not look back. I was too scared.”
“Me, too”, agreed both Shirley and Lizzie Jane.
“Could one of those big dinosaurs have gotten them?” Christie wondered.
“Or one of those big snakes,” said Lizzie Jane. “Well, what do we do? We can’t stay here on the beach, can we? I guess we could — but, I found a boat and it was empty, so there must be other people here somewhere.”
“Or eaten”, replied Christie.
“Well, I am scared to go back into the jungle. That’s is what I would call it — a jungle,” confessed Shirley.
Christie and Lizzie Jane agreed. All three would be too scared to go back.
“So, what do we do?” asked Shirley.
“Well, I kinda think we could walk the beach together and see what else we could find. That boat I found was just a little ways that way,” replied Lizzie Jane, pointing toward the direction she found the yacht.
“Maybe” said Christie.
The three sat in silence for a moment, trying to decide if that was a good suggestion. Finally, they decided — why not?
Since they could not determine north, south, east or west, they just meandered along the shore in one direction without any idea where they were going. Each one walked carefully, watching ahead, to each side, fear of the jungle and fear of the ocean. They came to the yacht, went inside and looked around to see what they could find.
There was food, but nothing good enough to eat except what was canned. They each got a few more canned items and found a knapsack, so they had something to carry the food.
Shirley found some magazines dated in 1983 and was surprised that the President of the United States was Ronald Reagan.
“Why he is a movie star,” remarked Christie. “He cannot be President.”
“One thing it proves. We have entered a time warp. We have gone from 1959 to sometime in the past, just as they came from 1983,” replied Shirley. “Now the question is — what happened to them?”
They searched some more and found a young girl’s diary. They discovered that the yacht was lost in a sudden storm with a family of five aboard — the husband, his wife, two girls and one boy. They ventured into the jungle a few times and saw the danger, so they came back to the yacht to have a place to sleep and eat. They had built bonfires, hoping to catch the attention of a passing ship or plane, but so luck. The last entry was hastily written about some savages attacking the boat and the father trying to protect them with a pistol.
“Savages?” questioned Shirley. “Then there are people here but probably some that we don’t want to meet. I wonder if the bonfires attracted their attention. Let’s remember that and, if we have a fire, keep it hidden — under a rock ledge, for instance.”
“Fire”, thought Lizzie Jane openly. “If they could build a fire, there must be some matches here.”
They searched the drawers and found a carton of matches. They struck one and it still worked. That was another item to go in the knapsack. After spending much of the day searching the yacht and taking everything they thought would come in handy, they decided to leave. The savages may come back for some reason. Maybe they are getting things out of the yacht, too, for their own use.
The girls walked on, picking up small items that had washed ashore, but nothing they could really use. Finally, they came to a river emptying into the ocean. When they saw the size of the crocodiles in the river, they decided to not even try to cross the river, so they started back the way they came.
Arriving back at the rock ledge where they had spent the early morning hours sleeping, Shirley looked at it and stated, “I know we slept there, but it doesn’t look like it is much protection. I think we were lucky.”
“Or God was with us,” answered Lizzie Jane. “It is just a rock ledge with not much of room under it. I don’t think it is a place we want to live, either, and it looks like this could be our home for awhile — a long while.”
Christie added, “I agree with you two. I am scared enough as it is. But, I don’t think I could sleep a wink tonight there. But, I am not sure that I can sleep anywhere.”
“Well, we were so exhausted, it did not matter this morning before daybreak, but now that we are rested, it makes a lot of difference,” replied Shirley. “I am not sure that I can sleep tonight, either, no matter what we find. The yacht was a good place, but we were thinking about the savages returning, so I don’t want to go back there.”
“I suggest that we check further down the beach this way,” stated Lizzie Jane.
“I do, too — so let’s go girls. Hopefully we can find something before night,” replied Shirley.
So, the three girls wandered down the beach not knowing what — if anything — they would find. It was a warm day, not too hot, with the temperature reaching around 82 degrees. That did cause a little perspiration, but the girls did not mind. They were too busy keeping their eyes on where they were going, while also watching the jungle on one side and the ocean on the other. There were still fears of some sea monster rising up.
Finally, they came to what looked like a cave. Quickly Christie remarked, “I don’t like caves either. I didn’t like them back home and I sure don’t like them here. They are too scary.”
Looking in, Shirley said, “Come here and look. It just goes a few feet and there is a blank wall. It is about the size of a small house.”
The other two girls examined it and decided that it would be suitable — at least for now. Still fearful, none of the girls had planned to sleep that night anyway.
As they settled in, Lizzie Jane said, “Let’s build a fire. That might keep small animals away and maybe some bigger ones. We could warm our food over it because warm food tastes a lot better.”
Christie added, “And it would give some light. I am scared of the darkness.”
“Look,” stated Shirley. “There is a small stream of water coming down the walls. Ah–just like home — running water.” The girls laughed. Then they realized that was the first time they had laughed in about two days.
As the sun began to set, leaving just a little light, the girls had the fire going and had gotten a pan from their knapsack that had been retrieved from the yacht. No one noticed a hairy figure entering the cave. It had seen the fire and was curious, never seeing a fire before. It was timid or scared because it stayed away from the girls.
Suddenly, the ground shook and rocks and boulders began to fall. “It’s an earthquake”, screamed Shirley and the girls headed for the exit with Lizzie Jane trailing just behind.
She stopped momentarily when she saw the hairy creature trapped under a boulder.
The boulder had not crushed it, but fell just enough to trap and to prevent it from getting up. To Lizzie Jane, it looked like it was crying and seemed to be begging for help in some kind of monkey language.
Being tenderhearted and not wanting any animal to suffer, she considered trying to help it get loose. After all, it was small — about the size of Lizzie Jane — and not one of those huge monsters.
When Shirley looked back and saw what was happening, she screamed, “Come on, it will probably kill you anyway.”
Lizzie Jane had to make a decision. She did not have much time with all the rocks falling, so she sat down with her back to the rock wall and, using her feet, she pushed the boulder with all her strength. The boulder rolled over about a quarter, but that was enough for the creature to get out. The creature and Lizzie Jane exited the cave just as the roof caved in.
“Whew, what a close call,” said Lizzie Jane.
Outside there was just enough light so that Lizzie Jane could get a clear view of the animal. It was a gorilla — a small one — actually shorter than Lizzie Jane. It seemed to be trying to give Lizzie Jane a gorilla “thank you.”
The other two girls were astonished. It WAS giving a “thank you”. That was clear.
Lizzie Jane slowly, but carefully, reached out her hand and petted the little gorilla on the head. It seemed very pleased. That reminded Lizzie Jane about rescuing a little deer when she was lost in the woods and the deer became a pet. Now, it seemed that Lizzie Jane had a new friend.
“I think I will name you George. Since all the animals are huge around here, you must be a baby”, smiled Lizzie Jane. “I sure would not like to meet your mother.”
Unknowingly to the girls, the mother was nearby and she was huge — 18 feet tall with a large body to match. Shirley and Christie saw her first and Lizzie Jane turned and was shocked to see how large the mother was, too.
The mother scooped up Lizzie Jane before she had a chance to run and in her big hand brought Lizzie Jane up to where she could stare at her face-to-face. She snarled and showed her huge sharp teeth. Lizzie Jane immediately thought that the mother had assumed her child was in danger of being harmed.
Lizzie Jane screamed, trembling with fear, thinking that surely she was to be eaten alive.
--- To be continued
Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue
Shirley and Christie stood frozen in fear as they watched the giant gorilla, with Lizzie Jane in its grasp, make threatening noises and gestures. The question uppermost in their minds was the same that was frightening to Lizzie Jane -- Did a giant 18-foot gorilla eat humans?
Chapter 6
Shirley and Christie stood frozen in fear as they watched the giant gorilla, with Lizzie Jane in its grasp, make threatening noises and gestures. The question uppermost in their minds was the same that was frightening to Lizzie Jane -- Did a giant 18-foot gorilla eat humans?
George, the baby gorilla, saw what was happening and it began to jump up and down, making sounds and motions as if it were talking to his mother. Was it telling how Lizzie Jane had saved its life?
Whatever George said, it must have been good. The giant gorilla listened to George a few moments and very carefully placed Lizzie Jane down on her feet. George jumped up and down again, this time with glee, ran and hugged Lizzie Jane.
“Well, I’ll be,” Shirley, remarked. “Monkeys do have a language after all.”
“Wonder what he told her”, questioned Christie.
“Probably that Lizzie Jane saved his life during the earthquake,” answered Shirley. “Anyway, it is certain. Lizzie Jane has a new friend.”
Lizzie Jane was so weak, she had to sit down. She was still trembling when the girls went over to try to console her. No doubt she had suffered a terrifying experience — one that is not gotten over easily.
“I --- I ---“, Lizzie Jane tried to speak, but with trembling lips, the words had a problem coming out. “I — never — have been so — scared in my — life.” With those few words, she fainted.
Darkness of night began to creep over the young girls and George, who was standing next to Lizzie Jane, observed what was going on. The girls were looking around for a place to bed down for the night. Since Lizzie Jane had fainted, a place had to be found for her close-by. Since the roof of the cave had fallen in, there wasn’t another place except the beach.
George seemed to sense the problem, so he made some kind of gorilla noise and motions to his mother. In response, she picked up Lizzie Jane and, with the girls following, went into the jungle.
Although the girls were afraid of the jungle, they followed anyway. They had become very close friends the last couple of days and thought they should watch out for each other. Also, the fear of the jungle was not so prominent now that they were with the huge gorilla and her son, George. The girls felt secure in their presence.
The unusual party climbed up to a high ledge on the side of the mountain where there was a larger cave that had not been affected by the earthquake. The giant gorilla entered and prepared a bed for Lizzie Jane out of some kind of bush that made a soft pallet, laid the young girl down and motioned for the other girls to lie down, too. She went to the entrance and made herself a place to lie down, along with George, to guard the girls against danger.
The girls, seeing what was done and looking at Lizzie Jane, in a deep sleep, lay next to her and cuddled up together and went to sleep. George, looking at the girls, seemed very pleased.
Lizzie Jane’s deceased mother came to her in a dream again. “Honey, I know you had a terrifying experience, but remember I am always with you. You will soon wake up and I want you to be calm. You are protected. Remember, God can work through animals, much more than he can through man, who often is not responsive to God. Beware of men. Keep that in mind, dear. But, remember — no matter what happens, God is still in control.”
Shortly after daylight entered the cave, Lizzie Jane slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed her eyes to remove the blur and looked around. She saw where she was, although she could not understand exactly where and how she got there. Shirley and Christie were still cuddled up to her as if she had two young guardians at her side. She saw George, still asleep, lying by his mother.
The giant gorilla saw that she was awake and presented her with some strange looking fruits, berries, and bananas, making a gesture by moving her hand to her mouth, to indicate that Lizzie Jane should eat. Lizzie Jane shook the other two girls, and said, “It is breakfast time.”
Shirley and Christie stirred, rubbed their blurry eyes, and sat up. The first thing they noticed was how calm Lizzie Jane appeared, and then they saw the fruit. Being hungry, they each sampled the fruit.
“I don’t know where this came from, but it is good,” remarked Shirley.
“Guess--” said Lizzie Jane. “Momma gorilla brought it.”
“I meant some kind of plant, silly. It looks different from anything I have seen,” replied Shirley.
They glanced at the huge gorilla, sitting there watching the girls and it seemed that she was pleased that the girls were eating and were enjoying the food.
“I think she has adopted us,” Christie stated, “and it is all due to the kind heart of Lizzie Jane. If it wasn’t for her, we would still be on the beach, trying to decide what to do — where to get our food and find a place to sleep — or worse yet — dead.”
“Our knapsack is under the rocks when the cave roof fell in, isn’t it?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“Yes,” replied Christie as she began on the berries.
Finishing breakfast, followed by fresh water, the girls ventured out to the ledge of the mountain under the watchful eye of Momma Gorilla. Sitting there, they could see a small portion of the jungle and the ocean, seemingly without end, lying beyond.
“Have you noticed that there isn’t any large animals like we saw when we crashed?” questioned Shirley, quickly adding, “except Momma Gorilla, of course.’
“I have been sitting here thinking. We are on the opposite side of the mountain and the large creatures seem to be on the other side. I think the reason they may not have crossed over was because the valley we came through was too narrow for them, so the mountain keeps them over there.”
“That suits me just fine,” remarked Christie.
“But, Momma Gorilla is on this side,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“But remember, Momma Gorilla can climb. That must be how she selected a cave on this ledge,” replied Shirley. She continued, “and another strange thing. Where is Poppa Gorilla? There can’t be a baby gorilla without a poppa.”
Shirley seem to be a thinker and evidently the most learned and intelligent of the three.
“I have not thought about a poppa,” replied Lizzie Jane, “but I can see what you mean about Momma Gorilla being able to climb. She was able to come across the mountain — maybe to protect her child?”
“That is what I was thinking,” Shirley stated. “I wonder if Poppa Gorilla was killed by other giant animals on the other side of the mountain and that is why she thought about protecting her baby.”
“What do we do, now?” asked Christie.
“Well, like you said, Christie, we seem to have been adopted thanks to Lizzie Jane, so I suggest we stay here. From this ledge, we have a good view of the ocean and, if there are any ships or anything spotted, we can see them miles away,” replied Shirley.
George, being a young gorilla, wanted to play, so he began pulling Lizzie Jane to go down into the jungle with him. She was reluctant, because of fear.
Guessing what George wanted, Shirley spoke up. “It will probably be okay to go with him. The jungle is his playground and he has managed to survive this long. I would think that Momma Gorilla would be watching him from this lofty perch. Besides now, I would think that Momma Gorilla is the queen around here and the other animals know it.”
With that, Lizzie Jane made her way down the slope into the dreaded jungle. The first wild animal she saw was a lion, which turned away when seeing her with George. Maybe Shirley was right. Maybe Momma Gorilla had bluffed the other animals.
Also, it seemed strange that the lion was a normal size — not like the monsters on the other side of the mountain. That caused her to think that the mountain range circled the island and kept the large creatures imprisoned in the center.
The possibility of savages, as mentioned in the diary found on the yacht, crossed Lizzie Jane’s mind. But, there wasn’t any sign of them. She began to wonder if they lived on the other side of the mountain and, if they did, were they giant people?
George became busy doing antics, common to monkeys and possibly gorillas, too. He liked to climb trees and swing on vines. He finally got Lizzie Jane in a tree, put a vine in her hand and pushed her off the tree. She grasped the vine with all her might, closing her eyes, but did not hit another tree, but a clump of bushes, instead. George jumped up and down, seemingly with a gorilla laugh.
“T’aint funny,” said Lizzie Jane, followed by a smile, thinking about her name — Jane — remembering Tarzan and Jane. Yep, she had the right name.
Amazingly, with a lot of practice and a few bruises and scratches, she learned to swing on vines — from shorter trees that were closer to the ground. She was proud of herself that she was beginning to be a jungle girl and she was beginning to enjoy it.
She found some rocks, which she thought, might be useful because of the type she thought they were, but not sure. She put a few in the pockets of her shorts to carry back with her. If they were what she thought, it would be a welcome addition to their new home.
The day ended much too soon, so as the sun began to set, the “jungle couple” made their way up the mountain to the ledge. Shirley and Christie had made some brooms and placed rocks in such a manner as to create a table and stools. They carved out some shelves where the walls were more dirt than rock and made it more like home.
Although they kept an eye on the ocean from their high location, looking for a ship or something to rescue them, they thought that this might be the home for quite some time.
Supper was as delicious as breakfast. Lizzie Jane gathered a few stick and put them together as if she were going to build a fire. The other two girls stood there, wondering what she was doing. The matches were in the knapsack covered with rocks from the earthquake, so how could she start a fire? Lizzie Jane pulled out a couple of rocks from her pocket and struck them together over a small pile of straw. Sparks flew out and eventually a little fire was started. She had been correct — they were flint rocks.
The fire was a welcomed blessing because it gave light during the darkness of night. At first, Momma Gorilla seemed to be concerned, but watching how it brought pleasure to the girls, she accepted it. Also, she saw that George liked it, too.
Bedtime rolled around and the girls cuddled up together and went to sleep, all of them peacefully for the first time since the crash. Tomorrow was another day and no one could foresee what it would hold.
--- To be continued
Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue
This chapter is the introduction to the wildest ride any ten year old will face -- yes, Lizzie Jane turns ten years old in this chapter.
The wild ride is yet to come, but events in this chapter will shed light on events in the next chapter. Without this knowledge, a lot of people will not understand the exploits of our Lizzie Jane
After performing their housekeeping (or cave keeping) duties each day, Shirley and Christie would sit on the ledge looking for the possible landing of a ship, hoping for some kind of rescue, although they wondered what good that would do since any ship coming ashore would have been caught in the Bermuda Triangle, also.
Sitting on the ledge, they could not only see the shore, but occasionally see Lizzie Jane and her friend, George, like two good friends playing together in the jungle below.
One day Christie spoke up, “Do gorillas walk mostly upright kinda like people? I have only seen pictures and they always seem bent over.”
“Well, if you are thinking about Momma Gorilla and George, remember that they are unusual, like the creatures we saw on the other side of the mountain,” replied Shirley. “I read in a book that gorillas only tend to their own nests, but Momma Gorilla prepared a nice place for us to sleep, too. I don’t think that was a natural thing.”
“Yes, they are very unusual,” said Christie. “Speaking of the other side of the mountain, I never looked back to see, but I believe a dinosaur caught the two men who had kidnapped us.”
“That has been my thoughts, too, but they deserved it — kidnapping three innocent girls to be sold into slavery. I have heard preachers say that a person reaps what they sow,” replied Shirley.
Meanwhile, Lizzie Jane was not only playing with her little gorilla friend, but she was learning quite a bit about jungle life. For one thing, she got better at swinging through the trees and finally graduated from the lower limbs to higher limbs. Vines were not hanging as close as they seem to be in the Tarzan stories, but Lizzie Jane learned to swing from one limb to another, using her arms like a trapeze artist would do in a circus. Of course, she had started that maneuver on trees close to each other and close to the ground. She fell often until she learned the technique and strengthen her arms.
She also learned the quickest way to climb a tree to get out of harm’s way. If something climbed a tree after her, she would just swing to another tree near by. She was fast become a jungle girl and was very proud of herself. She thought such skill would come in handy some day.
She also thought about self-protection. She was safe in these jungles since all the animals knew that she was connected to Momma Gorilla in some way by always being seen with George. “Momma” had showed them who was boss. In fact, Lizzie Jane was beginning to think of all the animals as friends.
But, she had the thought that she might have to go elsewhere in the jungle and she needed to have some kind of weapon for protection. She found some stalks of cane in a swampy area and was able to fashion a certain kind of rock into a spearhead, much the same way that Native Americans made their arrowheads. She was able to secure the spearhead to the cane by cutting a slit in the end of the stalk and securing it with some kind of tough strands of grass. It wasn’t perfect, but she practiced punching it in wads of moss that simulated an animal’s body (according to her way of thinking). She never dreamed of using it on a human and only in case of life or death on anything else.
Another strange experience brought Lizzie Jane and George closer to communication. Attempting to teach George a few words of the human language, she pointed to a tree and said “Tree.” Expecting him to only understand what she was saying, after a few tries, George said “Tee”. Lizzie Jane was amazed! He could talk, if trained.
He smiled, pointed to the tree and made a sound that sounded like a one-syllable sound that a monkey might make. It took a moment, but Lizzie Jane realized that he was teaching her the word, “tree” in gorilla language. By practicing simple words to each other, slowly they began to communicate in both human and gorilla language.
After a few weeks of practice, Lizzie Jane thought, “Wow, this going to blow Shirley and Christie’s mind.”
Slowly, time began to pass. Lizzie Jane started to love the jungle and all the animals, keeping in mind that the animals were wild and, if given a chance, they could turn on her. So, Lizzie Jane continued to keep her guard up.
The weeks grew into months and by a rough count, the girls determined that a year had passed by the length of the days and a “rainy season.” As much as Lizzie Jane loved the jungle, she was homesick, wanting to see Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie. All she could do to help Aunt Maudie now was to pray and trust God that she had gotten better. All Lizzie Jane’s efforts to find Aunt Maudie to help her had failed.
It wasn’t surprising that Lizzie Jane’s deceased mother appeared to her in a dream. It had been much too long since the last time that had happened, but the news was great.
“Lizzie Jane,” said her mother, “Aunt Maudie is better and going back to Uncle Jed. What I want you to know that time is not passing there like it is passing here, so they will be looking for you to come home soon.”
The dream was so strange. Here, Lizzie Jane had aged another year. In fact, the girls had estimated her birthday and had a celebration. Now she was ten years old. What did her mom mean when she mentioned time was not passing the same in both worlds? If she could go back now, would she be nine years old — or ten?
The girls had some more clothing. Lizzie Jane, accompanied by George, had visited the yacht one more time and she gathered the last of the clothes she could find. Each girl had at least one dress and two pairs of shorts. Lizzie Jane was fortunate to have found some pants to fit her, as well as a couple of shorts and a skirt and blouse. All the girls would have sufficient underclothes, too.
She also found a hunting knife along with some kitchen utensils and some cups and more plates. A couple of frying pans with one cover would allow something to be cooked, if they had anything, and there were birds and fish in plentiful supply on the island.
To her joy, there was also an archery set, complete with a bow and a good supply of arrows. Lizzie Jane hid that, along with her homemade spear and hunting knife, in her secret hiding place and made a conscious reminder to herself to practice often. She intended to become an expert at self-protection if it ever became necessary.
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One night, before bedding down, Shirley walked on the ledge for a last look at the beach before retiring. To her surprise, she saw activity on the beach. A huge bonfire was blazing and was lighting up much of the nighttime sky. She quickly reported the incident to Christie and Lizzie Jane.
“Well, looks like we have some people who must have washed ashore, “ Christie said when seeing the spectacle,” What should we do?”
“I think we should wait until daylight and maybe see what is down there. It may not be what it seems and we don’t need to go running down there in the darkness of night. If nothing else, it could get us shot with a gun happy person,” replied Shirley.
Needless to say, it was a restless night for the girls because of the expectation of seeing friendly faces. They were extremely excited.
By the light of the mid-morning sun, the girls met together on the ledge in an attempt to view the situation on the beach again. As near as could be determined, there were about four persons, but the sex of each individual could not be recognized from that distance.
Shirley was the first to speak. “Waddda y’all think? Ready to go down and welcome our visitors?”
“Ready and willing,” agreed Christie.
“Okay, let’s go --- No, wait a minute!” exclaimed Shirley as she suddenly saw some disturbing events. ”Look at those men coming out of the jungle! They are twice as big as the others.”
“They must be the savages that were written about in the diary we found on the yacht!” Christie exclaimed.
The girls viewed quite a battle from their vantage point -- and the newcomers lost. When it appeared that the last person was dead, the savages carried them off into the jungle.
“Why would they be carrying them into the jungle after they killed them?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“I don’t know,” replied Shirley, “unless — unless they are cannibals.”
That statement caused a chill to run up and down the girls’ spine.
“They probably killed them because they were fighting back. I guess they would have taken them prisoner, otherwise,” replied Christie.
“Dead or alive, I guess the end result would be the same, except a live person could be saved for later,” Shirley sadly answered. “That is — if they are cannibals. They may save the live persons for slaves.”
“What we guessed last time was probably correct. The savages look for bonfires. They know that someone had landed,” said Christie.
Lizzie Jane spoke up, “And we did not have a fire in the open for that reason. That is why we were not attacked.”
“Yes,” said Christie, “They did not know we were there. The only fire we had was in the little cave.”
“That causes me to think that they probably live on the other side of the mountain. Remember the glow that lit up the sky last night? That may have been visible on the other side,” suggested Shirley. “Also it could be the reason why we have not seen them on this side. Although they are twice as large as the average person, they may come through the narrow valley as we did. I think these mountains are hard to climb.”
Lizzie Jane was visibly shaken over something she just realized: “Giants!” she exclaimed.
“Anyway, regardless of where they live, we need to be very careful — especially you, Lizzie Jane — playing with George in the jungle”, advised Shirley.
Lizzie Jane thought to herself, “It is a good thing that I have learned how to escape attacks in the jungle.” The other two girls did not know what Lizzie Jane had learned and she wasn’t one to brag on herself.
George started pulling at Lizzie Jane. He thought that she ought to go into the jungle every day and Lizzie Jane did not mind. Usually, she enjoyed it because she was learning something new each time she went. There were a few days she did not feel like going and, of course, the rainy days kept her inside, too. George would pout a little, but find something else to amuse himself with, so everything turned out okay.
This day, however, the girls were extra cautious, going out whenever they though necessary. The water gourds were empty, so Christie started toward the spring for water about a quarter mile away. It had been considered safe because the wild animals must have considered that part of the jungle to be off limits, due to be so close to Momma Gorilla. There were multiple springs throughout the jungle, so the animals used them for their watering hole.
Shirley thought it best that Lizzie Jane stay at “home” due to the circumstances. George finally gave up on Lizzie Jane joining him in the jungle today, so he decided to see what he could get into by himself.
An hour and a half passed and Shirley began to worry about Christie. She had not come back and she had plenty of time. Just as Shirley started to go and see about Christie, George came back, chattering away about something. Lizzie Jane got him to slow down and listened closely. She made out part of what he was saying because of her accumulated knowledge of “monkey talk” (the language George taught her) and the gestures he was using.
“Girl…got…big…men” is what she understood. Lizzie Jane turned as white as a sheet. Shirley looked puzzled. “Did you understand what he said?” she asked.
“Yes, it seemed like some big men captured Christie”, she finally blurted out in tears.
Shirley and Lizzie Jane ran down the trail and found the water gourds. It appeared there had been a struggle and, upon close investigation, some barefoot tracks of big feet. They clearly did not belong to Christie. Since she did not have a weapon to fight with, there seemed to be a good chance that she was captured alive.
“The savages!” exclaimed Lizzie Jane. “I have got to get her back” At that, she began to run down the trail.
Shirley called out, “What are you going to do? They are giants and you are only ten years old.”
“I don’t know, but we will be coming back together”, hollered Lizzie Jane, as she picked up speed.
“Lizzie Jane! Come back! You are crazy”, screamed Shirley, but they fell on deaf ears as Lizzie Jane went out of hearing distance.
Shirley sat down beside the trail and, holding her head with her hands, she sobbed. Had Lizzie Jane been in the jungle so long she has lost her senses? Who does she think she is?” At that statement, she looked at George — who looked worried, too.
All of a sudden she realized -- Lizzie Jane is different! She had understood what George said. Lizzie Jane had understood gorilla talk! But how??
--- To be continued
Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue
Upon hitting the ground, Lizzie Jane saw the huge head of the tyrannosaurus rex coming toward her very fast, mouth open with sharp 13 inch teeth. This was the king of the dinosaurs, which, with one bite from his massive four-foot jaws, could snap any backbone. She didn’t have time to get up and run. Even if she could, a T-rex could run 40 miles per hour.
Lizzie Jane had no idea what she was going to do. All she knew was — one of her best friends was in trouble and she had to rescue her. But how? That was the question.
She was ten years old, planning to go against giant savages, probably ten feet tall or larger — and, on top of that, going into an area with huge creatures, possibly dinosaurs. A year ago, she had been scared beyond description in that part of the jungle, but now a little braver because of her self-training; she knew that was going to have to be very cautious.
At her secret hiding place, she retrieved her hunting knife, and the archery set with a good strong bow and about a dozen arrows. She decided against her homemade spear. There was no way for her to know what lay ahead and she may have to make quick exits through the trees and she could not do that carrying something in her hand.
The knife had a leather sheath on a belt and there was a back quiver for the arrows, so no problem there except the quiver getting caught, but she thought she could handle that problem if the situation arose.
She had learned to be a very fast runner, so she thought she might catch up with the savages in the narrow valley, which divided the mountain chain. It had been a couple of hours since Christie had disappeared and the savages’ progress with a prisoner would probably be slow, so Christie started down a jungle path in that direction at a very fast pace.
She was correct. She saw them ahead about half way through the valley. Looking up toward the slope above the creek, she decided that might be the best place to make the attack. She eased down the hill above them until she came to a large rock she thought might cause some confusion if it rolled down the slope. The thought was to push the boulder toward them with her feet and, in all the excitement, maybe slip down and grab Christie by the hand and run. It did not occur to Lizzie Jane that Christie could not run as fast as she could.
Thinking the childish idea would work, she pushed with all her might against the boulder like she had in the cave when she rescued George. The boulder started rolling and the unthinkable happened. It caused an avalanche. Most of the savages saw what was happening, turned and ran in the opposite direction. The avalanche was successful in separating the savages, just missing the two savages in front with Christie.
When Lizzie Jane saw the confusion of the savages in charge of Christie, she screamed, “Run, Christie!” -- thinking Christie would run up the slope toward her. Christie ran, but forward — the wrong way --toward the big valley of the huge creatures.
One of the savages quickly recovered and pulled his arm back to throw a spear at Christie. Lizzie Jane, hoping her practice paid off, quickly pulled out an arrow from the quiver, aimed at the savage, hitting him in the shoulder and causing him to drop the spear. The next arrow hit the other savage in the upper leg. Both fell with shock and surprise. That is what Lizzie Jane intended.
She ran and partially slid down the slope, quickly grabbing both spears while both savages were rolling in pain. She did not want them to get up and throw a spear at her.
Her next thought was Christie, running the wrong way. Lizzie Jane ran after her, only to come out of the narrow valley into the much larger valley. As she started to throw the spears away, she glanced at one.
The savages had constructed a spear that came apart in the middle that would make it easy to carry in her quiver, so she took both spears apart to carry with her. She thought how smart the savages had become — to invent a spear that could be easily carried elsewhere besides the hand.
Trying to determine which way Christie would go, she heard a scream. Running quickly to the source, she saw the problem.
Christie was frozen with fright. Lizzie Jane saw the reason. A huge tyrannosaurus rex was headed toward Christie. Lizzie Jane quickly ran between Christie and the T-rex and screamed again, “Run, Christie, run!” She began to throw rocks at the T-rex to get his undivided attention.
The T-Rex decided that Lizzie Jane was an easier target, so its attention was turned toward her. Lizzie Jane looked for the tallest tree and scampered up the tree without any problem to a height above the reach of the 14-foot giant.
The T-rex, not to be denied, began to shake the tree with its head. The tree, being slender, began to rock and become uprooted. Lizzie Jane looked for another tree to jump to, but quickly discovered that she was in the tallest tree. The others were too far for her to jump or swing to the limbs. All she could do was ride the tree to the ground.
Upon hitting the ground, Lizzie Jane saw the huge head of the tyrannosaurus rex coming toward her very fast, mouth open with sharp 13 inch teeth. This was the king of the dinosaurs, which, with one bite from his massive four-foot jaws, could snap any backbone. She didn’t have time to get up and run. Even if she could, a T-rex could run 40 miles per hour.
She rolled, attempting to dodge the monster’s attack and rolled into a hollow place under a boulder. The T-rex tried to get his mouth under the rock, but she was barely out of reach. Not to be defeated, the T-rex began to move the boulder with his head. Now, Lizzie Jane was truly trapped. The only thing to do now was to brace for the end. Lizzie Jane prayed and asked God to receive her into Heaven.
She had lost her bow and could see it on the ground. However, she still had her quiver and happened to remember the two-piece spears she had picked up. She quickly grabbed one, put it together and, as the dinosaur raised its head in its effort to move the boulder, she thrust the spear into the only soft spot of the monster -- in the neck near the throat, hitting an artery. Blood began to gush out when the creature’s heart pumped. When the head came back down, she thrust it into an eye which caused the dinosaur to jerk its head back and away from the boulder.
Lizzie Jane watched from her temporary safe spot as the T-rex turned around and around and finally stumbled and fell with a hard thump. Waiting a few minutes, she finally got the nerve to slowly walk up to the dinosaur. She saw that he was dead.
She walked around the body of her huge attacker, nervously, looking at the skin. It dawned on her that she had hit the only two vital parts, the soft part of the neck and the eye. Every other part was too tough for anything to penetrate. She did not know, neither did the science books she had read reveal that a T-rex had a soft spot anywhere.
No one could have been more shocked and surprised than Lizzie Jane. She, a mere ten-year-old girl, had killed the most ferocious and feared animal that ever lived.
She had killed a tyrannosaurus rex!
She thought about David and Goliath in the Bible. David’s stone had hit the only soft spot — the unprotected spot — of Goliath. Maybe God directed her spear.
With tears of joy, she fell to her knees, looked up to Heaven, and said, “Thank you, God.” It was evident that God was not ready for her to go to Heaven yet.
Lizzie Jane began to consider — David’s victory was recorded in the Bible, Daniel Boone recorded killing a bear on a tree — Lizzie Jane needed to record her victory someway. No one would read it anyway, but it would not be any harm to write her victory on something.
She removed a flat aluminum box from her belt. She never figured out what it could be used for anyway. With her knife, she opened it and scratched very deeply these words: “Killed by Lizzie Jane, Date Unknown.” Now, what should she do with it? Well, the T-rex’s mouth was open, so she pitched it in there. It will never be seen, but it seemed like the thing to do at the moment.
Time enough for rejoicing over such a victory — now Lizzie Jane must find Christie again.
She picked up her bow, put it over her neck, and holding one of the spears in her hand, she trotted through the jungle with more confidence than she ever had. The valley was large and she had no idea where to find Christie, but she felt that she needed to find her friend fast before something else happened. Maybe she had been re-captured by the savages.
As she trotted, Lizzie Jane’s mind wandered just a little — the main thought and attention was to find Christie, but she tried to remember how the savages looked. They looked a little human, but also similar to the gorilla. They wore what looked like aprons made from animal skins around their waist and hairy all over. She thought, “They were in bad need of a deodorant.”
She remembered pictures of cavemen. Yes -- that is what they were, the famous cavemen of ancient history. So, if she could not find Christie, she would begin looking for caves.
Occasionally, Lizzie Jane would stop and call, “Christie! Christie!” She was disappointed each time when there wasn’t any answer. The fifth time she did that, she had some visitors shortly thereafter — the savages.
They tried to grab her, but she was watchful and too quick for them and, before they knew it, she was up a tree and swinging from limb to limb and vine to vine when she could find one. Sometimes the vine had attached it self to a tree and she had to cut into it with her hunting knife. Unlike all the stories, very few were hanging loosely. She had heard them called grapevines, but she never saw any grapes. But, swinging through the trees was fun. She enjoyed it as much now as she did when she swung through the trees with George.
The important thing was that it kept the savages confused. Who was this girl who was able to swing through the trees like the monkeys?
However, it seemed to provide a clue in finding Christie. They had tried to grab Lizzie Jane, so they must have been able to grab Christie. She began to ease around in the trees until she again spotted some of the savages. Trying to keep from being seen, she slowly followed them from above. They might lead her to Christie.
Finally, they came to a series of caves in the mountain. Lizzie Jane, still having not set foot on the ground, surveyed the area for Christie. Finally, she saw her. In a cage constructed with cane stalks, Christie sat in a corner. It looked like she had been crying, but the tears had dried up. The cage was in an offset of the mountain, so it would be difficult for a large dinosaur to reach her, although a smaller one could.
“Now, what should I do?” thought Lizzie Jane. With all her skills, Lizzie Jane was not a fighter and only planned to use her weapons if necessary to defend herself — or to defend Christie. She decided that maybe the savages were not hungry enough for Christie or wanted to fatten her up for later. Hopefully, that was the reason she was still alive, so Lizzie Jane decided to make herself comfortable in a tree and wait until nightfall in hopes that they would not move Christie.
Night came and Christie had not been moved. It became late in the evening and finally the savages went to sleep, but Lizzie Jane assumed that they were light sleepers. The assumption was reasonable for self-preservation. They had to be ready to fight — or run at any time, even at night.
From a tree, Lizzie Jane positioned herself so that she could be seen by Christie. She had gathered some nuts from some of the trees and, one by one, tossed them toward Christie, hitting her in different areas of the body. Christie was awaken by the falling nuts and looked up.
Upon being seen, Lizzie Jane put a finger to her lips for Christie to remain quiet. She put her quiver and bow on a limb, propped up so it would not fall because Lizzie Jane’s plan could not be completed with anything on her back.
Lizzie Jane swung down on a vine to the top of the cage and notice that it was tied together with green vines. She very quietly began to saw at the vines with her knife. When all the vines were cut loose except one, Lizzie Jane eased the side of the cage down slowly by holding to the vine — just enough for Christie to get out.
There was not enough slack in the vines to let it down completely without dropping it and that might wake the savages. She quickly tied the vine in place, so she could reach down with both hands and pull Christie up to her. Although Lizzie Jane had gained some strength by her daily exercise, she still had some of the weakness of a young girl, but with determination, she was able to pull Christie up to the top of the cage with her.
Christie was instructed to put her arms around Lizzie Jane’s neck and “to hold on”. Lizzie Jane swung by the vine to a tree close to the cage. The weight on Lizzie Jane’s back almost caused her to lose balance, but she quickly grabbed a limb to steady herself. The procedure was accomplished with much difficulty and Lizzie Jane was not anxious to try it again, except in a dangerous situation. After all, Lizzie Jane was not strong like the fictional hero in jungle stories.
“I wish I could swing through the trees with you, but I almost lost you back there, so I had better not try,” Lizzie Jane whispered to Christie. “So, we will run together. I am a pretty good shot with a bow and arrow and I have two spears — here, you take one. If things get too rough, I will help you get up a tree and we will work this thing out together.”
Unlike the first time a year before, the girls ran down animal paths toward the valley. Luckily (or God was with them), they made it to the narrow valley without any attacks from huge monsters. Lizzie Jane was not sure if the nighttime had anything to do with their safety. The moon was full, so there was sufficient light.
As the day began to dawn, Shirley was on the ledge looking for a miracle — that Lizzie Jane and Christie would return together. When she saw them, her heart leaped with joy. Lizzie Jane had come through!
Shirley ran to meet them and just had to hug their necks. It was difficult to believe that Lizzie Jane was smart enough for the rescue without confronting the savages and that she had the ability to swing through the trees. “Just the masterful instructions of George,” said Lizzie Jane. They all laughed.
The most unbelievable news was when Lizzie Jane reported what happened to the dinosaur that had attacked her.
“When I last saw you, you were facing a dinosaur — from pictures I have seen, it was a T-rex. How did you escape?” asked Christie.
“I killed it”, replied Lizzie Jane.
“Don’t tell me that! Please tell me how you escaped,” pleaded Christie.
I killed it!” proclaimed Lizzie Jane.
“But how?” both girls asked almost simultaneously.
“With a spear — to the throat and eye”, stated Lizzie Jane, somewhat proudly.
“Well, I’ll be..”said Shirley, “Imagine! A ten year old girl killing a T-rex!”
“But now, we have something else to think about. The savages will probably come looking for us,” mentioned Lizzie Jane as they walked back to the cave.
Upon the ledge, they saw George. He seemed overjoyed that Lizzie Jane was back — and safe. It seemed that even Momma Gorilla smiled a little.
Since it was very early morning, the girls discussed a probable attack from the savages. They knew that there were people around.
“Well, we have Momma Gorilla,” mentioned Shirley.
“But, the savages will have weapons — spears and things. I am sure they have killed some huge animals where they live. They can do a lot of thing when their group work together. We would not want to risk the lives of Momma Gorilla and George,” mentioned Lizzie Jane.
“Yes,” agreed Christie. “I have seen the fingers of gorillas that must have been as large as Momma that the savages had.”
So, how could three girls fight against a small army of savages?
--To be continued
Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue
The girls thought about the matter for a few moments and Shirley said, “Okay, let’s try it. The savages probably have already missed Christie and on their way here to find her and whoever helped her get loose.”
THE LONG JOURNEY
Chapter 9
(Final Chapter)
Undecided and without any clue on what to do when the savages attacked, Shirley set about to preparing breakfast. On the menu this particular morning were fried eggs. The girls were not sure what kind of bird laid the eggs, but they were eggs and that was good enough for them.
“Where is Lizzie Jane?” asked Shirley as she set the plates for breakfast. She was thoughtful enough to set out some fruit for Momma Gorilla and George. They all usually ate together, each enjoying the meal to suit each individual taste.
Lizzie Jane came running in, huffing and puffing, back from a fast run.
“Where in the world have you been?” asked Shirley.
“Down to the beach. I just wanted to check on something,” answered Lizzie Jane.
“Well, I hope it is something good — to help us fight the savages,” replied Shirley, rather coldly.
“Well, I think so,” said Lizzie Jane. “I believe the savages are after us. They seem to have a taste for humans, so if we are gone, I don’t think they will bother Momma and George. They would be too much of a burden to carry back and I think they have plenty of gorillas where they live.’
“So, I checked to see if the last group to come ashore had a boat — and they did! My suggestion is that we paddle out to sea and, that way, we can protect Momma and George.”
“So, how would we get their attention away from here?” smirked Shirley.
“We build a bonfire. I know it isn’t night so they cannot see the light against the nighttime sky, but we should be able to build one large enough so they can see the smoke,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“Shirley, it is worth a try,” pleaded Christie. “I don’t want see Momma Gorilla and George hurt and you know Momma Gorilla will try to protect us.”
The girls thought about the matter for a few moments and Shirley said, “Okay, let’s try it. The savages probably have already missed Christie and on their way here to find her and whoever helped her get loose.”
Lizzie Jane tried to explain in gorilla language the matter to George, but he shook his head and objected. Lizzie Jane explained why and in gorilla language told him, “I will always be your sister and I want to protect you. I promise that I will try to find a way to come back — Okay?” She actually meant those words.
Of course, Lizzie Jane’s explanation to George were in scattered gorilla language, but gorillas did not have a large vocabulary anyway, but Lizzie Jane used enough with gestures so that he would understand. They hugged each other and the girls departed.
Momma Gorilla put her arm around George as if she were sorry, too, and tried to comfort him. George waved good-bye until Lizzie Jane was out of sight. A tear fell from his eye.
Scrap wood that had washed ashore and had dried was quickly gathered and a few clicks of the flint stones over some seaweed got the fire started and it built up quickly. When it was a roaring fire, the girls hopped into the little rowboat and paddled out to sea for a short distance. There they stopped and waited. They wanted the savages to see them.
It wasn’t very long until savages flowed out of the jungle from everywhere. They saw the girls in the little boat and began to throw spears, but the girls were too far away. The girls began to row further and further away to make sure that the savages could see them leaving.
Suddenly, a huge cloud appeared over the horizon and it appeared to be touching the water and the sky as it seemed to draw nearer.
“Look,” said Shirley. “A storm is coming up and a cloud is just above the water. I hope the wind doesn’t blow us back to shore.”
Lizzie Jane and Christie looked. Lizzie Jane spoke first, “That looks like the cloud that brought us here. Let’s row toward it. If it brought us here on this side, it might take us somewhere else on the other side.”
“Well, that is a wild idea,” said Shirley, “but I am game. Let’s try it. Any place is better than back there with the savages.”
The cloud was moving rather fast as if it were after something. The girls rowed as hard as they could at an angle and, by doing so, they seemed to be slightly gaining on it. Tired and feeling as if their arms would fall off, they finally entered the cloud.
Suddenly, everything was still and it seemed very creepy in the fog. They stopped rowing for a few moments because they were so tired. After a short rest, the girls resumed rowing on what seemed to be a perfectly calm sea. Everything was still and quiet, so they did not tire themselves out again. After what seemed to be a couple of hours, they came out on the other side.
“Whew, “ said Shirley. “I thought for awhile we would be stuck in there.”
“Look,” said Christie. “There goes a plane in it like the one we were on.”
Straining her eyes, Shirley remarked, “I believe that IS the plane we were on! We seem to be coming back into our own time just moments before we left it!”
They stopped rowing and watched the plane and cloud continue on their paths until they were out of sight. “Betcha the men in those planes are going to be surprised after they land,” smiled Christie, thinking of everyone running for their lives and the two men screaming when something caught them. The girls had kept on running and never looked back.
Not knowing where they were or which way to go, the girls pulled the paddles in the boat and drifted. As time passed, they wondered if they had done the right thing. On the other side of the cloud, there was an island. On this side, nothing but water as far as the eye could see. No one had thought to bring fresh water to drink. Well, they did not actually expect to be away from land very long.
They drifted for hours. Night came and left. The morning sun reappeared with its hot blast. The girls were very hungry and thirsty.
Shirley remarked, “As the old saying goes -- when out at sea, water, water all around and not a thing to drink.”
“I hope that we can make it,” cried Christie.
“Let’s pray. I don’t believe God intends for me to die out here or else He would not have let me kill that dinosaur,” mentioned Lizzie Jane. They bowed their heads and Lizzie Jane lead the prayer.
Tired, hungry and thirsty, the girls closed their eyes -- one by one -- hoping for a miracle. They were soon asleep, almost to the point of unconsciousness.
Lizzie Jane heard a voice in her dream, but it kept getting louder and she began to wake up.
“Ahoy there.”
It wasn’t a dream, but a real voice. She shook the other two girls and Shirley focused her eyes on a welcomed sight — it was the Coast Guard — The United States Coast Guard!
**************************************************************
Doc Brown knocked on the door of Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie’s home.
“Come on in, doc. You are always welcome,” said a smiling Jed.
“How is Maudie after she returned home?” asked the doctor.
“Just fine,” answered Uncle Jed. “She is still claiming that Lizzie Jane’s mother told her that Lizzie Jane is still alive. I haven’t had the heart to tell her there ain’t no hope.”
“But, Lizzie Jane is alive. That is what I came to tell you,” Doc Brown replied.
“What?” exclaimed Aunt Maudie as she entered the room from the kitchen, wearing her flour covered apron. “Jed, I told you so.”
“She is in Miami with two other girls. Some physicians and psychiatrists are examining her and the other girls. They have come up with some wild tale and Lizzie Jane has asked for me to come and prove she is not crazy. I am going to leave tonight and I wanted to see if you two wanted to go with me,” explained Dr. Brown.
“Yes, we want to go,” answered Jed.
“Good, we will drive to Anniston and catch a train. The trip would be too much for my old jalopy. I will pay for the tickets,” offered Doc Brown. “We will switch trains in Atlanta to go on to Miami.”
The train trip was a new experience for Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie , which they thoroughly enjoyed. Upon arrival in Miami, Doc Brown located a taxi to transport the trio to their hotel rooms. The next item was to see Lizzie Jane and find out what was going on.
Doctor Andrew Price, a psychiatrist, met Doc Brown and asked Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie to sit in a waiting area for a few minutes.
“I don’t know why, but the girls are telling a strange story and all the girls are sticking to it. They have been examined separately and their story stays the same. Since one of the girls know you, I thought you might be able to find out the truth,” said Doctor Price as they walked down a hall to a small room which contained a couch, a table and a bed.
“Doc Brown!” screamed Lizzie Jane when she saw him enter the room. She grabbed him and gave a big hug.
“Now, Lizzie Jane. That is you, isn’t it?” asked Doc Brown. He looked at her. There were some things that were different. After all, she had only been missing less than two weeks.
“Oh yes, Doc Brown,” whimpered Lizzie Jane. “Don’t you recognize me? I have only been gone a year.” Doc Brown glanced at Doctor Price, who had that “see what I mean” look.
Doc Brown sat down on the couch and said, “Lizzie Jane, tell me everything that happened — everything now — don’t leave out anything.”
Lizzie Jane went through all the events. Near the end, when she talked about killing the dinosaur, Doc Brown raised his eyebrows and had a strange look, like he remembered something.
“Thank you,” said Doc Brown. “The good doctor and I need to have a talk.”
When the two doctors were in the hall, Doctor Price said, “See, that story cannot be true.”
“Well, you may think I am crazy, but I believe her,” said Doc Brown.
“What? How can you believe a story like that?” asked a puzzled Doctor Price. Were all the people from Carter’s Bend crazy, even the doctors?
“Does Doctor Scott Ledbetter still live in Miami?” asked Doc Brown.
“Yes, he is a research scientist. Why?” asked Dr. Price.
“Could you get him on the phone for me? I know him. We had some classes together in college,” requested Doc Brown.
“Sure”, replied Doctor Price.
No one could hear what Doc Brown and Doctor Scott Ledbetter were discussing, but they talked about something for nearly an hour. After they hung up, Doc Brown said, “I think Doctor Ledbetter can shine some light on this subject. He is coming right over. He is as excited as I am.”
In another hour, Dr. Ledbetter was there, carrying his briefcase. “I knew right where it was,” he whispered to Doc Brown.
“Let’s go see Lizzie Jane — you, too”, speaking to Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie.
The three doctors, along with Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie, entered Lizzie Jane’s room. She had to hug the necks of her favorite uncle and aunt.
“Now,” began Doc Brown. “Let me explain. When Dr. Ledbetter and I were in college, he went on an archeological trip where some dinosaur bones had been found. When he got back, he told me that he had something to show me. They had found something in the skull of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and no one could explain it. The leader of the group said that the item did not mean anything, so just throw it away. Dr. Ledbetter felt like he wanted to keep what was found and, maybe, figure out something. He never figured it out, but he still has it. May we see it, Doctor Ledbetter?”
Dr. Ledbetter produced an old flat box. Doctor Brown said, “Now, this is aluminum. As most everyone knows, the surface of aluminum quickly oxidizes to form an invisible barrier to corrosion, so it can last for years — some people think indefinitely. However, this box was not available in the days of the T-Rex. So, where did it come from? Good question, isn’t it — since it was found in the skull of a dinosaur.”
Doc Brown continued, “Lizzie Jane, will you open this box and read what is inscribed inside? It should not be difficult. Doctor Ledbetter has already opened the lid in his examination. Now everyone, keep in mind that this was found in the skull of a T-Rex dinosaur.”
With trembling hands, Lizzie Jane opened it and read, “Killed by Lizzie Jane, Date Unknown”.
Doc Brown smiled. “This seems to me to be definite proof that Lizzie Jane and the girls went back in time and experienced what they claim. Remember again, this box was found in the skull of a T-Rex and that particular area had not shown any disturbance before Doctor Ledbetter and his group found the skull containing the box. Isn’t that right, Dr. Ledbetter? Lizzie Jane claims to have tossed such a box with the identical same inscription into the open mouth of the T-Rex.”
Doctor Ledbetter nodded his head. “Doctor Price, you know me and know that I would never be a party to a hoax. This box must surely go back to the time when the dinosaur was killed and I have no doubt that this girl killed it. She would not have known about us finding the box. The only ones who ever knew were the group I was in, myself, and Doctor Brown, of whom I asked an opinion. Of course, he had none — until today.”
Doc Brown began to speak again, “Lizzie Jane said she had been gone over a year. Actually in our time, she has been gone less than two weeks. However, look at her. She is a little taller, her skin is brown and she seems to have more muscle. This is not the same Lizzie Jane of two weeks ago, but a Lizzie Jane that is a year older.’
“Let’s try something. Lizzie Jane spoke of a rescue, which took a lot of strength. Doctor Price, would you please let Lizzie Jane arm wrestle with you?”
Reluctantly Doctor Price placed his arm on the table hand in hand with Lizzie Jane.
“On the count of three, go,” said Doc Brown. “One — two — three”.
Lizzie Jane had no problem pinning Doctor Price’s arm down immediately.
“Now, if the word of this ever gets out, Lizzie Jane and the other two girls will never have any privacy, but will be hounded — and maybe kept prisoner — by the scientific community. I want to ask that what we have learned today never leave the walls of this room. Okay?”
The group nodded. “Okay, let’s go tell the other girls why they need to keep all what happened a secret, too.’
The hardest part was the good-byes to the two girls Lizzie Jane had grown to love — so much that Lizzie Jane had risked her life to rescue one from a T-Rex dinosaur and a large tribe of giant savages. They had grown so close that they were almost like sisters.
Tears were shed — necks hugged — as the young ladies exchanged addresses, promising to not mention their experiences to the outside world. In the first place, no one would believe them and they understood that, if scientists ever checked on their story, they would never really be free again.
Shirley and Christie lived in Florida, so they stood on the platform as Lizzie Jane boarded a train going to east-central Alabama and watched until the train was out of sight. Lizzie Jane was sitting next to Aunt Maudie, so she turned and cried on her aunt’s shoulder.
Aunt Maudie patted Lizzie Jane on the back. “Honey, I understand. They were your close friends. It hurts, but each of you must face disappointments and sorrow through your life. Think of it this way — think of how overjoyed you will be when you meet again — and you will meet. Y’all have each other’s address, so they won’t be so far away.”
Aunt Maudie used her finger to turn Lizzie Jane’s face to meet her face and said, “How many other nine —ah, I mean ten — year old girls have ever killed a T-Rex dinosaur? Honey, that is a feat that will never be beat.”
That brought a smile to both faces.
THE END
Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue
**
All characters in this story are fictitious and not intended to protray any actual person, dead or alive.
My surgeon has not called yet, although it is getting close to the time that he recommended, so I just kept on writing. Since I do not know what day I will enter the hospital, I am trying to write this story so that each chapter can stand alone. It may not be long enough to be considered a serial, but it is planned to be more than one chapter.
Guns are not for Little Boys
Chapter 1
Thirteen candles. That was how many candles were on Lizzie Jane’s cake and she blew them all out. Today, May 4, 1954, she was officially a teenager.
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The children were all excited. The news was buzzing around everywhere. A ‘picture show’ had opened in the little community of Carter’s Bend. Although some of the parents took in a movie when they traveled to other towns and cities, most of the children had never seen one.
While the girls were looking for romantic movies, the boys were riding the range with Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Johnny Mack Brown, Sunset Carson, Tex Ritter, Durango Kid, and a host of other cowboys. It was not unusual to see boys shooting at each other with wooden pistols after seeing a Saturday western.
Little Jack Turner decided that wooden guns were not sufficient. He knew where his dad kept a western style six-shooter. That is when the problem began.
“Hey, I got a real gun”, as Jack proudly displayed the six-shooter.
Joe objected. “That is too dangerous to play with.”.
“Nah,” said Jack, laughing, as he pulled back the hammer and clicked the gun three times. “It’s empty. Daddy don’t keep a loaded gun in the drawer. He is afraid I will shoot someone.’
“Let’s play like you are robbing the bank,” continued Jack, “and I will be the sheriff and shoot you.”
“Okay”, said Joe as ran from the smokehouse, pretending it was the bank.
“Bang, bang”, shouted Jack as he clicked two more rounds. Joe acted like he was going to draw his wooden gun when, on the third time, the gun did not click.
Bam!
The sound of the firing pistol seemed extra loud, echoing through the valley.
Jack dropped the gun. Joe fell to the ground. The only thing Jack could think of was that he had killed his best friend and he ran toward the woods.
The parents of both boys ran to see what had happened. When they saw Joe on the ground, his mother went into hysterics. Kneeling down by Joe, the father screamed, “Somebody! Go get Doc Brown! He is still alive!”
Some of the neighbors had come out to see what had happened. One of the youngsters was sent to find Doc Brown since his office was closed on Sunday.
“Daddy…”cried Joe, as his father quieted him.
“Son, it is okay. Doc Brown will be here in a minute.”
News spread fast and soon almost the entire community was on the scene. Lizzie Jane, with her aunt and uncle, were the last ones to arrive. Doc Brown had just driven up, grabbed his bag, and ran to the fallen boy.
“Let’s get him to the office. It is a shoulder wound and I will give him something for pain right away; then we will see what has happened,” said Doc Brown. Seeing Lizzie Jane, he said, “Come with me. You can play nurse.”
Lizzie Jane assisted Doc Brown and listened very carefully as questions were put to Joe. She began to wonder what happened to Jack. Where did he go? Why was he not around when the parents got there? As soon as they were finished, she knew she had to find Jack. He must be terrified at what happened. After all, they were just kids. (She could think that now that she was a teen.)
Joe’s parents were in Doc Brown’s waiting room, wringing their hands, hoping Joe would be okay. When Doc Brown came out and told them the good news -- that it was a shoulder wound and not life threatening -- they were overjoyed.
“Just make sure he stays in bed a couple of days,” advised Doc Brown. “He will be sore for awhile. Here are some pills for pain. Make sure that he only gets three a day.”
Doc Brown called the sheriff and told him where he could find Joe, but asked him to go easy on the questioning because Joe would be in a lot of pain.
“What are you thinking?” asked Doc Brown as he observed Lizzie Jane sitting at a table in the break room, drinking a soft drink.
“I was just thinking about where Jack could have gone. I am sure he feels terrible about this. Why, he might even think he killed Joe,” replied Lizzie Jane.
Doc thought a minute and said, “I’ll bet the sheriff is wondering the same thing. Jack has to answer to this, you know.”
“Yes, I know, but I am afraid Jack may do something to himself.” With that, Lizzie Jane got up to help clean the medical utensils.
“Go on home,” said Doc Brown. “I’ll take care of these myself.”
“Thanks.” Lizzie Jane did not mind. She wanted to find Jack as soon as possible. It was dark when she stepped outside the doctor’s office. She began to walk home while trying to remember if she knew of anyone who played with Jack that might know his hiding place. Boys often had a ‘hiding place’, which was shared with their best friend.
She thought of Steve Moss. He had hung around with Jack quite a bit. Maybe Steve was the best friend. She decided to call upon Steve.
Since it was early evening, she found Steve hanging out with the guys at Nancy’s Café. As she approached the group, she learned that the topic of the conversation was the shooting. She noticed that Steve was quieter than usual. Maybe it was because they were talking about his best friend.
While standing a slight distance from the group, she caught Steve’s attention and with a wiggle of her forefinger, she motioned for Steve. Steve responded, wondering what in the world would Lizzie Jane want.
“Excuse me a moment, fellers. Gotta talk with a good looking gal,” Steve said as he left the group.
“Steve, I heard y’all talk about the shooting and I want you to know that Joe is okay. Just a shoulder wound. Jack cannot be found, so he must be on the run, thinking that he killed Joe. You are his best friend, so please tell me — did you and Jack have a secret place you liked?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“Well, uh...” stammered Steve.
“Please, tell me. Jack needs to know that Joe is alive. There is no telling what he might do to himself,” pleaded Lizzie Jane.
“Well, there is a hidden cave behind some bushes at Miller’s Mountain,” stated Steve. He proceeded to supply information to Lizzie Jane on how to get there. “I hope it is okay for you to know. Just keep it a secret — Okay? Just between the three of us.”
“Okay, “ replied Lizzie Jane. She smiled as she said, “I am good at keeping secrets”, thinking of her own adventure about three and a half years earlier.
“I will need a flashlight,” she thought to herself. Mack’s General Store was closing just as she arrived, but she talked Mr. Mack into opening it back up so she could purchase a flashlight. She also bought a few extra batteries in case it took longer than she expected.
As Mack was putting the merchandise in a bag, Lizzie Jane said, “I don’t need a paper poke. I will just put them in my pocket.” Although pushing extra batteries in the pockets of her tight trousers was a chore, she managed it very well. She did not want to be bothered with carrying a bag in her hand.
Remembering her experience with the panther a few years earlier, she thought about the need of protection, being in the woods at night, so she dropped by home and sneaked out with her quiver containing the bow and a good supply of arrows, along with her hunting knife. The doctors in Miami had allowed her to keep the items since she did not seem to be a danger to herself and such items were not illegal, being considered items normally used in a sport.
She did not want Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie to know what she was doing. She had promised to keep the secret meeting place a secret and, if Uncle Jed had known what she was doing, he would have insisted on going with her.
She ran very swiftly through the woods, having kept herself in shape. She thought once about swinging through the limbs, but it was dark, so she decided against it. Also, it was more difficult to perform feats like that with the quiver on her back.
She had kept her practice up since she enjoyed the acrobatic thrill of it. It had been something she had learned with much difficulty and, who knows, she may want to join a circus someday as a trapeze artist. No one knew of her practice sessions. She had managed to do that in private.
As she came near the cave, she began to wonder how a youngster as young as Jack could stay in a place like this after dark. She well remembered how frightened she was lost in the woods when she first came to Carter’s Bend. Of course, she was a child back then. Now she was thirteen years old — as if that made her an adult. However, her experiences had made her more mature than her age would indicate. What she did not realize was that she still had the remnants of a childish mind, regardless of previous experiences.
She found the bushes and, as described, there was a hidden cave with a five foot opening. She had to bend over a little to enter, but once inside it opened up to accommodate her height plus three extra feet.
She called out, “Jack, Jack! Joe is okay. You can come out.”
Lizzie Jane listened carefully. No answer.
She carefully made her way deeper into the cave, shining her flashlight at everything she thought she heard moving. There were no bats and only one tunnel. Good.
The cave suddenly came to an abrupt end. She looked around and saw a smaller opening, just large enough for a big man to crawl through. She looked inside, using her flashlight, and saw a larger room. Coming this far, she thought she might just as well investigate that room, too. So crawling through the narrower hole with the quiver on her back barely scraping the top, she entered the new room. Also, the bow strung around her neck had created a slight hindrance, but she had gotten through.
It looked like someone lived there. Some folding chairs and a table holding some odd apparatus caught her attention. Hearing a weak voice, she shined the light around the room and found what seemed to be a pit in the corner. Investigating the hole, she saw Jack in a small corner of the pit. He seemed to be bruised with some cuts and scratches and barely conscious.
With a loud voice, she told Jack, “I will get you out in a minute. Just stay calm.”
Lizzie Jane looked around the room for a rope, but finding none, she made her way toward the exit with the intention of finding something — anything — that could be used for a rope.
In the excitement of discovering Jack, she had failed to notice a man crawling through the hole, followed by another man. A surprised Lizzie Jane just stood there momentarily as the man lit a kerosene lamp with the other man pointing a revolver at Lizzie Jane.
“Well, well, who do we have here — Pocahontas?” as he spied the bow hanging around her neck. To the other man, he stated, “Looks like you are right. We are going to have to move — if these kids can find this place, others can, too -- and after all that trouble of taking a table apart and putting it back together to get it through the hole.”
Turning again to Lizzie Jane, he said, “Young lady, looks like you and your friend messed things up.”
The other man just stood there silent.
“Get over to that hole,” he continued as he pointed toward the pit. As she stepped toward it, he gave her a shove and she fell to the bottom as Jack did earlier. “Now, we are going to take our stuff and leave. You two can rot down there. People will think you fell into the hole and assume it was an accident. After all, you still have your weapons, so there is no evidence of anything else happening.” He laughed, knowing that bows and arrows could do nothing to get them out of the pit. He also pitched the flashlight down, too, so it could be further proof that they had just fell into the pit.
Lizzie Jane felt of herself. She had some sharp pain where stones had cut her when she fell and some bruises were obvious from the fall. She did not seem to have any broken bones.
“What do we do now?” mumbled Jack, seemingly losing consciousness.
“He must have some head trauma,” thought Lizzie Jane. “Gotta get him outta here.”
She picked up the flashlight and checked the walls. There were a few jagged rocks up and down the walls, but not sticking out much. She could climb any kind of tree in a hurry, but had little experience in climbing a wall like that.
Could she? That was a question she pondered. She had to get out and get Jack out with her because he definitely needed medical attention. While she thought about the situation, she could hear the men talking and it sounded like they were taking the table apart to get it through the narrow hole. Good! At least, they were leaving. She wondered what crime they had committed. Oh well, no time to think about that now.
Lizzie Jane was facing the most difficult decision she had ever made. Jack was on the edge of unconsciousness and she had to get him out. He could die if he had a serious head injury. Finally, her mind was made up. She placed the flashlight in the quiver and attempted to thrown it out of the pit. It took two pitches, but she was able to throw it just far enough.
“Jack, I know it is going to be hard, but put your arms around my neck and please don’t go to sleep on me — Please — Okay?” pleaded Lizzie Jane.
With Jack on her back, Lizzie Jane began the ascension of about 15 feet in complete darkness. Slowly, she put her foot in place on a rock and grasped the next short jagged rock with her fingertips and pulled herself and Jack up a notch. Her fingers hurt terribly. Couldn’t worry about that now.
Her foot found another short rock and she pushed herself upward further. With aching fingers, she managed to place her hand in a hollow place in the wall. That helped the pain a little. Next, she reached for a rock a little larger, her foot trying to settle on a damp rock. Her foot slipped! Her fingers dug deeper into the wall.
“Oh, God, help me!” pleaded Lizzie Jane as she frantically moved her foot to a more solid spot. Perspiration began to pour from her body. Had she bitten off more than she could chew? Again, she wrestled with another short rock with her fingers — more pain, but determination kept her going. Again, pushing up with her feet — again slipping — hanging on with just the tips of her fingers with a weight on her back pulling against her.
She was older, bigger and taller than Jack, but his weight seemed to get heavier and heavier. If she were to fall, it might hurt Jack even more. She felt his grip around her neck begin to loosen,
“Please, Jack — stay awake. Please!” pleaded Lizzie Jane with all the strength she could use to speak. She was quickly becoming exhausted. With that remark, she felt his grip tighten a little.
“Just a little more,” she told herself. “Just a little more, just a little more…” she kept saying.
Struggling with all the strength she could produce and almost ready to pass out because of the pain and exhaustion, she grabbed a large solid rock at the top. With a little more effort — pushing with all she strength she had, she pulled herself and Jack up enough to find herself halfway out of the pit. Quickly locating another rock on the floor of the cave, she grabbed it and, with a final and almost unbearable effort, completed the torturous climb.
Lizzie Jane rolled on the floor, breathing heavily, feeling like she could not go any further, but she knew she had to — somehow — get Jack to medical help. She lay there on the dirt floor, trying to find the strength to go on, but how — how could she make it?
Still breathing heavily, she prayed. Surely God had not let her get this far —only to fail. She knew that she would never forgive herself if she let Jack die. She had to go on.
Retrieving the flashlight from the quiver, she spotted the hole she had crawled through to reach this room. Weak as she was, she managed to pull Jack through it into the main part of the cave. She pulled him up on her back one more time and managed to get outside the cave to some bushes where they could not be seen in case the men came back. That was also a great concern of Lizzie Jane. Maybe she could rest a little and get her thoughts back, so she could decide what to do.
As she laid there behind the bushes staring at the moon-lit sky getting her breath back, she questioned whether she should try to carry Jack further or leave him and run for help with the possibility of Jack dying from his injuries. It seem obvious to Lizzie Jane that Jack had a serious head injury, possible a brain injury.
Five minutes passed — ten minutes passed. Finally, weak as she was, Lizzie Jane managed to get up. She shook Jack, crying “Jack, speak to me! Jack, wake up!”
Jack opened his eyes enough that Lizzie Jane could see enough by the light of the moon that Jack’s pupils were unequal — a sign of head trauma. She said, “Jack, try to hang on to my neck. We are going to town right now.”
With that, she pulled Jack on her back and ran as fast as she could with the load. She had gone about a quarter mile when she heard voices. Lizzie Jane slipped behind some bushes and carefully, under the light of the full moon, she searched the area with her eyes, hoping the men had not come back. To her relief, she saw some men from Carter’s Bend and screamed, “Help! I have Jack and he is injured — bad!”
With that she put Jack down and collapsed. She had done all she could and her body just could not take any more.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a bright light over her head. She tried to turn her body, quickly discovering that she was too sore, but she had determined that she was in bed somewhere. Her first thought was Jack. With a weak voice, she asked, “Where is Jack? Is he okay?”
“Doc Brown! She has come to!” Lizzie Jane recognized the voice. It was Aunt Maudie.
She saw Doc Brown’s face over her. “Jack is in a Birmingham hospital in ICU. His skull is fractured and has been bleeding inside. He would not have lasted much longer. Time was important and I understand that you saved his life.’
“Now let’s talk about you. Your fingers are torn all to pieces. You have cuts and bruises all over your body. You, too, have lost a lot of blood and you are completed run down. When you get able, I want you to tell me what happened. Whatever it was, you and Jack must have gotten caught in the same pea thrasher.” With that last statement, Doc Brown smiled.
Lizzie Jane smiled, too.
Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
I have stepped out on uncharted grounds again (for me) with a little romance mixed with drama. I hope you like it. Whether you do or not, please comment.
Guns are not for Little Boys
Chapter 2
"THIRTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL RESCUES EIGHT YEAR OLD BOY"
screamed the headlines of the Gazette. They had gotten the news from Jack’s parents.
Lizzie Jane had refused to give an interview because reporters always asked too many questions and she had promised to keep Jack and Steve’s meeting place a secret. She feared that she would have been asked to describe too much.
However, the news did not escape the attention of the two men who had discovered Lizzie Jane in the cave where they had set up their illegal counterfeiting operations when she was searching for Jack. They had found Jack earlier and had thrown him into a pit. When they discovered Lizzie Jane, they threw her in the pit with Jack and had left them both to die.
“Well, looks like we are going to have to get rid of Pocahontas — again!” said Jim, one of the two men, speaking about Lizzie Jane. “She is smart enough to have recognized us. Too bad for her. She could have looked forward to a long and full life.”
Seymour nodded.
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With the cave experience behind her, Lizzie Jane settled into what she thought would be normal life for a thirteen-year-old girl. Sally, the schoolteacher in the community’s one room schoolhouse, was proud of Lizzie Jane. She was a quick learner and mature for her age, so she helped teach the younger children about the things she had mastered, leaving Sally to instruct the older children.
Sally was trying to think of some way to get Lizzie Jane into a normal high school since most students only went through the eighth and ninth grades in the community school. She believed that Lizzie Jane had a great future if she could obtain a good education — maybe college.
For now, Lizzie Jane was a happy thirteen year old and had made many friends, both male and female. Jake still claimed to be her boy friend and tried to be around her as much as possible. Lizzie Jane was not serious about any boy, but accepted Jake as a good friend, so they were often seen together. Many of the citizens of Carter’s Bend assumed that they would eventually marry and thought that they made a cute couple.
Joe and Jack had regained their friendship, realizing that it was only a childish error when Jack accidentally shot Joe. They did learn one thing — guns are not for little boys. Parents used that incident as a lesson for the other children. Although the boys of the community became hunters at a very early age, they were always in the company of their father or some other relative when carrying a shotgun or rifle in the woods until they were old enough to be trusted around other hunters.
Lizzie Jane did not like guns and neither did most of the other young ladies. Guns made too much noise and very dangerous. However, Lizzie Jane was an archery expert and could make an arrow go any place she wanted. She kept that a secret as well as the fact that she could swing through the trees from limb to limb if they were close enough together.
However, she had to almost force herself to go back to the cave where she had rescued Jack to retrieve her bow and quiver of arrows. She still had the two spears she had gotten from the savages, but they were kept at home most of the time. Occasionally she would get one out and practice throwing it at targets in the woods.
Lizzie Jane had no idea that she was in somebody's plan to be murdered. When questioned by the sheriff about the rescue, all she ever told was that she got Jack out of a deep hole. She did not mention the men who had thrown them in the pit or the location, but Jim and Seymour, the two men from the cave, were not aware of that.
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“How about a Coke?” asked Jake. “The gang is meeting down at Sam’s place after school.”
“Well, Okay,” replied Lizzie Jane. “I don’t have anything particular to do. But, I cannot stay too late or Aunt Maudie will come looking for me. She claims that I get into too much trouble.” She laughed. If only Jake knew about her adventures….
Sam’s Place was the teen hangout in 1954 with the jukebox blaring with country and pop music, just before the major transition to rock and roll.
“Hi, Jake. Hi, Lizzie Jane” were the greeting as the couple walked in.
“Whadda you have?” asked the gum chewing waitress shortly after Jake found a good table in the corner of the café. She reached for the pencil behind her ear and retrieved an order book from her belt.
“Let’s see — how about a RC and a Moon Pie?’ replied Jake.
“Just a Coke for me,” answered Lizzie Jane. “Well, maybe a hamburger if ole rich pockets can afford it.”
“For you honey, I would rob a bank if I did not have the money,” joked Jake.
The waitress brought the order plus the ticket, laying it face down. Jack eased the ticket up long enough to glance at it. “Wow, forty cents,” said Jake when he saw at the charges.
“I think cold drinks have gone up to seven cents,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“Yeah, everything is going up. It cost three cents to mail a letter now-a-days.”
“Momma used to only buy penny postcards because she wrote so much,” said Lizzie Jane. The memory of her deceased mother brought a tear. Those were happy times. There had been so much love in their hearts toward one another.
“You miss your mother, don’t you?” asked Jake — realizing immediately it was a silly question and wished he could take it back. He saw the tears streaming down Lizzie Jane’s face and his heart went out to her.
All Lizzie Jane could manage was a weak “Yes”.
“Well, when we have children, you will know how to love them,” remarked Jake, wanting to get Lizzie Jane’s mind temporarily off her mother. It worked!
“Whoa now,” quickly replied Lizzie Jane, changing expressions. “Nobody had said we were getting married!”
A young boy at the next table said, “Well, it seems obvious to me.” The girl with him just smiled.
“I am only thirteen years old,” Lizzie Jane declared.
“Well honey, in these parts, if you go past sixteen, you are an old maid,” joked the boy.
Everyone laughed at Lizzie Jane. She was blushing so much that she wanted to crawl under the table. Well, in fact — she did. She looked up and saw Jake under there, too.
“Thought you would get lonesome under here all by yourself”, as Jake quickly stole a kiss.
“Darn. Can’t a girl have privacy anywhere?” An embarrassed, but smiling Lizzie Jane stomped off to the little girl’s room. “At least there, I can have some privacy.” Or so she thought. She was met with a waiting line.
Jake, seeing the predicament, walked over to Lizzie Jane and said, “Come on, we were just having a little fun. Let’s go. I will walk you home.”
He paid the bill and walked with Lizzie Jane slowly down the street to her home.
“Lizzie Jane, you know that I do love you and always have, since I first became acquainted with you. I am pleased that you are my friend, anyway.”
With that, he put his arm around Lizzie Jane as if he were trying to shield her against the cool autumn breeze. It was a little chilly, so she did not mind. Lizzie Jane explored her mind. Did she love Jake, but trying to keep her feelings imprisoned inside — scared to love — afraid of something that she could not understand? After all, she was only thirteen. Could a girl love a boy at that age — true lasting love?
Jake stopped, took Lizzie Jane by the shoulder and turned her toward him. Feeling that she knew what was coming, she closed her eyes. Their lips met. It was just a young kiss, but it was sweet and her arms automatically went around Jake’s neck. Likewise, he returned the embrace. For a moment, all doubt seem to melt away into nothingness.
When their lips parted, Lizzie Jane was breathless. This was a new experience. She had never known what it was like to be captivated by a young man’s charm -- to know romance — to know the emotions that swept over a girl, a warm flow spreading through her entire body.
She had done what she never expected -- to submit to the love and warmness of someone who really loved her. They stepped apart for a moment, facing one another, holding hands at arm’s length with eyes that sparkled with the unspoken words — “I love you.”
A strong male voice rang out, “Hey, Pocahontas”. Startled, Lizzie Jane turned toward the voice as the masked man intended for her to do.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Lizzie Jane slumped to the street. Jake glanced toward a car that sped away and quickly looked back at his sweetie. She was not moving — as if she were dead. He knelt down and, cuddling her head up into his arms, he cried with a loud voice, “Don’t die! I don’t want to lose you!”
The other kids heard the shot and some saw what had happened — one moment a loving couple embracing and the next moment, one lying on the street dying from a gunshot.
“Let’s get her to Doc Brown’s” a young man exclaimed, stopping his car next to the scene. Lizzie Jane was quickly loaded into the back seat with Jake next to her crying, “Hurry — I cannot lose her. No — not now.”
The driver drove like a madman, blowing the horn almost continually for people to get out of the way, slamming on the brake at Doc Brown’s home with the wheels sliding on the chert surface.
Doc Brown came to the door and Jake, without waiting for an invitation, rushed in, Lizzie Jane cradled in his arms. “She’s been shot,” he screamed.
Doc Brown quickly began started cutting her dress in the area of the clotting blood. He looked up — “It’s bad. We need to get her to my office where I have better equipment. She needs immediate attention.”
Quickly, she was transported to the physician’s office and Doc Brown immediately began work. She was already unconscious, whether from shock or the gunshot wound, Doc Brown could not determine, but she was losing blood fast. The good doctor did not have any blood on hand and no time to match it anyway, so he began working with his skillful hands as only a doctor with years of experience could do.
He quickly discovered the source of the blood loss, so he took care of that first. Next, he took a quick x-ray to determine the location of the bullet. It had missed the heart, but was very deep; next he rolled his oxygen tanks in place and began the oxygen.
He was wishing for some help when Aunt Maudie came in. Looking up and seeing her, Doc Brown remarked, “Quick, you be my nurse tonight. This is an emergency. Just stay calm. I cannot handle a hysterical nurse right now.” Taking a deep breath and holding her emotions in as well as could be expected, Aunt Maudie quickly washed her hands and prepared herself to assist.
Jake was in the waiting room, walking the floor, crying, “I cannot lose her. I love her with all my heart.” Some of the young couples were there and tried to console him. Girls hugged him and spoke soft, comforting words and the boys would try to encourage him with remarks like, “Hang in there, ole man. It will be okay. Just wait and see.”
Doc Brown finally came out. “It is very serious,” he said. “The bullet is close to the heart and too deep for me to handle in a doctor’s office. We have to get her to a hospital and I suggest Birmingham. Right now, I have her stable, but I don’t even know if she will make it long enough to get to Birmingham. It will take some fast transportation — and prayer.”
“Somebody loan me a fast car, I will get here there,” volunteered Ted Walker.
“Good,” replied Doc Brown. “I will call the sheriff and see if I can get an escort since we do not have an ambulance service here — and this is an extreme emergency.”
The wheels were put into motion — the fast car — an excellent driver — an escort, with the sheriff of each adjoining county meeting the other at the county line until reaching the Blount County line where an ambulance from Oneonta would be waiting. The driver of that service had the reputation of being fast, even though Alabama Highway 75 was probably the curviest of any in the state. The entire route was chosen on the basis of having less traffic at that time of the night. Also, an ambulance assured quicker admittance to the emergency room.
Aunt Maudie rode with the patient, while Uncle Jed and Jake traveled in another car at a much slower pace. The pastor of the church was contacted, the church opened, and many of the community met to pray. Lizzie Jane had become a well-known and popular figure because she was always around to help others. Jack had remembered enough to tell of her climbing a straight wall without anything much to grasp and saving his life. Details and location of the cave and pit remained a secret between Jack, Steve, and Lizzie Jane.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Uncle Jed and Jake learned that Lizzie Jane had been admitted to ICU and in serious condition. They would not allow Jake in to see her because he was not a member of the family. Jake finally convinced them that he and Lizzie Jane were engaged to be married. The nurse raised her eyebrow, thinking about the age, but allowed Jake a chance to visit. The nurse did not know that it was an engagement that Lizzie Jane had not accepted.
Hours turned into days. Because of his deep love for Lizzie Jane, Jake stayed as close as he could. He had enough money for some cookies and soft drinks, but not much more. Another family, who had also a loved one in ICU, noticed Jake’s lack of food, so they invited him to join in their meals, which was brought often by another family member.
Jake’s bed consisted of a couch in the waiting area or a soft chair by the door. When he did get a chance to see Lizzie Jane, he was filled with sorrow -- to see the girl who had stolen his heart, appearing to be lifeless, with a tube in her nose, IV fluids flowing in each arm and wires attached to her body. He looked at the screen showing the activity of her heart, not understanding what it all meant. All he knew was that he might lose the girl he loved so dearly.
Jake would hold her hand, whispering sweet things to Lizzie Jane and sometimes it seemed that she heard and understood. He never left her side without tears blurring his vision and he had to feel his way back to the waiting area.
He cried -- he prayed -- he tried to bargain with God -- he walked the floor. He felt as if his heart would burst. He would jump every time a doctor entered the area with news about one of the patients.
Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie had returned home, but through Doc Brown they kept up with Lizzie Jane’s condition. Aunt Maudie would have stayed with Jake, but her age prevented her from sitting in the waiting area with no place to go to rest. If only there were some relatives in Birmingham, things would have been much more convenient.
A week went by. Jake managed to bathe in the rest room, using paper towels and the small bars of soap the hospital furnished. He became exhausted with the hours — the days of waiting — hoping — praying for some miracle.
Then, it came. It was such a small miracle, but Lizzie Jane opened her eyes and smiled and tried to say, “Hi, Jake”, but it didn’t come out right. Jake whispered that he heard it and said, “I love you so much.” Lizzie Jane smiled again and her mouth tried to say, “I love you, too.” She closed her eyes in slumber, but that was enough for Jake to believe that a miracle had occurred.
Lizzie Jane continued to improve and a couple of days later, she was moved out of ICU and into a room with another girl. Jake continued regular visits until she was ready to go home. When Doc Brown came to get her, he saw a completely exhausted Jake, and said, “Boy, you had better get some rest when we get back.”
Still a little weak, Lizzie Jane laid down in the back seat with Jack in the front, checking the back seat every few seconds to see if Lizzie Jane was all right. Lizzie Jane saw him looking back and smiled. Doc Brown grinned. It was obvious that the love bug had bitten Jake.
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Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
This continues the romance between Jake and Lizzie Jane. How about the ones who are trying to kill Lizzie Jane? Well, you will have to read the story to find out. (smile)
Guns are not for Little Boys
Chapter 3
“You are still too weak, so you need to stay home,” ordered Aunt Maudie.
Lizzie Jane had gotten home from the hospital after recovering from a serious gunshot wound that had brought her close to death. She was not confined to bed, but Aunt Maudie forced her to rest more than she thought necessary.
Lizzie Jane was tired of resting. She wanted to go to the woods, so she could be among nature and do some soul searching. Finally, Aunt Maudie granted that desire with conditions — don’t go too far into the wood and just rest and think.
Lizzie Jane agreed, so she entered the forest and sat down under a tree. She watched the squirrels scampering from tree to tree for a few minutes, wishing that she could be among them. Then she observed the little bugs crawling among the rusty colored leaves and enjoyed the cool autumn breeze. It was not cold since the temperature was in the low 70’s and the sky was clear.
One thought controlled her mind — did she love Jake? She had only considered Jake a friend until the night she was shot. That was the night she experienced the loving caress of an admirer and the sweetness of her first romantic kiss.
Ah, that kiss! She had never experience anything like it — so marvelous — so awesome! Was this the first teenage crush of a young girl who had never known the affection of someone special?
There wasn’t any doubt that Jake loved her. He proved his devotion by his presence at the hospital when his beloved lay helpless between life and death.
She could not deny that she had fallen in love with Jake, but was it as sudden as it seemed? Was her love there all the time, or had she fought against the inevitable -- an honest admittance of her true feelings?
Whatever the answer, the one thing she knew — she loved Jake now. Was there anything wrong with letting love reign over her life for the present time? She was only thirteen and Jake was just a little older — she wasn’t sure how much. What would it harm to be sweethearts for the present and let the future take care of itself? However, it was true that in the community most girls were married before they reached seventeen — most getting married at sixteen years of age. That meant that, according to custom, she had only three years.
So, three years to decide — three years to discover her heart’s desire. For a young person, three years was a long time. Yes — that should be long enough and, if she decided against marriage at that time, that would be enough time to arrive at a sensible conclusion.
It would have suited Lizzie Jane to linger in the forest for awhile longer, but she realized that Aunt Maudie would begin to worry, so she lazily strolled back home.
When she arrived, Jake was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and talking to Uncle Jed. Seeing Lizzie Jane, he remarked, “We thought the bears had gotcha.”
“Nope,” replied Lizzie Jane. “Ain’t scared of bears. In fact, they are afraid of me.”
Strange that she had not noticed it before, but sitting there with a smile on his face, Jake had those rough, manly good looks. He certainly would be a good ‘catch’ for any girl.
Jake walked Lizzie Jane to the front porch where they could sit on the swing and talk for a few minutes. Uncle Jed motioned to Aunt Maudie and pointed toward the young couple. They both smiled, thinking that maybe Cupid had made a call and a future marriage could be in the works.
“I just wanted to see you. I am going to have to help my Dad load some watermelons to carry to market, but I would not be around until tomorrow — and tomorrow is a long way off,” said Jake. “I want you to know I love you and every moment away from you is pure torture.”
Lizzie Jane had never thought she would say this to a boy, but she returned with “I love you, too — with all my little heart.”
Jake smiled, embraced her, and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. This time, it was more than a ‘first kiss’. It was the kiss of lovers — so heavenly that Lizzie Jane thought she could hear angelic bells ringing. Jake smiled and held her hand, observing her charming eyes. One more kiss and he would have to leave.
“Well, I have got to go. Remember, I won’t see you tonight, maybe tomorrow.” They dropped hands and, after that last entrancing kiss, Jake stepped off the porch.
Lizzie Jane said, “Wait just a minute.” She ran and found a locket that had belonged to her mother. It was silver with gold plating and had inscribed, ‘With all my Love’. It had been given her mother by one of her suitors. He did not live up to the saying, but Lizzie Jane’s mother loved him with all her heart and kept it close to her until her death. It was from Lizzie Jane’s father.
“I want you to have this as a token of my love,” Lizzie Jane said as she handed the precious item to Jake. “I know it is kinda sissy, but it is my most cherished possession.”
“I will cherish it always,” said Jake as he placed the boxed item in his pocket. “I will hang it in my room over the dresser to always make me think of you.”
Jake turned and began to walk away. After a few steps, he turned back and waved. Lizzie Jane returned his wave and watched him until he was out of sight.
“Now — to bed with you, young lady. You have been up too long and you need your rest,” ordered Aunt Maudie.
“But, Aunt Maudie, I am okay. Betcha I can climb a tree and if you let me, I will show you,” fussed Lizzie Jane.
“No! It is not necessary for you to climb trees. Now, if it was necessary, I might have second thoughts,” laughed Aunt Maudie.
“Well, okay,” sighed Lizzie Jane, as she covered herself with a quilt that was made from various pieces of cloth. It seemed cool enough to have some cover.
As she entered slumber land, she began to dream of Jake — of marriage — of about a dozen children, all belonging to her — 6 boys and 6 girls. They formed a baseball team with the oldest being manager. The two youngest, three and four year old girls, wore little purple and gold cheerleader uniforms with the image of a bulldog on the front, jumping up and down in their little short skirts hollering, “Yea, team”. After baseball practice, the entire brood would swing through the trees, screaming “I-ou-I”.
Lizzie Jane awoke, thinking of what a silly dream that was. Her thoughts turned to how much fun it might be to teach her children about the forest and how to swing from limb to limb. As she began to think about broken arms and broken legs, she considered shelving that idea.
As Lizzie Jane lay there considering her future with Jake, Aunt Maudie peeked into the room as she walked by. “Oh, I see you are awake.”
“This was delivered a short time ago, but I did not want to wake you,” said Aunt Maudie as she handed Lizzie Jane a package.
Excited about receiving a gift, Lizzie Jane hastily opened it. But, instead of a gift, she received a shock. Inside was her locket that she had given Jake a few hours earlier with a note that read: “Pocahontas, we have your boy friend. If you love him, you will meet us at the cave. If you bring the law, we will kill him before they get there and we will disappear quickly. We will be watching.”
She handed the note to Aunt Maudie. She looked at Lizzie Jane and asked, “What does this mean?”
Lizzie Jane explained. “It means that the man who has been trying to kill me has kidnapped Jake. I know where the cave is. It is a secret place that very few know about. If I don’t go, they will kill Jake. If I do go, they will kill both of us. I guess they think I can identify them. They are doing something that is against the law.”
“Why haven’t you told all this to the sheriff?” asked Aunt Maudie. “He has been investigating the shooting.”
“Because I promised to keep the location of the cave a secret,” explained Lizzie Jane. “It is a secret meeting place for two boys I know.”
“One of the boy is Jack, isn’t it — and you rescued him from the cave?” asked Aunt Maudie.
“Yes — Oh, what can I do? I cannot tell the sheriff now. He will go tramping in there and they will kill Jake,” Lizzie Jane sadly answered.
Speechless, Aunt Maudie just stood there. Lizzie Jane began to think.
“There is only one thing to do. I will have to go and rescue Jake myself,” Lizzie Jane said suddenly.
“You cannot do that. You are just a thirteen year old girl,” answered Aunt Maudie.
“Yes, I can — just like I rescued Christie in the jungle,” answered Lizzie Jane.
Aunt Maudie had not heard that part of her adventure, but based on Lizzie Jane’s previous adventures that she knew about, she did not doubt anything. “But dear, you are too weak." She was trying to discourge Lizzie Jane from such a wild idea.
“No, I am NOT too weak,” argued Lizzie Jane. “I told you I can climb a tree and you said that if it was necessary, you would consider letting me. Now it is necessary,” firmly confirmed Lizzie Jane.
“I cannot allow it!” exclaimed Aunt Maudie. “I think the sheriff should handle this and I am going to call him right now. I will not give you permission to get killed. I never could forgive myself!”
“And I could never forgive myself if I let Jake be killed without trying to save him,” exclaimed a much determined Lizzie Jane.
“I WILL NOT allow it, young lady!” With that, Aunt Maudie slammed the door on her way out.
“She is going to call the sheriff. He will get Jake killed, sure ‘nuff,” thought Lizzie Jane.
She had only disobeyed the authority over her once and she was kidnapped that time, but she had to take another chance this time. She just HAD to.
She put on shorts and a tee shirt, grabbed her archery set from the closet and her hunting knife from the chest of drawers that she had hidden under some clothing, and climbed out the upstairs window. From the ledge, she climbed to the roof of the house, walked over to a tree growing near the back and leaped. She barely caught a limb because of the distance, but thankfully she made it. Looking down, she saw that it was a long way to the ground. She descended the tree and ran across a field, out of sight from Uncle Jed’s house.
She stopped to consider the note. It said that if she brought the law, Jake would be killed before they got there. That meant that the murderers would be somewhere watching to see who entered the forest, but where would they be situated? She thought of a barn that was a short distance from the entrance to the forest that lead to the cave, so that would be the first place to investigate.
She ran across fields to the farm where the barn was located, but soon realized how weak she really was. She was not as swift and had to stop too many times to rest. Nearing the barn, she entered the site from a small hill, opposite the side facing the forest. Climbing a tree close to the barn, she entered the loft, visibly searching the barn, and, observing no one, she turned her attention to the forest.
A person could position himself near the edge of the forest so that he could see the entire field and observe anyone entering. That meant that Lizzie Jane would have to enter the forest from another area and work her way to the cave. It would take a little longer, but it would be safer.
Staying behind the hill, she circled her way around the field and entered the woods unseen. She climbed a tree and made her way through the trees by jumping and swinging from limb to limb, but that also verified how weak she had become. She stopped to rest often, but knew she had to continue. A man’s life who could possibly be her future husband was at stake.
She had a strong ‘gut’ feeling that she should arrive at the cave from the rear. Not knowing why, she circled around from behind and carefully worked her way to the cave. No one was anywhere close to the area, so she eased on past the cave entrance.
Finally, she saw Jake tied to a small tree. No one else was around. He had been placed in plain sight for a decoy, so that she could not determine the location of the murderers. They had to be located somewhere that would give them a clear shot at both Lizzie Jane and Jake.
She climbed a little higher in the tree. She had become accustomed to jumping and swinging from limb to limb, no matter how high a tree happened to be. Carefully observing her surroundings, she noticed a deer stand that contained one man with a rifle. In case he missed, he was in a position to shoot hundreds of yards through the woods.
“Very smart crooks,” though Lizzie Jane, “but I am a little smarter — I think.”
He was holding the weapon in his right hand so that he could put it to his shoulder and aim at his target quickly. Lizzie Jane thought, “How convenient. Just right to drop it.”
She took an arrow from her quiver and aimed at the man’s right shoulder. Her aim was perfect as it hit the designated spot. He did not drop the rifle, but instead brought his other arm around to grab at the shoulder. Quickly, she pulled out another arrow and aimed at his other shoulder — and again — it hit the target. That caused him to drop the rifle.
She shot another arrow, hitting him in the upper part of his right leg. That caused him to tumble from the deer stand. While he was on the ground rolling in pain, from the arrows in his body and the bodily damage from the fall — possible broken bones — Lizzie Jane quickly descended from her lofty perch. With her hunting knife, she quickly cut the ropes from Jake and used just enough rope to secure the murderer to another tree.
Seeing him scream in pain, she replied coldly, “Don’t worry. I will send help — the sheriff!” She produced a wicked smile — something unusual for Lizzie Jane. She added, “Maybe you will learn that guns are not for little boys.”
She told Jake to follow far enough behind her so he could not be seen. She went up a tree again and, from limb to limb, she made her way to the entrance of the forest. Just as she expected, the other man was behind some bushes with a good view of the field with a walkie-talkie.
It only took one arrow to disable him to the extend that Lizzie Jane could use the rest of the rope to tie him to a tree. Jake came in sight, saw what had happened, and remarked, “What kind of girl am I in love with?”
“Honey, just a good ole jungle gal,” she said with a smile. Someday she would have to tell him about killing a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur when she was ten years old.
Arm in arm they walked to the road where they would flag down an automobile and let the sheriff know he had two dangerous desperadoes tied to trees in the woods, but bring Doc Brown. They will need him — very much.
-The End
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Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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Guns are not for Little Boys
Epilogue
This is not a story in itself, just something to tie up the loose ends of "Guns are not for Little Boys". It is very short.
The sheriff did check out Lizzie Jane and Jake’s story and found two men tied to trees with serious wounds. Doc Brown had brought along his bag, so he patched up the counterfeiters as best as he could.
The sheriff considered arresting Lizzie Jane for deserting the wounded men in distress, but decided that she did the right thing in seeking help for them by requesting Doc Brown’s assistance. Also, upon investigation and finding out the men were not only counterfeiters, but also murderers, that put a “feather in his cap”.
Lizzie Jane was in trouble at home. She definitely had been too weak to go off on a rescue mission, so she was confined to home and bed for the next few weeks. Secretly, Aunt Maudie and Doc Brown were pleased that she disobeyed their order since two lives were eventually saved — first, Jake — and later, Lizzie Jane, herself. She was also informed that she was not a super heroine, but a smart one — and to that, she agreed.
However, Lizzie Jane was not lonesome. She had a regular visitor — Jake.
Oh yes, after swearing him to secrecy, she did tell about her trip back into time, killing the T-Rex and rescuing Christie. Since he had noticed her physical changes, he believed it. He wondered what would happen to her next — meet Big Foot??
(Personally, I think love is in the air right now.)
Love,
Billie Sue Pilgrim
PART ONE
Christmas was in the air. The year was 1954 and Lizzie Jane was officially a teenager.
As she looked over the past Christmas celebrations since she came to live with Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie, she remembered the fresh cut cedars from the woods on their farm, decorated with popcorn careful placed on a string, homemade ornaments, and the gifts that Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie had created with their hands. There was always an orange, apple, and a peppermint cane — the only purchased items. Lizzie Jane had learned to sew, so she came up with appropriate gifts for her uncle and aunt.
Life was simple in the hills of Alabama in those days. Expensive gifts were never given, nor were they expected. The Christmas dinner was baked with the loving hands of the ladies with vegetables that had been recently home-canned from the garden. Chicken served as the meat since all one had to do was go out into the yard and catch a young rooster.
However simple it was, Christmas was always a joyful occasion. Families dined together and love flowed from the hearts and, after giving thanks for the blessings of the Lord, they sat around the table enjoying the feast set before them. The conversation was jolly, full of laughter and smiles. After dining, the men would retire to the living room and discuss the world's situation with the smoke of their pipes circling upward which had been filled with home-gown tobacco while a few of the men took a chew of the tobacco that had been formed into a twist and strong enough to make a normal person sick.
Lizzie Jane thought of how wonderful it would be to be able to help someone in distress — someone in real distress. She did that all during the year, but she wished for something different, but she was not prepared for how her wish would be answered — proposing a problem that would be very difficult even for her.
It happened on Christmas Eve. That was when she met the young lady — or was it a lady? In the first place, her dress was too short — above the knees. In 1954, all the women in Lizzie Jane’s community wore long dresses or skirts and certainly not above the knee. That was indecent. However, the woman had a long, beautiful fur coat with the collar turned up against the wintry breeze.
But, the young blonde haired girl looked to be in her early twenties, very pretty, and wore a lot of makeup. But, what caught Lizzie Jane’s attention was that she looked confused — as if she were lost.
So, Lizzie Jane did the most logical thing. She walked up to the young lady and asked, "Hello, ma’am — I could not help noticing you — are you lost?”
The young woman looked at her and replied, “No, I am not lost. If I were lost, I would not know where I am, but I am here, so I cannot be lost. Now, if I did not know I was here, I would be lost, not knowing that I was not here — but if I wasn’t here, I would have to be someplace else and since I would not know where that someplace else is, I would be lost. So, I think — well, I KNOW — I am here, so I am not lost.”
Lizzie Jane stood there for a moment, not believing what she just heard. What kind of woman is this? Has she lost her marbles?
Trying to regain her composure, Lizzie Jane offered her hand and an introduction, “I am Lizzie Jane. May I ask who you are?”
“Oh, don’t be silly. I am me. If I wasn’t me, I am certain I would know it”, the woman replied — then paused and said, “Well, at least I think I would.” After another pause as if she were giving something some serious thought, “Oh, yes, I am me. I am certainly not someone else.”
Lizzie had never met anyone like this. “I mean, could I ask your name?”
“Of course you can ask my name. Go ahead and ask. How silly it is that you asked to ask my name. I would have been most happy to let you know what it is,” replied the strange woman.
Lizzie Jane batted her eyes and shook her head. Is this woman for real? “Okay, what is your name?” asked Lizzie Jane as sweetly as she could.
The woman fiddled around in her purse, looking for something. “That nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman paid $500 for a my diver license and told me that it had my name on it — Oh, here it is. It is on my Mister Card, too,” the lady proudly announced as she produced a diver license.
Lizzie Jane was startled. Here was a woman who did not know her name and someone paid $500 to get her a driver license? Lizzie Jane saw that the lady’s name was Josephine Bockkernodd, the card was plastic and even had her photo on it, but what caused Lizzie Jane’s eyes to open wide was the expiration date -- May, 2008. How could that be? This was 1954!
PART TWO
Satisfied in her mind that this was the person to whom Lizzie Jane was to perform a good deed, she quickly regained her composure again and asked, “We are going to have Christmas supper tonight and I would like to invite you to join us.”
“Well, I am looking for the nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman and he must be the one who is lost because I am here, so I cannot be lost. I guess I can come if you have some ice cream. Why don’t you have ice cream?”
“We can come up with some home-made ice cream,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“Well, why did you not tell me I could have some ice cream? Here I am, thinking I would have to do without ice cream because you did not tell me I could have ice cream and that is why I thought I could not have ice cream,” said Josephine.
“But..” began Lizzie Jane; then decided that to answer such a question would be a losing battle since ice cream had not been mentioned.
On the way to Uncle Jed’s home, Lizzie Jane tried to make some sense in what the young woman was saying, but finally just gave up.
Upon arriving, Lizzie Jane presented Josephine to Aunt Maudie. Aunt Maudie replied with, “How do you do?”
“How do I do what? I do a lot of things. Some things I do, I should do and some things I do, I should not do, but some times the things that I should do are the things that I should not do and the things that I do not do is things I should do, so I don’t know what to do,” replied Josephine.
Lizzie Jane giggled as Aunt Maudie shook her head.
“Supper is about ready,” said Lizzie Jane as she took Josephine by the hand and led her to the table.
When Josephine saw the chicken lying on the platter, she remarked, “Is that the cooked goose? I remember the nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen telling about someone cooking their goose, but I have never eaten a cooked goose. Strange. He always spoke of a cooked goose as being bad, so is that a bad goose and is that why it is cooked because if he was a good goose, he would not be a cooked goose?”
It was Uncle Jed’s turn to look strange. Finally, he murmured a “un-huh”.
Lizzie Jane just giggled again. “This young lady got separated from a nice dressed intoxicated gentlemen and was trying to find him because he got lost.”
“Yes, he is lost because I don’t know where he is and if his where-a-bouts was known, he would not be lost — now would he? So, that is why I know he is lost,” answered Josephine.
“So, I am trying to find a way to get them together. They live in the year 2007.” Lizzie Jane spoke as if it was a common thing from someone to be 53 years in the past.
Uncle Jed almost choked on his chicken leg. He began to wonder if the craziness of the young lady was contagious.
Needless to say, that Christmas supper was the most unusual the family ever experienced with the conversation going every which way.
True to her word, the old fashioned ice-cream freezer was brought out. Aunt Maudie prepared the mix and Uncle Jed turned the handle on the freezer while Lizzie Jane added the ice.
Josephine sat there in astonishment, having never seen an ice cream freezer. Finally she said, “Might as well give up. That thing ain’t gonna crank. Even if it did crank, I don’t see how we can ride in it. There ain’t no wheels.”
No one said a word. They figured there wasn’t any use.
Finally, the homemade ice cream was ready and Josephine got the first helping. Anyone would see that she liked it. After all, she had a second helping, a third, a fourth — well, until the ice cream ran out.
“I own a ice cream factory,” Josephine proudly announced. “That nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman bought it for me.”
Now, a chance for conversation! Uncle Jed had to ask, “How much profit do you make?”
“Profit?” asked Josephine.
“Yeah, how much do you sell?”
“I don’t sell ice cream, silly. I eat it.”
No one dared to ask anything else.
Lizzie Jane took Josephine by the hand and said, “Let’s go pray. I think I need to so you can get back home.”
Out in the back yard, Josephine began, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” (that was the only prayer she knew) while Lizzie Jane asked for a miracle. Both prayers were answered.
The girls went into a deep sleep, but, as often happens, Lizzie Jane had a visit from her deceased mother in a dream.
“My dear,” began Mother, “You wanted to help someone for Christmas, so you got someone that only you could help. Josephine is living in a fairy tale because she was changed into a bimbo by a fairy, so you must let her carry you back to the place where she saw the rabbit. Then, everything will work out.”
Lizzie Jane woke suddenly. Back to the place where she saw the rabbit? Now, what could that mean?? This thing is getting crazier as it goes on.
PART THREE
Lizzie Jane woke Josephine and asked, “Will you carry me back to where you saw the rabbit?”
Josephine said, “Oh yes — that silly rabbit. I have seen rabbits, but that was the silliest rabbit I ever saw. Oh yes, I will show you where that silly rabbit went — silly rabbit.”
The girls began to walk through the woods. The moon was full, so there was plenty of moonlight to help them along the way. Josephine kept looking around and kept saying, “I think it this way — no, that way — maybe — Oh, I don’t know. I think the rabbit was lost.”
Praying that Josephine would accidentally stumble on the right path, Lizzie kept quiet and the girls kept walking through the woods.
“It is all that rabbit’s fault,” continued Josephine. “A squirrel would not have done that. A squirrel would have run up a tree to his home, turned on the television and watched the weather channel.”
Lizzie Jane did not ask about a “weather channel”. She was afraid of the answer.
“Squirrels eat nuts. I don’t see how they can chew them. That nicely dressed intoxicated gentlemen uses them in his shop to hold bolts together. Maybe squirrels like nuts ‘cause they can carry them easy, just stick their tongues through the holes and betcha they can carry two at one time.”
Suddenly Josephine stopped and said, “Here is his hole. I know he got his suit dirty when he jumped in it.”
“Suit?” Lizzie Jane had to ask the obvious — “Rabbits don’t wear suits.”
“Oh, yes they do — and carry a watch. He kept saying, ‘I am late, I am late for an important date’. He was white and wearing spectacles, too. A little girl was running after him with something written on her apron and she went in the hole, too.”
Lizzie stood there with her mouth open and finally said, “I guess the apron read ‘Alice’.”
“Yeah, that was it — how did you know?”
“Oh, just lucky I guess — then, I suppose you went into the hole?”
“Yep, fell head first — and the next thing I knowed, I was where you was at.”
“Well, I will tell you what. You jump back into the hole and I think everything will be okay,” suggested Lizzie Jane.
“I ain’t going into no hole. I ain’t no rabbit,” squealed Josephine as she backed up, stumbled over a rock and fell head first into the rabbit hole again.
Lizzie Jane listened carefully and she heard, “Oh, my nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman, how did you get lost? I have been looking all over for you — well, not all over, but over and over, and up and down and…” The voice faded away as if they were walking away in the distance.
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Lizzie Jane woke early Christmas morning and rubbed her eyes. She lazily padded into the kitchen where Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie were already up and eating breakfast.
“Come on in and sit down,” said Aunt Maudie as she got up to fry some more eggs. “Jed and I were just talking. We both had a strange dream last night — the same one.”
Lizzie Jane wondered about the situation, but did not say anything.
Aunt Maudie opened the refrigerator and exclaimed, “What is a Christmas present doing in here?”
Uncle Jed replied, “Well, who is it from?”
“Strange,” answered Aunt Maudie. “It has a label stating that it is from ‘a nicely dressed intoxicated gentleman’ and the package says, ‘manufactured at Josephine’s Ice Cream Factory.”
Uncle Jed scatched his head and Aunt Maudie stood there with a confused look. Lizzie Jane just smiled.
A white rabbit, wearing a Prince Albert vest and coat, watched the trio from his perch on a window sill. He pulled out his watch, jumped up sudddenly and ran off screaming, "I am late, I am late again for an important date."
(At least he had made one delivery on time -- on Christmas Day.)
Lizzie Jane and Jake sat holding hands watching the old clock on the mantle over the fireplace tick toward midnight and the new year -- 1955. Their clock may be off a few minutes, but to them it would be official and they would meet the new year together.
This is a short chapter. I hope you enjoy it. If you have not already done so, it might help if you would read my story, "Guns are not for Little Boys", Chapter 2. It may help understand this chapter.
YOUNG LOVE
Chapter 1
Lizzie Jane was curled up in front of the fireplace watching the fire dance around the split wooden logs, swaying back and forth, often shooting upward with flaming fingers seemingly trying to reach some unseen object and at other times swirling around in semi-circles.
Enjoying a cup of sweeten coffee, she sat on a pallet composed of patch-work quilts, padded to create a soft cushioned seat and to keep the coolness of the floor from coming through. It was a cloudy, dreary day with highs in the 50's. Christmas Day had come to an end. Everyone was looking toward a new year, wondering what mysteries might be revealed in 1955.
Lizzie Jane's mind was centered on Jake -- a young man who had been just a friend, who somehow had slipped into her heart, creating a powerful emotional attachment which was causing confusion to a young teenage girl, unsure of her feelings.
Did she love Jake? Was she capable of knowing love -- the kind of love that molded two hearts together with eternal bonding that would never be loosen? Or was she just a teen who was swept away by some temporary affection? When did it all happen?
Her mind went back to Sam's Place when Jake bought her a coke, where he had embarrassed her with talk about marriage, but walked her home with his arm around her, shielding her against the cool night air. That was when Lizzie Jane experienced her first kiss.
Lizzie Jane tried to piece together what could have happened in that short period of time to change a friendly association to one reserved for a couple in love.
At that time (just as she was doing now), she remembered asking herself if Jake was just a friend or did she really love him? The kiss seemed to be the magic moment when she submitted to the love and warmness of someone who truly loved her. The tenderness of that moment and the strange feelings that invaded her lasted only a short time before a bullet entered her body, fired by a murderer in a passing vehicle.
Falling unconsciously to the street, she did not remember the hours she spent in ICU as she struggled between life and death, but she did remember being told that Jake never left the hospital and did not go home until she was dismissed.
When she was able, but still in a weak state, Doc Brown had transported her home, lying in the back seat of his old car, while Jake rode in the front on the passenger side. He continually looked back, checking on her during the long trip. Lizzie Jane had seen him and remembered exchanging smiles. There wasn't any doubt of Jake's love for Lizzie Jane. He had proved that. (See "Guns are not for Little Boys", Chapter 2 for complete details.)
Oh, if only she could relive the warm moment of that first kiss -- but that was impossible. If the love was real and the experience was not just a passing fantasy, she realized there would be more tender romantic moments, but none like the first time.
A tear dropped from her eye -- not of sadness -- but of loneliness and the desire to be cuddled and secure in Jake's manly arms, submitting to his charm and being assured of his devotion as the girl of his life. She would return that devotion with a smile and a charming kiss.
Aunt Maudie stood at the door watching Lizzie Jane and the sorrow she seemed to be suffering. Walking over and placing her arm around her niece, Aunt Maudie asked, "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"Oh, Aunt Maudie," whimpered Lizzie Jane. "It is how I feel about Jake. I am so confused. I think I love him, but I don't know for sure."
Aunt Maudie smiled, "Ah, that thing called love -- sent from Heaven to worry the devil out of you. For some, it is stronger than it is for others. One thing to remember -- true love is more than just a fascination. It is much deeper -- and more rewarding."
"How will I know?" pleaded a tearful Lizzie Jane.
"In time..." Aunt Maudie paused, then continued. "In time you will know."
"How do you love Uncle Jed?" inquired Lizzie Jane.
"I love him enough to wash his stinking socks, dirty underwear, and put up with his little faults -- and kiss him while I am doing all that, even though I feel that I need a clothes pin on my nose sometimes. Now, that is real love," smiled Aunt Maudie. "Love is when you get to a place where you just can't seem to live without him. Love is like keeping those old shoes that you can't throw away because they are so comfortable -- even though they are worn out."
"Is Uncle Jed like an old shoe?" teased Lizzie Jane.
"Yep -- he is just comfortable to be around," replied Aunt Maudie "-- just like an old shoe and he is just about worn out -- but I will keep him, anyway. Couldn't get a plug nickel for him if I tried to trade him for someone else, so I might just as well keep the old codger."
That brought a smile to Lizzie Jane, followed by a little giggle, and before they knew it, Lizzie Jane and Aunt Maudie both were rolling in laughter.
"What are you two hens cackling about?" asked Uncle Jed as he walked in with Jake behind him.
"Oh, nothing -- just girl talk," replied Aunt Maudie.
Lizzie Jane spied Jake just as Uncle Jed proclaimed, "Look what I found wandering around."
The young couple smiled at each other as Jake began to speak, "I was just out walking around when somehow I wandered off this-a-way and I am glad I did," flashing another smile at Lizzie Jane.
Aunt Maudie spoke up, "I don't think the eggs have been gathered today. Lizzie Jane, would you...?" The question never was completed when Lizzie Jane said, "I will be glad to." Stretching out her hand to Jake, she asked, "Do you want to walk out to the chicken house with me?" That was like asking a dog if it wanted a big steak.
Jake reached out and took Lizzie Jane's hand and they walked through the kitchen with Lizzie Jane grabbing a wire handled basket for the eggs. Although it was a cool winter day, Lizzie Jane's heart was warm and her body did not notice the coolness, either. Pausing just before reaching the door of the chicken house, the couple stopped. Jake pulled Lizzie Jane up close and their lips touched. If there were any question as to whether the tenderness of that first kiss could be repeated, it was answered that day.
At the same time, both said to the other, "I love you." Realizing that was said in unison, they began to laugh, which was quickly hushed by another lingering kiss.
Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie was peeping out the kitchen window at the loving couple when Uncle Jed said, "Reckon they will get the eggs?"
Aunt Maudie replied, "Does it really matter?"
"I guess not," answered Uncle Jed. "Whatta you say we try what they are doing?"
"You ole goat. You will never get too old to keep me from loving you," answered Aunt Maudie and the older couple embraced.
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Yep, love was in the air that winter day -- or do you suppose it was in the water?
--To be Continued--
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Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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Lizzie Jane and Jake sat holding hands watching the old clock on the mantel over the fireplace tick toward midnight and the new year -- 1955. Their clock may be off a few minutes, but to them it would be official and they would meet the new year together.
YOUNG LOVE
CHAPTER 2
Lizzie Jane and Jake sat holding hands watching the old clock on the mantel over the fireplace tick toward midnight and the new year -- 1955. Their clock may be off a few minutes, but to them it would be official and they would meet the new year together.
They could hear firecrackers in the background. As usual, there would probably be drunks who would be out of touch with reality so much that they would not know what was happening. The Korean War (or conflict, as some called it) had been over about a year and a half and some of the soldiers were trying to forget. Others may had been a failure in life -- maybe a loser in business or love. But, there were some who just liked to get drunk.
There wasn't any liquor served at Aunt Maudie's home where Lizzie Jane and Jake were seated. Instead, they knelt in prayer and asked for God's guidance in their lives.They were just a young couple in love and both felt that there was something in God's plan for them, but did not know exactly what.
But, as for the time being, they only knew that they loved each other and that is all that mattered. What would lay ahead was unknown, but they knew that it was in God's hand and all would work out okay.
At the stroke of midnight, they kissed and took in the moment for awhile. Finally as the clock struck one o'clock, they said good night and Jake headed home to go to bed, but not until after one more kiss and the gentle words each whispered to the other --- "I love you."
Lizzie Jane lay upon her bed, sleep not coming quickly and thought about the future. She could see out the window from where she lay, so she looked at the stars and thought of the glory of God, the great expanse of the universe and the beauty of nature. As she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, her mind was on Jake. In dreamland, she dreamed of being a wife in a house with children running around -- her children -- her and Jake's children. The dream was so sweet, not marred by anything to the contrary.
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The sun was already shining through her window when Lizzie Jane awoke to greet the first day of the new year. Aunt Maudie had let her sleep late, which was very unusual. Being on a farm meant there were chores to be done, but in winter maybe that was not as important as other times of the year when more active farming was going on. The major crop in one field was cotton and another field grew corn. Each year, the crops were reversed. Also, there was the family garden -- a huge one in which grew all the vegetables the family would need, most of it canned for later use.
Most farm families had a milk cow, but Uncle Jed had three so they could have milk all year. It had been Lizzie Jane's early morning job to milk one of the cows. Only one was giving milk because one cow had been turned dry, waiting to give birth to another calf, and another had just 'come in' (a term meaning that she had a new born calf which caused the milk to be too rich for humans).
As Lizzie entered the kitchen, she saw Uncle Jed coming from the barn, having already completed the morning milking. Aunt Maudie turned around, saw her and said, "Have a seat, honey. I will have you some eggs, sausage and gravy in a minute. I know you were up late and the reason why." Aunt Maudie smiled at her last statement.
Lizzie Jane saw the smile and smiled back. It was clear that Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie approved of Jake.
Since New Year's Day fell on a Saturday this year, Jed had planned to make his regular trip into town to pick up a few groceries that they needed, such as sugar and coffee.
Although Christmas had been a major holiday, New Year's Day did not have much meaning except that it was a time for new beginnings. The stores should be open and Lizzie Jane figured most of the young people would be gathered at Sam's Place, so she welcomed the chance to go with Uncle Jed. Aunt Maudie would stay home preparing the traditional New Year Day's meal, black-eye peas, hog jowls and corn bread. That kind of meal was expected to bring prosperity. Lizzie Jane had secretly thought that it may have been selected because of all the rich foods on Christmas and people had run out of money.
Anyway, Lizzie Jane had been correct. Sam's Place was full of young people and Uncle Jed had given her forty cents. That was enough for a Coke, hamburger, some kind of dessert and have a few cents left over.
She quickly found two of her friends, Alice and Connie. Ordering a Coke, the girls began to catch up on the gossip of the day, which included who was sweet on whom.
"I hear that you and Jake are getting chummy", mentioned Alice.
"Yeah," agreed Connie. "He's cute, too."
"Well, we have talked," answered an embarassed Lizzie Jane.
"Well, from what I heard you were whispering 'cause your lips were close together," teased Alice. "When is the big day?"
"Big day?" asked Lizzie Jane.
"Yeah, the big day. When are you planning on getting hitched?"
"Now, wait a minute," insisted Lizzie Jane. "In the first place, I am not old enough and I am not sure I am ready."
"You can marry at 14 with consent. You are not far off from that," said Alice. "If you don't hurry up, you might wind up an old maid."
"In May," stated Lizzie Jane. "My birthday is May 4th."
"Girl, get married while you have the chance." chimed in Connie. "You know how men are. A pretty girl flashes her eyes and he finds another heifer."
"You know, he has already claimed you," stated Alice.
Lizzie Jane remembered very well when Jake did just that and she had crawled under the table and Jake crawled under there with her. That was the night when she wanted to go home and hide, but it was also the night of that first magic kiss.
"Here is your Coke, miss," a voice spoke.
Lizzie Jane looked up at the waiter -- and it was Jake. "And it has two straws and is already paid for."
Jake looked at the other two girls and asked, "You don't mind if I steal your friend, will you?" Alice and Connie nodded that it was okay.
Jake gently took Lizzie Jane by the hand and pulled her up and pointed, "There is a nice table in the corner."
"Jake, stop -- please," begged Lizzie Jane. "People are looking at us."
"Well, aren't we going to invite them to our wedding?" asked Jake.
Lizzie Jane decided to stand there arguing would cause more looks, so she said, "Let's go and sit down."
As Lizzie Jane took her seat, Jake sat down. "My, you are as red as a radish."
Lizzie Jane put her hand to the side of her face, trying to hide from the smiles of the other kids, pleading with a whispering voice "Please stop. You are embarassing me."
"You are so cute when you are embarassed," replied Jake, grinning from ear to ear. "I love you and I want everyone to know it."
Lizzie Jane knew that was true and she loved him, but here was a girl who could stand bravely in the face of danger without showing fear, but could not publicly show her love for the one she cared for so much. She was not a super heroine, but could substitute for one very easily.
Jake realized that. She had even rescued him from certain death once, but he was not in love with a heroine, but a tender, charming young lady -- a lady in every sense of the word. A young lady who needed him and he needed her.
As he took Lizzie Jane by the hand and whispered, "I have kidded so much about marrying you, but let me do it proper. You know I love you with all my heart and I believe that our love was created in heaven, so I now officially ask you -- Will you marry me?"
Lizzie Jane's heart began to flutter which has been described by some as being like butterflies. Tears swelled up in her eyes and she began to melt, becoming as limber as a dishrag. Everything seemed to be going around in circles. She closed her eyes.....
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When she opened her eyes, she discovered that she way lying on the floor with a wet cloth on her forehead and a circle of girls around her. On his knees beside her was Jake rubbing her hand and saying, "I am so sorry. Please be okay."
Lizzie Jane lay there looking up at her surrroundings. She heard someone say, "Here comes Doc Brown."
Doc Brown knelt beside her, checking her pulse, shining a small flashlight in her eyes. "What happened?" asked the Doc.
"She fell from her seat all of a sudden and hit her head on the concrete floor when she fell," replied one of the girls who had seen the whole thing.
"Does your head hurt?" asked Doc Brown.
"A little," replied Lizzie Jane.
"I don't think there is a concussion, but it would be best for her to go home and go to bed for awhile. Maudie is a good nurse and she can keep an eye on her," said Doc Brown.
Jake reached down to pick her up, looked at Doc Brown, and back to Lizzie Jane and asked, "Is it okay?"
"I think so," said Doc Brown. "Just be careful."
Lizzie Jane smiled and said, "Yes", reached and put her arm around Jake's neck. Jake carefully picked her up and carried her to Doc's car. He knelt in the floor by Lizzie Jane as she lay in the back seat.
"I am so sorry," Jake said.
Lizzie Jane looked up at him and quietly whispered, "Yes."
"Yes, what?" asked a surprised Jake.
"Yes, I will marry you," said Lizzie Jane. She smiled and closed her eyes. Jake tried to keep her awake, but she drifted off into a deep slumber.
"Don't let her go to sleep," ordered Doc Brown.
"I am trying to keep her awake," replied Jake, "but she is out."
"I will get her to Jed's as fast as I can. I need to examine her further," said Doc Brown as he started the car.
Lizzie Jane's deceased mother came to her again in a dream. "Lizzie Jane, I am so proud for you. This is God's will, so don't worry. Everything will work out and remember -- I will always be with you -- and your children -- and my grandchildren."
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To be continued
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"My name is --- ah, my name is ---," Lizzie Jane stopped for a moment, seemed to go into deep thought and then exclaimed, "I don't know! I don't know who I am!"
"We are not far from the truck stop. Maybe some food will help. Remember, I will be buying. Oh, by the way, when was the last time you ate?" asked Joe.
"I don't know that, either," said Lizzie Jane. "I know it has not been recently.".
YOUNG LOVE, CHAPTER 3
Lizzie Jane losing consciousness again was worrying Doc Brown. At first, it seemed that she had just fainted. That was probably the case, but she had also hit her head on the concrete floor. She had awaken enough to sense everything and, in transit to her uncle's house, she had spoken to Jake, accepting his proposal of marriage, but had closed her eyes again and could not be awaken.
Aunt Maudie and Doc put her to bed and a cold, wet cloth was put on her head. Doc Brown diagnosed it as a serious concussion with the understanding that it could be something more serious, such as a fractured skull or bleeding inside Lizzie Jane's head.
Without an ex-ray or other equipment nearby, all Doc Brown could suggest was to watch her carefully, hoping she would snap out of it soon.
Lizzie Jane did wake, later that night while Uncle Jed was sitting with her. When he saw her eyes open, he ran out of the room to tell Maudie, Jake, and Doc Brown that she was awake.
Lizzie Jane looked around for a minute in confusion and her eyes fell on the door as the group rushed in. Surprised, she asked, "Who are you? Where am I?"
Suddenly, the group was speechless. They were ready to rush in and bestow their very best wishes and love to Lizzie Jane, but were greeted with shocking questions.
Aunt Maudie spoke first. "Honey, we are your family -- Uncle Jed and I. Jake here is your boy friend."
Not speaking aloud, Lizzie Jane turned the answer over in her mind. Who are these strangers who claim to be family -- and who is this boy they call Jake? Had she not just spoken with her mother, who assured her that everything was going to be all right. How could this be her family when she had a mother?
Lizzie Jane lay on the bed, unable to determine the difference in reality and seeing her mother in a dream. To her, mother was the reality.
Had these people kidnapped her? Was her mother wealthy and they wanted money? Was she in some kind of hospital and these people were out of their minds? Or maybe she was some kind of prisoner?
Lizzie Jane finally spoke. "I don't know who you are and why I am here. I do know one thing -- get out of here and leave me alone!!"
She said it with such force that Aunt Maudie trembled and suggested that they leave for the present. Outside the room, Doc Brown stated, "This happens sometimes. Lizzie Jane has amnesia. It may just be temporary or it may last awhile. I don't know the seriousness of her head injury. I need to transport her to a hospital again for evaluation. With your permission, I will get started on that."
Aunt Maudie nodded her approval. Uncle Jed, Aunt Maudie and Jake went downstairs for some coffee while Doc Brown stepped out a few minutes to make some phone calls.
Looking at Jake, Aunt Maudie said, "I know this is rough on you."
"Yes, it is," replied Jake. "I love that girl so much and she had just told me that she would marry me before she slipped off into sleep." For the first time since he had been a small child, Jake's lips began to quiver as tears began to fill his eyes.
Uncle Jed put his arm around Jake and encouraged him, "Everything is going to be all right. Just wait and see."
Meanwhile, Lizzie Jane was thinking that she had to get away. She eased out of bed, a dull ache in her head, and walked to the window of Uncle Jed's two story house. She saw a narrow ledge just outside the window. From there, she could probably find a way to the roof and look for a way to the ground.
With the window raised, she stepped out on the ledge. It was so narrow that she had to turn her feet to the side, but she was not going to give up. Her hands grabbed whatever they could find. She had been put to bed wearing a skirt and her aunt had not taken time to change her clothing since she had passed out, so she could feel the cold wind against her legs which was not bad, but invigorating.
She could not find a way to the roof, but she did see a tree with a limb sticking out a few feet from the house. Without giving it much thought, she leaped as far as she could toward the limb. She did not realize that she needed more than a narrow ledge to spring from, so she only caught the edge of the limb, which bent quickly from her weight and she saw the ground rushing to meet her.
The limb did not break immediately, so it slowed her fall enough so that there wasn't any serious injuries, but it did cause a few bruises and a little pain. The only thought in her mind was that she had successfully completed the first stage of her escape from those crazy people.
With legs sore from the fall, she ran across the pasture to the woods where she would work her way to freedom as far away from this place as possible. One thing she had not considered was that it was late in the afternoon and would soon be dark. She also realized that the temperature that night would be cold, probably below freezing.
Something clicked in her mind and she remembered starting fires with a rock -- a flint rock. She searched for such a rock, but darkness began to fall and she found nothing with which to start a fire. She was weak and soon became exhausted and fell to the ground. The thought of dying crossed her mind, but she would rather die in the woods that go back to the loony house (as she now considered it).
She closed her eyes, not expecting to wake up. She awoke the next morning and felt something warm next to her body. She jumped up, startled, to see what had kept her from freezing. Surprised, she saw a big deer that evidently sensed her distress and had done what he could to keep her warm. But, why would a deer do that? She began to remember something else -- a little deer she had helped about four years earlier and had become her pet. It must be --- yes, it was -- it was that deer, all grown up. The deer's family was standing by and Lizzie Jane smiled. She was also pleased that she remembed that event.
Other things began to come to mind -- how she had previously spend a night in the woods before meeting the deer and how nothing had bothered her while she slept. She also thought about her mother and how she would visit Lizzie Jane whenever things did not seem to be going right. It was at this time that Lizzie Jane came to realize that her mother always appeared in a dream.
It was pleasing for memories to return, but she could still not remember anything about the people in the house from which she had escaped. Should she go back? She sat there awhile and thought about the matter and decided that, if she did know them, surely she would remember it, so the best thing was to follow through with her escape.
She was getting weak from hunger, not having eaten anything for -- well, she did not know how long. The last time she was lost in these woods, it was late summer and she found berries and natural foods, but now, in winter, such foods could not be found. She stumbled along and finally came to a highway.
Unable to go any further, she sat down on the shoulder of the road. She looked down the highway and saw a trailer truck coming, but she didn't care. She was too exhausted to run anymore. She just sat there as the truck stopped.
A big man climbed down from the rig. "Are you all right, young lady?" asked the man.
"I--I am tired and hungry. That is all," replied Lizzie Jane.
"Little lady, please don't think anything about this, but there is a truck stop down the road apiece and I could get you something to eat there. Will it be okay for you to ride with me that far?" asked the man.
"Oh, I am so tired and hungry, I don't care. No, I mean -- I am not scared of you. You seem to be nice," answered Lizzie Jane. Actually her first statement was true. She was too tired to care.
"Can you walk?"
"A little. I am so tired. Your truck is so high off the ground. I don't think I can make it," replied Lizzie Jane.
"If you will let me, I believe I can pick you up enough to make it."
"Okay, I guess -- if you are strong enough."
The man reached down, put his hands under her legs and said, "Okay, put your arms around my neck."
As near as she could remember, Lizzie Jane had never been picked up by such a strong man. He was able to raise her high enough to barely reach the passenger seat. "Now let's find something to eat," he stated. "Oh, by the way, my name is Joe."
"My name is --- ah, my name is ---," Lizzie Jane stopped for a moment, seemed to go into deep thought and then exclaimed, "I don't know! I don't know who I am!"
"We are not far from the truck stop. Maybe some food will help. Remember, I will be buying. Oh, by the way, when was the last time you ate?" asked Joe.
"I don't know that, either," said Lizzie Jane. "I know it has not been recently."
In just a few minutes, Joe was parking the big truck in the parking lot. Joe helped Lizzie Jane down from the truck. The couple found a booth in a quiet corner.
Joe asked, "Now, what would you like to eat?"
"I don't know. A horse? I am so hungry, I could eat a horse." smiled Lizzie Jane.
"Okay, you need some real food. We will order some soup and while you are eating it, they can fix you a steak and some potatoes -- something to stick to your ribs," replied Joe. "How do you like your steak?"
"I don't know that, either," said Lizzie Jane.
"Well, the women I know like their's well done, so we will order that for you."
Lizzie Jane smile, "That will do just fine. Thank you."
While Lizzie Jane was eating, Joe went over and talked to the waitress, explaining how he had found Lizzie Jane and that she had lost her memory. The waitress called the manager and, after a little discussion, the manager agreed to let her stay there for awhile and they would try to find out more about the young lady.
Joe walked back over to the table where Lizzie Jane was sitting. "I have to go and have a long way to travel. The folks here are going to help you."
"Okay," smiled Lizzie Jane. "Thank you again -- and please be careful."
Lizzie Jane seemed to be sincere in her statement -- that she cared about others. Joe smiled back.
The first place the manager called was the sheriff and was informed that they did not have anyone searching for a girl fitting Lizzie Jane's description. Lizzie Jane had crossed the county line and the sheriff in her home county had not put out a statewide alert, thinking that she would be found in his county. A few other calls produced the same result.
"How old would you say she is?" asked the manager.
The waitress looked at her and said, "It is hard to tell -- maybe sixteen."
The manager walked over to Lizzie Jane to ask her.
"Hello, my name is Sam", said the manager. "Can you tell me how old you are?"
Sam? That rung a bell. Somehow, in her mind, the name Sam and a restaurant went together, but she could not connect the name 'Sam' with the teen hangout in Carter's Bend.
"I am sorry, but I don't know. Is it important?" asked Lizzie Jane.
"No, it is not important -- particularly if you are at least 16," answered Sam.
"Well, since I don't know, let's just say I am 16. That is a nice age to be," answered Lizzie Jane. "Some girls are married by the time they are 16." Lizzie Jane paused and thought, now where had she heard that?
Sam continued, "We have a little room in the back with a bed, so you can lie down for the night. Don't worry. We are open 24 hours a day, so you will not be alone. Tomorrow we will do some more checking and, if we cannot find anything about you, you can help around here a little. We can always use another waitress when the place gets crowded. A young lady like you can get a lot of tips -- make a lot of money."
Lizzie Jane smiled again and welcomed the offer of a room. She was so tired.
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--To be continued
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Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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Lizzie Jane has lost her memory, but little things keep coming back -- but how much? How fast? Why did she pick Lizzie Jane as a new name, not realizing that was her old name? Will she find a new love? There are many questions yet to be answered. Maybe we can find out these and other things together.
YOUNG LOVE, CHAPTER 4
"How do you like being a waitress?" asked Carol.
Lizzie Jane, who had only had one hour experience in the occupation replied, "Well, it is okay, but I don't know about that guy over there pinching me on my butt."
Carol smiled. "That is part of the job. None of us like scum like that. The best thing to do when that happens is to just turned to him and smile. To make an issue of it would lose customers. From then on, just don't get close enough for him to do it again. If he is your customer, check his table as soon as he leaves. He will probably leave a large tip. I know him and he is a big-shot timber man."
As a beginner, Lizzie Jane had only worked during the rush lunch hour. She found out that it was not easy -- trying to keep the orders and prices straight. Also, she had to put up with the advances of the male customers. She figured she must have turned down at least a dozen dates -- some good-lookers, too.
The rush being over, Carol and Lizzie Jane sat down to a cup of coffee.
"Another thing -- when business is slow, the waitresses try to push the juke box," stated Carol. "The owner gets half of what it takes in. Often we will match coins and get to pick the songs. I know that is gambling, but it is all in good fun and it doesn't cost us anything if we lose. The owner lets us take a nickle out of the cash register. Even getting half of it back, he makes more than he loses."
"I am getting hungry. What does the food costs us?" asked Lizzie Jane.
"Oh, not anything. If we want to eat or drink anything, we just get it. There is not any charge. You are not going to eat enough to break the owner," replied Carol.
Lizzie Jane looked at the menu. A vegetable plate lunch was 50 cents -- with meat, it was 60. Hamburgers and hot dogs had gone up from ten cents to fifteen cents. Soft drinks had gone up to ten cents. Prices were steadily rising.
Waitress uniforms were a plain white or green button-up dress with pockets on the side to hold a ticket book and a pencil, although most of the time the pencils were placed behind the ear. Although it looked nice for a waitress to wear nylon stockings, Sam did not require it.
"Do you have any more clues to who you are?" asked Carol.
"No, most everything is blank. I remember some things, but not people," replied Lizzie Jane.
"What kind of things?"
"Things that you would not believe. Sometimes I wonder if I am just remembering dreams. Some are just too fantastic," answered Lizzie Jane. "But, the name 'Sam' rings a bell and it is connected to a restaurant."
"Do you think you have been here before?" asked Carol.
"No, or at least I don't think so," answered Lizzie Jane. "Another thing, why cannot I remember my name?"
"Why don't we just name you. You need some kind of name," said Carol. "I know a good name -- Elizabeth -- and we could call you Liz -- you know, kinda like Elizabeth Taylor. You look kinda like an 'Elizabeth' or maybe a 'Jane'?"
"Sounds okay to me," replied Lizzie Jane. "Somehow those names seem familiar and they seem to fit. How about calling me Lizzie Jane? That would be putting the two names together."
"So it is -- from now on out, you are 'Lizzie Jane'."
Lizzie Jane's brain was working overtime -- why did the name 'Lizzie Jane' sound so familiar? Did she know someone by that name?
"Hey, Sam," called Carol to the manager working in the kitchen. "Little Miss Lost Girl has a name now -- it is Elizabeth Jane and we are going to call her Lizzie Jane."
Lizzie Jane became very proficient in waiting on tables and she particularly like the tips she received. Some weeks she could pocket $200 after Carol and she split the tips. No one else she knew made that much money in 1955.
"Before the season ends, I had hoped to go somewhere and go deer hunting", stated Sam as he walked up. "Wish people had not killed all the deer around here."
Carol spoke first. "I understand that the government is thinking about restocking Alabama with some deer, so it may not be too long until you can can hunt deer with your bow.
"Bow?" asked Lizzie Jane. "Could I see it some day?"
"Sure, I have it here in the office," stated Sam. He located the archery set and proudly presented it for Lizzie Jane to examine. "Takes a real expert to shoot one of those things."
"May I try?" asked Lizzie Jane.
Sam laughed. Surely Lizzie Jane did not realize how difficult it was to properly hold the bow, much less hit something. To have some fun and since it was a sunny afternoon and there wasn't any customers at the time, he decided that they could go outside and he could put up a target about 50 feet away.
"Isn't that kinda close?" asked Lizzie Jane.
"Well, okay -- how about twice as far?"
"How about five times further," suggested Lizzie Jane. She did not know why, but she felt that she could hit a target further than that.
"Okay, but don't say it was my idea," answered Sam.
Lizzie Jane placed an arrow properly and pulled back on the string, took aim, and let it fly. Bulls eye!
"Beginner's luck," teased Sam.
Lizzie Jane repeated the motion and the next arrow found its mark beside the other arrow, both touching. Sam, still not satisfied, threw an apple in the air and Lizzie Jane brought it down with an arrow. She seemed very pleased that she was a great marksman in archery.
"Wow!" exclaimed Carol each time.
"Where did you learn that?" asked Sam.
Without giving it a second thought, Lizzie Jane replied, "in the jungle." Surprising herself, she thew her hand up and covered her mouth. That came out without thinking.
Sam stood there looking strangely at Lizzie Jane and Carol had her mouth open. Here was something that may be important -- but what jungle, and when? What strange things are there that Lizzie Jane cannot remember?
Lizzie Jane could not answer their questions. All she knew was that she had said that she learned archery in the jungle -- but when and how was not readily available.
Perhaps, her family were missionaries. Ah yes, that would explain it. As for now, that must be the only reasonable answer, so with nothing else to go on, Sam and Carol accepted it -- at least, for the present.
The trio walked back into the restaurant hoping to find a couple of customers even though it had been a slow afternoon. Sam went into his office, came back out and handed Lizzie Jane a composition book. "Thought it might help if you kept up with every little thought and eventually maybe put them all together. Might help you find out who you are."
As Carol and Lizzie Jane sat at a table, each with a cup of coffee, Lizzie Jane remarked, "Maybe I should write what I think might be my dreams, too. I wonder where I have been and what I have done."
"It must be rough, not knowing what-is-what," mentioned Carol.
While Lizzie Jane wrote in her journal, Carol left to wait on a customer that just came in. It wasn't long until both girls were busy as patrons started arriving for their evening meal, many travelers passing through the area.
"Hello, Bright Eyes," smiled a young gentleman as Lizzie Jane came up to his table. "Where have you been all my life?"
"Oh, just hiding in the woods, swinging from tree to tree," answered Lizzie Jane. Suddenly she thought, 'Now, why did I say that?'
"Well honey, you can swing my way any time," said the young man. "By the way, my name is Philip. Everybody knows me, so I am not a stranger, so hows about you and me get acquainted?"
"Maybe some day", smiled Lizzie Jane. She did not want to be rude to a customer.
"Well, tomorrow is someday and I know you are not busy all day, so how about a walk in the park?" replied Philip.
A walk in the park? Lizzie Jane thought, 'Now, that is a new one. We are out in the country now', so she asked, "What park?"
"Oh, there is one up the road where kids play. Has swings, sheds and everything. We could make a picnic of it," answered Philip.
"Well maybe, some day," replied Lizzie Jane. "I am having a few problems right now."
"Well," stated Philip, "I assure you -- a picnic is just the thing to get rid of problems."
"Well, I appreciate the offer, but not right now. May I take your order?"
Well, I would like to have -- ah, you haven't told me your name."
"Lizzie Jane! Now, may I have your order?" Lizzie Jane was getting a little angry.
Philip noticed that, so in a nice manner, he answered, "A good juicy hamburger and a glass of milk with a nice, cute Lizzie Jane to boot."
"Not now -- please," replied Lizzie Jane.
"Okay -- not now -- but I will be back. You will find me very charming," replied Richard.
'Yeah', thought Lizzie Jane. 'Carol can wait on you next time.'
But aloud, Lizzie Jane said, "Thank you sir. One of our famous delicious juicy hamburgers coming up."
During the meal, Philip kept eyeing Lizzie Jane until she became very embarrassed. Philip saw her red face and smiled.
Philip paid his bill and started out the door, turned around and said (loud enough for all to hear), "See ya later, Bright Eyes."
'Not if I can help it', thought Lizzie Jane as she began to clear his table. Her eyes fell on the tip. It was a fifty dollar bill. Philip must have been serious about wanting to walk with her in the park -- and furthermore, he must be rich.
When it came time to share the tips between the two waitresses, Carol smiled when she saw the fifty dollar bill. "That is a special tip from a special man so you need to keep it" said Carol.
"I don't think he is so special. His name is Philip," answered Lizzie Jane
"Philip York? Why he is wealthy and the girls swoon over him. He must be looking toward you as a trophy girlfriend," said Carol.
"A trophy girlfriend?" asked Lizzie Jane. "What's that?"
"You must be playing hard to get..."
"I am not playing. I am not interested," interrupted Lizzie Jane.
"Well, he thinks you are and he wants to win you over to him so he can have his way with you and, afterwards, dispose of you like an old rag," explained Carol.
"Well, I can assure you -- I have no interest in him and do not intend to have any," insisted Lizzie Jane. "And that is final!"
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(To be continued)
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Copyrighted 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue
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She wasn't sure what she should do until she heard his remark, "Good night, sister. We don't leave witnesses." Immediately Lizzie Jane knew that the gunman intended to kill the waitress.
Young Love, Chapter 5
At 2 o'clock every afternoon, Carol finished her day. Each girl worked an eight hour shift. During the breakfast, lunch, and supper periods, Sam was on hand to do most of the cooking. He took off during the slack hours and left everything to the waitress. That is why Lizzie Jane was so welcome. It was time for some extra help.
Mandy came to work at 2 o'clock and, since Lizzie Jane had nothing to do, she helped her until after supper. It was not a rush like lunch since the evening was a leisure time for most couples. A few single men, tired of eating sandwiches or their own cooking, appeared from time to time. During the night, there were only a few truck drivers stopping, mostly for coffee and pie and to fuel their trucks at the service station across the road.
By 10 pm, most patrons had departed and Lizzie Jane made preparations for bed in the little room next to Sam's office. She worked late because there was nothing for her to do in the outside world. Besides, she was not a regular employee -- just helping out for her room and board.
Lizzie Jane looked around the small accommodations. There wasn't much -- a single bed, a small dresser with a mirror. There was a door leading to Sam's office that Lizzie Jane was allowed to lock for privacy. To bathe, she had to go into the women's public rest room, fill a wash pan with water, go back to the room and take a "sponge" bath. She followed this procedure each late each night before retiring.
At least it was a place to stay -- to rest and sleep for a little while. Sam surprised her by bringing in a radio and television. Although there were only two television stations in Birmingham, she enjoyed the items.
Sam lived next to the restaurant, so he went home around 9 o'clock. Since Sam went home nightly, he employed a male to do a little work around the establishment. The main purpose of hiring a man was to serve as a companion to Mandy so she would not be alone.
A window placed in Lizzie Jane's sleeping quarters allowed a person to view the restaurant, but a curtain had been placed over it for privacy. Sometimes, she pulled the curtain back and watched the night shift as they went about their duties until she drifted off to sleep.
Lizzie Jane decided to bed down for the night when two men entered the restaurant with hand guns. She was not sleepy and did not feel like watching television, so she had the curtains open slightly looking at the cashier's section of the restaurant. She had a good view of an attempted robbery.
Feeling that she needed to do something, she quietly opened the door to Sam's office, located his archery set and opened the office door just enough to aim an arrow toward one of the gunmen. She wasn't sure what she should do until she heard his remark, "Good night, sister. We don't leave witnesses." Immediately Lizzie Jane knew that the gunman intended to kill the waitress.
Without a second thought, she let an arrow fly toward the hand holding the revolver and, upon a perfect strike, the man jerked his hand in pain and the shot missed the waitress at least three feet. The next arrow went toward his accomplice, hitting him in the upper leg, causing him to fall backward. Quickly she shot the gunman at the cash register again, this time in the shoulder, to further disable him.
Lizzie Jane stepped out from behind the door, with another arrow aimed at the men, screaming for them to stop or the next arrow would be to the heart. She instructed the waitress to pick up the dropped gun, but to not walk in front of the gunmen. She knew that they could use that opportunity to grab the waitress and foul up the entire procedure.
Her male companion picked up the other gun and held the men at bay while Lizzie Jane telephoned the sheriff. Realizing that their lives have been saved, the waitress sighed relief and sat down, nervously shaking as fear began to take control. The next call was to Sam, quickly explaining that an attempted robbery had taken place. Sam arrived in just a matter of minutes.
After the police had taken the suspects and the matter was explained to Sam, his reply to Lizzie Jane was, "What kind of girl are you?"
Lizzie Jane sat down and began to cry. "I don't know. Some of the things I seem to remember, I have been trying to dismiss as dreams. I don't know who I am -- where I am from -- and why certain events are being brought to my remembrance -- things that cannot be possible. There were a certain group of people who claimed to be my family and I did not recognize any of them -- not even the one who claim to be my boyfriend."
"Where are those people now? That might give us a clue," inquired Sam.
"I don't know. I was so confused that I escaped and don't know where I escaped from. All I know to do is begin a new life." Lizzie Jane began to cry. "I am so confused."
By this time, Carol had shown up. She gave Lizzie Jane a big hug. "You don't want to know your past, do you?"
"Not really," replied Lizzie Jane. "I am afraid I have done something wrong -- or maybe been considered crazy. That could have been why all those people were around me claiming to be my family. I just want a fresh start."
Carol looked at Sam. He nodded.
"Okay, hon," answered Carol. "You have a job now and making good money, so we are going to find you a place to live instead of staying in that little room, although our people were lucky that you were there tonight. I am carrying you home with me. I don't think you could sleep good here now."
"That's right," agreed Sam. "After what has happened, I am closing the restaurant temporarily. I don't think my employees would feel like working anyway. We may stay closed for a couple of days until we get our wits back. We can have the sheriff place a notice on the door that a crime as been committed and that will help our customers to understand."
"Let's go," said Carol. "And tomorrow we will go shopping and maybe a trip to the beauty salon. That always makes a girl feel better."
Lizzie Jane smiled. She had never been to a beauty parlor before.
*********************************
They had called it pampering. Perhaps it was for those used to it, but the perm and waxing seemed more like torture to Lizzie Jane. She did not mind the manicure and nail polish, but everything else...
Well, maybe it was because she was a country girl -- or maybe she had forgotten what a trip to the beauty parlor meant.
She enjoyed the shopping. With all the pretty dresses, it was difficult to make a decision with the amount of money she had -- but she did -- and came out with three of the prettiest dresses that she had ever seen. Also, she added two skirts and blouses plus two slips and six pair of nylon panties. She needed them and could have used a lot more if her money had held out because when she had originally arrived at the restaurant, all the clothes she had was what she was wearing.
One thing about it -- she did feel better -- and felt pretty. She did not ever remember feeling pretty.
Carol and Lizzie Jane were walking back to Sam's car (which he so graciously loaned to the young ladies) when Carol made a suggestion that she had been considering most of the day, "Lizzie Jane, why don't you share my home? It is a three bedroom house which my grandfather had left me before he passed away and I would feel a whole lot safer with you there."
"I don't know," replied Lizzie Jane. "Are you sure?"
"Yes -- I often go home at night, scared to be by myself. You could have a bedroom all by yourself -- and with a bathroom."
Lizzie Jane thought just a minute, then answered, "Okay, I will give it a try."
"Great!" smiled Carol.
"What's so great?" a male voice spoke up. The girls turned and saw that Philip had walked up behind them. "Oh, I know what is great -- Lizzie Jane is. In fact, she is wonderful."
"Oh, it's you," replied Lizzie Jane.
"How about that walk in the park? A beautiful day for it."
"Not right now."
"When?"
"Probably never!"
"Oh, you just broke my heart," whimpered Philip.
"I am not interested in dating you or any other man right now," replied Lizzie Jane.
"I am not talking about a date -- just walking. A lot of people walk together in the park."
"No!" exclaimed Lizzie Jane as she got in the car on the passenger side. Carol crawled under the steering wheel, started the car and repeated what Lizzie Jane had said --"No! She is not interested!" She drove off, leaving Philip standing there with a determined grin on his face.
Carol drove back to Sam's residence to tell him about the decision of Lizzie Jane and her sharing Carol's house.
"Did you intend to give Lizzie Jane the TV and radio as gifts?" Carol asked Sam.
"I sure did. They were extra things I did not need and I will see that she gets an antenna, too."
"Well, we are going home now, so hop in so you can bring your car back home."
"No hurry. Just keep it a few days and drive it to work. I plan to open back up Monday morning. Mandy has already told me that she cannot come back because of what happened, so I need some more help. If you know of anyone, let me know."
"Okay," agreed Carol and Lizzie Jane nodded agreement, too.
As Carol drove toward 'home', Lizzie Jane began to think -- a place she could call 'home'. It sounded so wonderful to be able to go 'home'. Yep, sharing a house would make it more of a home, fulfilling the deep desire of both girls of sharing something.
Carol's mind was on the same subject. It was lonesome to live alone and would be much more fun to share-- even if it was with another girl.
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To be continued
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Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
"Well, this is what I call home," stated Carol ... Lizzie Jane fell in love with it right away. "It is your home, too -- for you and Philip." teased Carol.
"Don't even mention that rich, stuck-up brat," Lizzie Jane answered sharply.
"Oh, now -- a brat is a naughty little boy," smiled Carol.
"That is exactly what he is!"
Young Love, Chapter 6
"Well, this is what I call home," stated Carol. It wasn't a huge house, but very neat in appearance with what appeared to be a fresh coat of white paint.
The living room was light blue, supplied with french provincial furniture and matching carpet. Lizzie Jane fell in love with it right away.
"It is your home, too -- for you and Philip." teased Carol.
"Don't even mention that rich, stuck-up brat," Lizzie Jane answered sharply.
"Oh, now -- a brat is a naughty little boy," smiled Carol.
"That is exactly what he is!"
"Let's look at your bedroom."
Lizzie Jane's bedroom was girlie -- real girlie with wallpaper of light red roses on stems with green leaves, a large canopy bed, antique-style furniture and a large closet. There was a personal bathroom with a large antique-style bathtub and vanities.
"Here is the den," proudly announced Carol as she displayed a room with very comfortable furniture. Yesterday's newspaper was scattered on the floor with a few other items -- not trashy, but evidently not the best kept room in the house. "This is the one where we will stay most of the time and mess up."
The kitchen was small, but nice and clean. Everything easy to reach with only a few steps from any one spot in the cooking area. There was a small table beyond the bar, just right for a few people to sit for private meals. A larger area was provided for special meals and guests .
"Wow!" exclaimed Lizzie Jane. "All this is yours?"
"Like I said, my grandfather left it to me in his will. I could not afford anything like this. I have a hard enough time keeping it reasonably clean," stated Carol.
"Well, I am here now, so we can divide the chores," replied Lizzie Jane.
"Mmm -- I never thought about that. We can, can't we?"
"Yep."
"I'll put some coffee on and we will relax a little. We did not purchase much, but took a lot of time at the beauty parlor and shopping," Carol stated.
Sitting at the kitchen table with coffee cups in hand, Carol explained, "This is a very nice neighborhood. There are a few married couples, but we also have our share of single girls, so a lot of boys come around. I don't know if you are ready or not, but you should think about going out, mixing with people, and meet some of the guys. You are young, good looking and I do know some cute fellows"
"Maybe I should -- meet some guys, I mean -- not anything serious, you know. That might help to keep Philip off my back. I am not ready to get serious with anyone -- especially Philip. I don't know what my reputation was before, but I want to start getting a good one. I know I believe in God and believe that I am a Christian. My mother keeps coming to me in dreams and I know she is in Heaven and I want to see her again someday."
Tears began to fill the eye of Lizzie Jane. Carol laid her hand on top of Lizzie Jane's and said, "I know it hurts. To lose your mother as young as you are."
"Yes, I don't remember much about her, but there is a warm place in my heart that causes me to think that we had a wonderful relationship. Just last night, my mother came to me and told me that everything was going to be all right. What is happening to me will make me stronger to meet problems that lie ahead. She reminded me that she had promised to be with me always and would never leave me. My mind was opened to times I was protected by divine intervention. I used to be a scared little girl, but knowing mother is there all the time and, if I were to die, I would go to be with her. That prevents me from being afraid of the future and I am not afraid of dying."
Lizzie Jane began to cry that much more, but now she had someone to cry with her -- Carol was there. In Lizzie Jane's subconscious mind, she had been a lonely girl. Even though she was sure she had friends and maybe a family, she somehow knew that she never had a sister to share her deepest feelings and now Carol was becoming the sister she never had.
With tear-filled eyes, Lizzie Jane looked up to Carol. "I love you and I want you to be my sister."
That melted Carol's heart. "Sure I will. I never had a sister, either." They embraced and two hearts bonded together that day -- the best of friends -- two sisters to share things.
************************************
Carol woke to the smell of bacon and eggs and coffee. There was other smell, too, which she could not identify. Putting on her robe, she made her usual trip to her bathroom and then padded to the kitchen.
She found Lizzie Jane, finishing up breakfast. "Good morning, sleepy head. I thought the smell of a good breakfast would open your eyes."
Carol rubbed her eyes. "Ordinarily I would just have a bowl of corn flakes or something quick like that."
"Well, I just thought it was the thing to do. I have eggs, bacon, and biscuits. I could not find any grits, so we will have to skip that this morning. Also, I was going to fry the eggs, but I did not know your preference, so I scrambled them. I always fix my eggs well-done I also ate my meat well-done because I think that would kill any bad germs."
Ah, biscuits -- That was the smell that Carol could not identify. The meal was delicious and the biscuits were the best she had ever put in her mouth. "We are going to have to tell Sam about your cooking. Betcha he would be glad to have someone to cook besides himself."
Carol reached for the last biscuit, broke it and gave half to Lizzie Jane. "I could eat a dozen more of these things," she said.
"Well, I will bake a extra dozen next time," replied Lizzie Jane.
"You mean that we ate a dozen biscuits?"
"Well, not exactly -- I ate three and a half and you devoured eight and a half," smiled Lizzie Jane.
"Well, you shouldn't be such a good cook."
"I can't help it. I love to eat."
Ding dong went the doorbell.
"I'll get it," said Carol, getting up to answer the door.
"Hey there." There were two smiling faces of a couple of girls from the neighborhood. "Thought you would be at work. Anything wrong?'
"Well, we had an attempted robbery a couple of nights ago, so Sam has closed the restaurant until Monday to give everybody a breather."
"Good," said one of the girls. Emma is having a party tonight and we are going. We thought if you were free, we might get you a date and go with us."
"Make that two dates and I will be there."
"Now, what are you going to do with two guys? One should be enough."
Carol laughed. "I have a new room-mate and we have adopted each other as sisters."
"Cool."
"Her name is Elizabeth. We call her Lizzie Jane." stated Carol. She turned toward Lizzie Jane, who was still in the kitchen and had started washing the dishes, "Hey, come here a minute and meet your neighbors."
Wiping her hands, Lizzie Jane came to the door to say hello.
"These girls have invited us to Emma's house for a party and going to get dates for us. How about it?" inquired Carol.
Lizzie Jane smiled, "I don't know -- about a blind date, that is. I might get stuck with a bald, fat grandfather."
"Aw, come on, it'll be fun," Carol begged.
"We will get you one of the best looking men in town. You will be pleased, I am sure," answered one of the girls.
"Well, okay," replied Lizzie Jane.
"Promise not to back out?"
"I promise."
"Okay, see ya at the party," one of the girls said as they left.
A mischievous grin appeared on Lizzie Jane's face. "Wonder if Philip will be there. I hope he is, so I can show him that he is not the only man on the earth. He thinks he is so smart. Why, I wouldn't date Philip for a million dollars."
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"Who should we get for Elizabeth?" asked one of the girls as they walked down the street.
"I think I know just the one. I don't think he has got a date yet and he will be perfect for her -- good looking, well educated -- in fact, he is going to be a doctor."
"Oh yeah -- I know who you are talking about. He will be perfect for a pretty girl like Elizabeth.
"Think she will like him?"
"Of course, he is the most popular guy around. Anyway, it would be very impolite to refuse a blind date."
"Yes, it would. I believe Elizabeth to be a very nice and polite young lady. Besides, she promised."
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To be continued
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Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim=
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"Hon, the fact that you are so anxious may indicate that have never been on a real date. You may have been out with friends and may have received a kiss from a boy that you cared for very much, but dating a strange man that you don't know is a new and exciting experience. You have got to date and play the field if you ever expect to get married and have a happy home life."
Young Love, Chapter 7
Lizzie Jane was having a problem making up her mind. She stood in one spot looking in her closet, trying to decide which new dress she wanted to wear to the party.
Not having anything but the clothes on her back when she arrived at Sam's restaurant, she had purchased three new dresses with the help of Carol, so she did not have much of a choice. However, like the average girl, making a choice between three dresses seemed like a huge decision. She had to look right for her date -- whoever he may be.
Lizzie Jane was very happy since Sam had given her a regular job and Carol offered to share her home with her. Also, she was not as lonely after unofficially being adopted as Carol's sister. That simple act caused her to feel wanted and loved, In addition, she had been invited to her first party and a blind date had been promised.
She tried to remember -- had she ever been on a date before? What was that in the back of her name about Sam and the name being connected to a restaurant? Had she been there on a date?
Finally, she decided on the red dress. When trying it on at the store, Carol had said, "Red is your color." Knowing very little about selecting store-bought clothes, Lizzie Jane did not know that girls had certain colors that made them look better.
One the things she did remember was that she had been taught to make all her clothes, mostly from flour sacks or material purchased at the general store. She had also learned to visualize the style she wanted without using Simplicity patterns. Although Lizzie Jane was unaware of it, she could have started a business designing and selling women's fashions.
Little by little memories were returning. The worse part about her amnesia were that she was still having problems remembering people and names. She wondered about what kind of person she had been.
Oh well, hopefully she did not have a criminal record, having been an assassin or something like that. What caused her to think of that was her abilities to save a couple of lives.
Settling on the dress, she turned her thoughts to her blind date. The neighborhood girls had promised to find one of the most popular, handsome men in the area for her. Lizzie Jane hoped that he would find her pleasant and attractive.
Carol appeared at the door. "How is my new sister today?"
"I am so happy. I can't wait for tonight. How do you think this dress will look?" replied Lizzie Jane.
"It looks great. Just what I would have suggested."
"I am so nervous. I don't remember ever being on a date. What am I supposed to do -- how am I supposed to act?" questioned Lizzie Jane.
"Girls act differently. It would help if you remembered how old you are. We selected sixteen because you look like you could be sixteen. You could be older or younger."
"How does a sixteen year old act?"
"Like all other women -- except more more 'girlish'. The man likes to think he is in charge. We have our ways of getting what we want and that is by being sweet and appearing to be completely dependent on the guy. If you are smarter than your man, don't show it. If he wants to kiss, do it -- but do not go any further. You are still a minor -- or I think you are."
"So you think I am sixteen?"
"Honey, you have the looks of a sixteen year old and the mind of someone a lot more mature. Just act natural. It will all come to you, Just keep in mind your body sometimes wants to go further than you should, so keep your guard up," smiled Carol. "If you care for a guy, it is easy to give in to your feminine desires."
"A more mature mind?" question Lizzie Jane.
"Yes, I have noticed you at the restaurant. You present yourself as being somewhere in the twenties, but you look younger. Just remember-- do not let a man take advantage of you. With a pretty girl, a man only has one thing in mind."
"What's that?"
Carol smiled. "You will learn."
"I am sorry to be so stupid when it come to men," confessed Lizzie Jane.
"Hon, the fact that you are so anxious may indicate that have never been on a real date. You may have been out with friends and may have received a kiss from a boy that you cared for very much, but dating a strange man that you don't know is a new and exciting experience. You have got to date and play the field if you ever expect to get married and have a happy home life."
"Suppose I don't like this guy that I am with tonight?"
"Just be nice and, if he asks for another date -- just turn him down gently. Don't be rude and be the sweet girl that you are. For tonight, act like he is the only man in the world. Do not ruin his night and yours. Just keep in mind that, if he wants a kiss, you don't have to give it to him. He could be a tobacco chewing jerk, but I don't think our neighborhood girls would select a jerk for you. Whatever your decision, let him off easy."
"Will you help me get ready?" requested Lizzie Jane.
"Certainly. Sit down and I will fix your hair and help with your makeup."
Carol ran her fingers through Lizzie Jane's hair. "Looks like we are going to have to make a trip to the beauty shop before another date comes along. Your hair is a mess - split ends and everything." Grabbing a pair of scissors and a brush, she continued, "But, for now, I will do what I can."
Lizzie Jane received a shampoo, followed by a very feminine hair style, using a curling iron. Next came the makeup and, by the time Carol was finished, Lizzie Jane indeed looked like a girl in her mid-20s.
Completing the magic touch, Carol donated some pantyhose and a pearl necklace with matching clip-on earrings. "Ouch, those hurt," complained Lizzie Jane.
"Well, those ears have got to be pierced," answered Carol. "More and more girls are getting that done. Clip-on earrings will be out of style in a few years."
Carol also donated some lacy panties, a nylon slip and a size B bra that she had worn in her younger days and had not thrown away. The dress and a pair of red shoes with medium heels finished the look and Lizzie Jane saw herself in the mirror. She looked fabulous. The shoes that was borrowed from Carol was a little small, but okay.
Carol had to hurry to get ready. The time for their dates to arrive was drawing nearer. She wore a blue dress with matching shoes, but did not look as good as Lizzie Jane. "Well," she thought. "Some girls have it and some don't." No need to hurry too much. She always had a habit of being late.
Finally, after much anticipation, there was knock at the door. Lizzie Jane was still in her bedroom, so Carol answered it. Two men and the neighborhood girls were standing there.
"Carol, this is Jerry. He is your date," said one of the girls. "The other one is..."
"I know," Carol said cutting off the girl's sentence. "He is Elizabeth's date. I will go get her. "
Carol entered Lizzie Jane's bedroom and said, "Our dates are here. Remember your promise to accept whoever the girls came up with."
"Oh, he isn't good looking?" questioned a seemingly disappointed Lizzie Jane.
"Oh, he is very handsome, but before you meet him, there is one thing you need to know."
"Oh, what could it possible be?"
"Well, the girls did not know that that there was one guy that you did not like and had no desire to date," stated Carol. She paused a moment and continued, "So, the bad news is that your date is Philip."
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--To be continued
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Copyright by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
Philip placed a couple of fingers to her lips and whispered, "Shh." Putting one bent finger under her chin, he raised her head and looked at her straight in the eyes. Their lips moved toward each other and, as they touched, Lizzie Jane became limp as the sweetness of the kiss canceled out everything around them and, once again, she was flooded with warmness and complete surrender. At that moment, she would have given into anything Philip wanted.
Chapter 8
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Lizzie Jane stood there speechless. So, her much anticipated blind date was with Philip, the man she had despised and had never considered a likely prospect for a date.
Was this a trick Phillip managed to play on her or was it fate? She did not know, but she had promised to be nice to whoever it was, so the only thing to do was to be polite and follow through with her obligation.
Holding her head up proudly, she made her way to the living room. When Philip saw Lizzie Jane, he appeared to be shocked, but regained his composure quickly and smiled.
"Well, when they said I had a date with Elizabeth, I knew that she had to be beautiful, but, my dear, you are more lovely than I had expected. The name I heard when people referred to you was Lizzie Jane. If I may say so, I am very pleasantly surprised."
Lizzie Jane held out her hand as she thought a proper lady should and Philip kissed it as a proper gentleman. Lizzie Jane did not know why she did that, but it just seem to be the right thing at the time. Maybe it was because she was seeing herself as a lady by following through with her commitment.
Philip took her by the arm and the couple slowly walked toward the car, a white four door Cadillac with all the extras. Phillip opened the front door for Lizzie Jane. He took his place on the driver's side. Before starting the engine, he looked toward Lizzie Jane and stated, "Aren't you afraid the door might come open and you could fall out?"
Taking the hint, Lizzie Jane slid closer to Philip, turned her head toward him and smiled. She had promised to be nice and was determined to be as polite as she could be. After all, wasn't this going to be the first and last date with this rich playboy?
Carol's date, Jerry, drove up in a black 1953 Ford Sedan. Carol was pleased to see him so prompt, not wanting Lizzie Jane to arrive at the party too far ahead. She did not trust Philip with a young, innocent girl. With Jerry and Carol following close behind, Philip drove very slow, much below the speed limit.
"Emma always has a great party," mentioned Philip, beginning the conversation. "I think you will enjoy yourself."
Lizzie Jane sat speechless, not knowing what to say. Finally, she stammered, "I --I haven't been to many parties. I hope I know how to act."
Philip smiled. "I am sure that a beautiful lady like you will do all right. Besides, I will be there and try to make you feel at ease." With that statement, Philip put his arm around Lizzie Jane, driving with one hand.
Lizzie Jane felt strange, especially when Philip pulled her closer to him. It wasn't a bad feeling. Instead, Lizzie Jane felt snug and a warmness began to develop throughout her body, something she did not expect and was not prepared for. All she ever had for Philip was contempt and did not desire to become one of his trophy girlfriends. However, such thoughts had departed out the back door of her heart and now she found herself becoming captivated by this man's charm.
Emma's house was not far, so Philip wheeled the car into a parking spot in just a few minutes. The couple sat still for awhile savoring the magic moments. At least, it was "magic" for Lizzie Jane, but she had no idea how Philip felt. Was it a natural thing for him to steal a girl's heart and claim his prize without romantic desires? Was she the one in a million? Or did all the girls he date feel the same way?
Her mind was trying to tell her one thing and her heart something else. Why did things have to get so complicated? Why did fate pick him for her blind date? Did Cupid's arrow only hit one heart at a time and had to shoot twice to really bring a couple together? Suppose he missed the second time?
Finally, Lizzie Jane asked, "Don't you think we ought go in?" She thought that would be the right thing to say, but she could have stayed cuddled up to Philip all night.
Philip placed couple of fingers to her lips and whispered, "Shh." Putting one bent finger under her chin, he raised her head and looked at her straight in the eyes. Their lips moved toward each other and, as they touched, Lizzie Jane became limp as the sweetness of the kiss canceled out everything around them and, once again, she was flooded with warmness and complete surrender. At that moment, she would have given into anything Philip wanted.
After a long, lingering kiss, the couple pulled apart and faced each other. Philip spoke first, "Elizabeth, I thought I fell in love with you when I first saw you. Now, there isn't any doubt. Do you think you could love me?"
Lizzie Jane was at a loss for words. Regaining her composure, she began to be thankful that they had not gone any further. She remembered the words of Carol: "Just remember-- do not let a man take advantage of you. With a pretty girl, a man only has one thing in mind."
"I think we should go in," stated Lizzie Jane, shaking her head a little, trying to make some common sense out of all this.
"Please answer my question," pleaded Philip.
"I - I don't know. All this is so sudden. I hadn't planned --"
"Don't plan anything. Just listen to your heart. You can let me know later. At least you did not say 'No' ". Philip smiled.
The party appeared to be a complete success. Philip, well known to everyone and expressing his lively nature, introduced 'Elizabeth' to everyone. Many of the girls jealously smiled, thinking what a lucky girl Lizzie Jane must be while other girls fumed inside thinking how Philip had dropped them like a hot potato. Philip was just a rich playboy in their book and just had another fish on his line.
On the other hand, Lizzie Jane walked in a daze, confused over everything. She tried her best to be a lady, answering when someone spoke to her, polite, and very courteous in her demeanor.
Did she love Philip or was it just a passing delusion brought on my the unexpected events of the moment. Was there such a thing as 'love at first sight'? If so, why did it not affect Lizzie Jane?
The party began to break up early and the guests began to leave, agreeing that they had a wonderful time. As Philip and Lizzie Jane walked to his car, Phillip glanced at his watch and remarked, "Seems a shame to waste a night like this." He thought a moment and continued, "We have only been out for a few hours. I know a nice little restaurant where we can go and talk."
Lizzie Jane wasn't sure that she wanted to go anywhere else with Philip, but she also felt that she owed him a nice date and the hour was early in the evening.
"Okay," she replied with a smile.
Philip was correct about their destination being a nice place. When they arrived, Lizzie Jane noticed immediately that it was a small, peaceful establishment -- but a little more higher class than which she had been accustomed.
As the couple entered, a man, apparently the owner, recognized Philip and with a smile welcomed him with "Good evening, Mr. York. May I find you and the young lady a table?"
"Yes, thank you -- a quiet little place where the lady and I can talk and not be disturbed," replied Philip.
"Of course, Mr. York. I have just the table."
Philip and Lizzie Jane was led to a table in a private area. At least, there were no other customers. Beautiful white linen decorated the table that supported two large candles. In just a few moments, soft music began to fill the room from an unseen source. A waiter soon appeared fully dressed in a blue uniform with a linen towel over his arm.
"May I take your order?"
How about two nice juicy steaks?" suggested Philip. Looking at Lizzie Jane, he asked, "How do you like your steaks?"
"Well done -- no red meat showing."
"I will have mine medium rare and, the salad -- make it Italian dressing -- that is, it that is okay with the young lady."
Lizzie Jane nodded her approval. She had never eaten a salad with Italian dressing.
"And the usual wine, sir?" asked the waiter.
Philip looked at Lizzie Jane. She looked to be in her early twenties, so he answered, "Yes, please?"
After the waiter left, Philip asked, "You are over twenty-one aren't you?"
Lizzie Jane replied, "Really, I don't know. Carol thinks I am about sixteen, but even she admits that I may be quite a bit older."
Philip smiled. "Well, you can drink just one glass to be on the safe side."
Lizzie Jane smiled back. She was being treated as an adult and she enjoyed it.
"Well, let's get acquainted if you don't mind," began Philip. "I am a pre-med student, planning on being a physician some day -- not sure which field I will go into. My family has plenty of money, so I don't have to worry about that. I just need to concentrate on my studies and be the best doctor in these parts."
"I am sure you will," encouraged Lizzie Jane.
"I have met a lot of girls and brought them to this same restaurant, but I have never felt anything toward any of them as I do you. Elizabeth, you have stolen my heart. Some day I am going to marry you and we will have a houseful of kids. I will make you very happy and you shall not want for anything. I would give you the moon if someone would sell it. Now. tell me a little something about yourself."
"Well," Lizzie Jane answered. "That isn't much to tell. You see, I lost my memory and I don't remember anything until I met a truck driver who brought me to Sam's Place. So, you know about as much about me as I do about myself. Little things keep coming to my mind, but nothing about people.'
"Things like what?" asked Philip.
"Well, things like getting lost in the woods and making friends with a little deer -- spending a lot of times in the woods and learning how to climb trees and shoot a bow and arrow. I also remember that, whenever I got into some kind of trouble, my mother would always come to me in a dream and tell me that she was with me and would always be there for me. I think I am a Christian and that is why God lets my mother visit me."
"Then -- your mother is deceased?" asked Philip.
"Yes -- or I think she is. There is something in my mind about some relatives, but I don't know who they are. I have a vague memory of breaking out of some kind of home and after that is when the truck driver found me -- on the side of the road -- lost and feeling helpless."
"Could it have been some kind of home for homeless girls -- or someone that was taking care of you?" asked Philip.
"I don't know," replied Lizzie Jane. "But, I am happy now. Carol has taken me into her home and adopted me as her sister."
"And here I come along and want to adopt you as my wife," laughed Philip. "But, I guess I approached you at the wrong time. I thought you hated me."
"I didn't want anything to do with you. I never realized that you are the sweet person that you are."
"Elizabeth, I know this is sudden, but like I said, I fell in love with you at first sight. Regardless of your past, will you marry me?"
"Oh, Phillip. Surely you know it is too soon to answer that. Suppose I have a husband that I don't remember?"
"Well, if you have one, you don't love him or you would not have forgotten." He smiled.
"Philip, I think I may love you, but I am not sure. I am not sure of anything right now. Please give me some more time. Please!"
"Okay," replied Philip. "Well, you can't blame a guy for trying. I wanted to be the first to propose, just in case someone else popped up. I want you all to myself. I am very selfish and have no desire to share you."
The waiter arrived with the salads and, as the couples continued to chat, delivered the main dishes a few minutes later.
"Here's our steaks -- lets's eat," suggested Philip. "My, they look good."
**************************************************************
As Philip delivered Lizzie Jane to the door of Carol's home, one last kiss seemed to be in order. When their lips met the second time, Lizzie Jane felt like she was in Heaven and could hear the angels singing. Her whole body quivered and suddenly she became weak and her knees buckled under her. Philip caught her, held her for a minute, and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I think so. I am not sure."
With that, Philip took her up in his arms, carried her into the house, and laid her on the couch.
"I am okay now," replied Lizzie Jane. "I think it was due to all the excitment."
"..and a sign that you are in love with the greatest guy on earth -- me! I think you just discovered the kiss of love," said Philip.
Philip sat on the floor beside her, took her hand into his and gently rubbed it. Lizzie Jane felt so secure that she closed her eyes and was soon asleep. Philip, believing everything was okay, kissed her on the forehead and tiptoed out.
He met Carol on the way out and explained what happened. Carol smiled and said, "I will make sure that she is all right. She is a very sweet and innocent girl. Please don't hurt her. If you don't mean what you say, get out of her life. She couldn't take it."
"Carol," replied Philip. "Please understand that what I say is true. I love that girl with all my heart and I will never do anything to hurt her -- now or ever."
Philip got into his car and drove off. Carol stood there for awhile, pondering what was said and about Lizzie Jane. She looked toward the starry sky and prayed to a higher power that everything will work out to the good.
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--To be continued
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Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
The last part of this chapter is very religious, but I felt that it was necessary for the continuation of the story. Reference is made to a previous 'stand alone' story, but used only for explanation purposes. I do not intend for my stories to teach any certain kind of religious doctrine, although this chapter may seem to do that. The purpose is to supply hints about Lizzie Jane's future and what kind of husband she can expect, whoever he may be.
Chapter 9
Lizzie Jane woke with the sun streaming through the window. For a moment, she did not know where she was, but suddenly realized that she was in her own bed. She looked at her body and realized that she was clothed with a lacy nightgown. She sat up with a start. As she remembered the night before, she had gone to sleep on the couch with Philip rubbing her hand. Did he ---?
After her morning trip to the bathroom, she covered herself with a robe and padded toward the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs filled the air. Carol almost had breakfast cooked -- again. That was beginning to be a habit -- for Lizzie Jane to arrive for breakfast just as Carol was finishing up the cooking.
"What's wrong?" asked Carol as she noticed Lizzie Jane sitting at the table with a worried frown on her face.
"When Philip brought me home, I went to sleep on the couch and woke up in my bed with my nightgown on."
"Oh, that?" laughed Carol. "I put you to bed."
"You carried me to bed?"
"No, silly. I am not strong enough for that. You walked and I just led you. When you got seated on the bed, dressing you wasn't too hard. You were just too sleepy to know what was going on."
"Good. That is a relief. I just didn't want Philip to have his way with me."
"Why? Did he try something last night?"
"Well -- no. He was a perfect gentleman. We did kiss, though." Lizzie Jane smiled. "Oh yes, he did ask me to marry him."
"You didn't accept did you? He didn't get you drunk or something and caused you to talk out of your head?"
"No, of course not. Marriage is very serious." Lizzie Jane paused for a moment and asked, "How old do you really think I might be?"
"Truthfully, I am pushing it a little to say you might be 16. I did that because of the work laws. Sam could not let you work as much as he needs to if you were any younger. I would say that you could be around fifteen -- or maybe not that old. It is when you are dressed up and wearing makeup that you look much older.
"Wonder how old Philip is."
"He is just out of high school with plans to go to college, so he must be eighteen or nineteen -- or maybe twenty."
"Okay -- When is Sam going to open up the restaurant again?
"Monday morning at 5 o'clock. We will need to be there a little after four to get things ready for the breakfast customers. I am expecting a few because Sam has a sign on the door."
"Carol, do you go to church?" asked Lizzie Jane. "For some reason, I want to go to church Sunday."
"Not really. If you really want to go, I will go with you. The only church I ever attended was independent because that is where my folks went."
Lizzie Jane smiled, "I don't care what kind of church it is -- I want to go."
"Okay."
_________________________________________________________
The church service was pleasant. Lizzie Jane had been expecting the minister to be louder and a few more 'amens', although she did not know why. When the altar call was given, she felt a need to go forward.
The pastor took her by the hand when she arrived at the front and asked, "What is your need, my dear?"
"I have lost my memory. I don't know who I am and ---" She did not finish the sentence. Her heart seemed to burst and a flood of tears filled her eyes, running down her face. Without another word, she fell to the altar and poured out her heart to God. The pastor motioned to some ladies near the front and they surrounded her, offering prayers and whatever comfort they could provide.
The service closed with Lizzie Jane still on her knees, weeping and praying. Nothing the pastor said could get her up. The loving arms of the women who remained with Lizzie Jane covered her with concern. Suddenly she stopped praying and slid to the floor.
"She has passed out!" proclaimed one of the women.
Lizzie Jane's mother had come to her again in a dream. "I know you don't remember much about the other times I have come to you, but I want you to know God has heard your prayer. All that has happened to you has been for a purpose. He is preparing you for a life far greater than you can imagine. You may not understand it now, but you will later. Your memory will be opened for a little while so that you may undertand what I am saying."
Lizzie Jane's memory began returning about a little girl named Joyce. She was a little crippled girl who was dying in the hospital, but was afraid to die. In her childish way and not knowing what to do, Lizzie Jane had given as much help as she could in the girl's dying moments.
Lizzie Jane's memory began returning about a little girl named Joyce. She was a little crippled girl who was dying in the hospital, but was afraid to die. In her childish way and not knowing what to do, Lizzie Jane, also a patient in the hospital, had given as much help as she could in the girl's dying moments.
Seeming in some type of vision, Lizzie Jane began to see herself as a third person reviewing those events that happened around four years ago. In the ‘vision’ she saw the little girl in a wheelchair and heard her words again:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(The Vision) “They say I have a disease and am about to die. I am scared. I don’t want to die.”
Lizzie Jane, moved with compassion, stated, “There is a beautiful world that you will go to after dying. My mother is there and she talks to me often and tells me of that wonderful place.”
“I have been naughty. How do I know God will accept me?’ cried Joyce.
“God will forgive you for everything — every mean thing you have done or thought,” answered Lizzie Jane.
“Oh, if I could only be sure,” replied Joyce.
Lizzie Jane prayed silently, “Please, God — give me the words to say to Joyce. I don’t want to see her die in doubt. Please let me help her and know she will be in Heaven.”
Lizzie Jane turned to Joyce and said, “My momma was poor — never had much in this world, but she used to tell me about God causing a little baby to be born to a beautiful lady named Mary. This little baby was God’s little boy. I don’t understand it, either, but some mean men killed him and that somehow that caused people to get forgiveness for their sins and go to Heaven when they die. I don’t know how, but I do know that you look to Jesus. Do you want me to pray with you?”
“Oh yes,” answered Joyce. “I don’t know how to pray.”
“Well, I don’t either. I just talk to God. Anyway, let’s pray,” answered Lizzie Jane.
“God, I know you are there. My mommy has told me you were. Joyce is just a little girl and she doesn’t know how to reach you. She is scared to die. Would you look at her heart and show her how she can go to Jesus?”
A simple prayer, but Lizzie Jane was still a child, even though her body had decided to enter womanhood. Her mother has been busy working, trying to supply everyday needs, so Lizzie Jane had not attended church until she went to live with her aunt and uncle, but had been taught by her mother in an attempt to raise her as a proper child.
Little did Lizzie Jane know — death was a lot nearer than expected.
That night, Joyce was dying and the doctors knew it. She asked for Lizzie Jane. The doctors and nurses refused, but because of her insistence and the fact that she was at death’s door, they decided to grant the request.
As Lizzie Jane was wheeled into the room, Joyce pleaded, “I am dying. I know it and I am still scared. Please help me.”
“Joyce, all I know is to look to Jesus. I don’t know how, but God will make a way.”
Almost instantly, Joyce looked up as if she was staring into space at something.
“Oh, I do see a beautiful place. I see the roads. They are shiny. I can see beautiful flowers and they are making beautiful music. There are children there and a man with a beard is with them. They are so happy and he is hugging them.’
“Oh, Lizzie Jane, he is turning toward me, holding his arms out. I see kindness and love in his face. I cannot tell you how I know — I just know. What do I do?”
Lizzie Jane, with tears in her eyes, said, “That is Jesus. He is asking you to come to him. I told you God had a way for you to do that. Joyce, go toward him with your arms out. He is asking you to come. Please, Joyce. Go to him —now!”
“Oh, Lizzie Jane. I want to, but how?” Joyce closed her eyes and her body quivered and was still.
Lizzie Jane prayed, “God, did she make it? Did she go to Jesus?”
To the astonishment of everyone in the room, Lizzie Jane looked in the direction Joyce had been facing.
“I see Joyce. She is not in a wheelchair. She is walking — no, she is running–she is running into the arms of Jesus. I see him lifting her up in his arms and hugging her. He is reaching toward a tree and got what looks like a pear — and gives it to her.’
“Oh, it is such a beautiful place. Jesus is standing by a river and the water is so clear, I can see the fish. The children are laughing and playing. I can see Joyce. Her face is shining and she is so happy. The flowers are singing, just like she said, and they are so pretty. I am so happy, too. Joyce ran to the arms of Jesus, just like momma always told me to do’.
“Listen — Jesus is speaking to me.”
A strong, yet soft and sweet voice spoke from the vision:
“Children can come unto me freely for such is the Kingdom of Heaven. I have given her fruit of the Tree of Life and she will live forever in the glory of the Father. She will never suffer fear anymore and she will never be in a wheelchair again. I heard your prayer and opened my arms to Joyce and she ran into them. You did well, my dear, in showing her in your own way how to come unto me.’
May you be blessed, Lizzie Jane. You are to become a spokesperson for me. That is your mission in life. By your everyday life, you will be a witness to me and the glory I have prepared for you and others you will reach” (End of Vision)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As Lizzie Jane began to regain consciousness, she could hear her deceased mother talking to her: "Don't be confused about love. Just let everything develop. In the life that God has prepared for you, he is also preparing a husband. In time, you will discover who he is."
As she slowly came to her senses, Lizzie Jane began to hear voices.
"She is coming to."
"Wonder what she saw."
"Maybe it was just a blessed event."
Slowly, Lizzie Jane opened her eyes. There were beautiful women all around her -- from 85 years old to one little girl ten years old. She noticed they were all smiling.
"Is everything okay?" asked one of the women.
"Yes, everything is wonderful," replied Lizzie Jane.
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To be continued
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Copyight by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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"How about it, Bright Eyes -- you ready to marry me?" asked Philip.
"No," answered Lizzie Jane. "That is why I wanted to talk with you. I don't think neither of us are ready for marriage. You will go off to some college, find some lady friend that you will fall in love with and the next thing you know, she will hook you."
Chapter 10
Carol woke to the smell of fried eggs and bacon, which was the opposite of the past few days. (Lizzie Jane was the one who had been waking up to the smell of breakfast.) She glanced at the clock. It was 3:30 am. Her alarm did not go off or if it did, she was sleeping too soundly to hear it. She remembered it was Monday and the girls had to meet Sam at the restaurant shortly after 4 am to get ready for an anticipated breakfast rush.
She quickly showered and trotted toward the kitchen. Lizzie Jane was pulling the biscuits out of the oven, singing a Ernest Tubb song, "(Remember me), I am the one who loves you", that was a hit in 1950. It did not occur to her how she was remembering the words. It was just a song she liked.
Carol started setting the table. "Still thinking about love? About Philip?"
"No, I am not thinking about Philip. He turned out to be nice and I will probably date him again if he asks, but I don't think he is the one," replied Lizzie Jane. "There is a special husband for me and I don't believe it to be Philip."
Carol looked puzzled. They had not discussed church and what had happened. Carol had seen many Christians 'slain by the Spirit' and thought that is what happened to Lizzie Jane. Lizzie Jane had gone into more of a 'dream like' state so her mother could talk to her and an important part of her memory could be restored.
"I fixed some grits, too," proudly announced Lizzie Jane. "That and the sawmill gravy completes a good ole country breakfast."
"We could have eaten at the restaurant."
"I wanted to show you I can fix breakfast, too." Lizzie Jane smiled.
"Good breakfast," said Carol upon finishing. "And the coffee is great -- what did you do to it?"
"Just made it stronger. You were making it too weak. Good thing Sam made it for the restaurant. With your coffee, he would have lost customers," answered Lizzie Jane.
Carol picked up a dish cloth and threw at her. Both girls, giggling, worked together to quickly clean up the table and wash the few dishes.
The girls arrived at the restaurant around 4:35 am. Sam was already there, getting things ready. Customers started arriving just before 5 am. Some said, "It is about time you opened up. Ain't had a decent meal for days."
"Home cooked meals," bragged Sam. "The best in the State of Alabama. Even Big Jim Folsom ate here when he could." (Big Jim Folsom had been the governor that went bare foot in the state capitol as a tribute to being a good ole country boy.)
Everybody seemed happy to be together again. The attempted robbery was not mentioned. It seemed that no one wanted to bring up any bad thoughts. Also, Lizzie Jane seemed to be happier in the eyes of Sam and Carol, who knew her better than the customers.
"Has some of your memory come back?" asked Sam, searching for a reason for such a change in the girl.
"Just one clear thing that will help me in the future -- nothing to help me figure out who I am," replied Lizzie Jane. "Most everything else has been fuzzy." It was clear that she did not want to talk about it, so the matter was dropped.
Finally, late one afternoon, Philip arrived. The restaurant was empty, so after taking his order, Lizzie Jane sat at the table with him.
"How about it, Bright Eyes -- you ready to marry me?" asked Philip.
"No," answered Lizzie Jane. "That is why I wanted to talk with you. I don't think neither of us are ready for marriage. You will go off to some college, find some lady friend that you will fall in love with and the next thing you know, she will hook you."
"Elizabeth, I will never forget you."
"I am sure you won't. You will always remember me as your first love and I will remember you the same way -- although I don't know if you are my first love or not. Let's just be friends and -- well -- do things together while you are here. Nothing to keep us from having warm hearts toward each other." Lizzie Jane smiled in her cute feminine manner.
Philip stared at her for a moment. "You sound like a person more mature than you are."
"You don't know how old I am," laughed Lizzie Jane. "I may be 106 for all you know."
"Well," replied Philip. "How about a kiss -- uh -- as friends?"
"Okay, if Sam is not looking."
"That old goat? Let him look. He might learn something."
The couple exchanged a light kiss -- nothing like the kisses just a few nights ago. Philip decided that Lizzie Jane might be right -- and Lizzie Jane knew she was.
Lizzie Jane would not be easy to turn loose, but maybe it was a only physical attraction. Perhaps Philip thought he was so much in love with her because she was so good looking. He thought she was the cutest girl he had ever seen. The one thing he knew -- the first break from college, he was coming back to see if it was just infatuation.
When word got around that Lizzie Jane had dated Philip and had turned him down as one of his "regulars", other young gentlemen began to indicate their interest. Lizzie Jane began to be more friendly, believing that God had the perfect match for her somewhere and it was up to her to be open enough to find her future husband.
However, it wasn't long until the young men found out that they had to behave themselves on a date and Lizzie Jane soon got the reputation of being a nice girl. Although she did not realize it, losing her memory was a blessing. Before, Lizzie Jane had been shy, did not date and only had one romantic experience -- with Jake.
Lizzie Jane had never thought of herself as being worthy of dating boys, even though her Mother had told her years before, "Your future indicates romance, a husband, and children of your own." Of course, that particular time had long been forgotten, but the prophecy was still true because it had been sent by God. Even though she did not remember the event, Lizzie Jane knew that her destiny as a wife and mother had already been established. It had not been revealed exactly what lay ahead, but she knew her God and her mother would be there with her.
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Chapter 11
It was a chilly morning when the girls arrived and found the door of the restaurant locked. Spring was in the air and the girls were looking forward to Easter. They chatted awhile around about the weather and how it is usually cool at that time of year when Carol mentioned, "Must be something wrong. Sam is still not here. Maybe we should go and see about him."
After knocking on Sam's door, they heard a faint voice, "Come in. It's not locked."
The girls entered to see a very sick Sam. "Must be the flu," he said. "Never been so sick in my life."
"Been to the doctor?" asked Carol.
"Called Doctor Joe Adams. He said he would come by on the way to his office. I guess you girls might as well go home -- unless, you want to try today without me. I won't be there to cook the plate lunches, but you can make sandwiches or something."
"Listen!" Carol exclaimed. "First, we are women. You are not the only cook in the world and, for your information, Lizzie Jane here is one of the best cooks in the South."
"Oh,' replied Lizzie Jane. "I only know how to cook the way Aunt --- ah, Aunt --". (A name was trying to enter her mind.) She stood there confused with her mind seemingly in a whirl, trying to bring a name to remembrance. "Aunt -- Aunt --- Aunt Maudie. That's it! Aunt Maudie! I can only cook the way Aunt Maudie showed me."
Carol stood there with her mouth open. Sam was surprised, too, but neither said anything for a moment.
Finally, Carol got out a few words, "Well, I am sure that Aunt Maudie taught you well."
"Well, you girls try it today -- okay?" stated Sam. "The key is hanging by the side of the door over there."
The girls went back to the restaurant. Carol didn't know what to say about the rememberance of the name, Aunt Maudie, but she seemed a little pleased that part of Lizzie Jane's memory had returned.
"Let's see now, how about creamed (mashed) potatoes, english peas and I think Sam has some okry (okra) cut up in the freezer, so fried okry? For meat, we could have baked steak. For bread, I would like to make some cornbread and biscuits. People could have a choice. Also, the biscuits will go good for breakfast with thickening gravy (sawmill gravy) to eat with their eggs and sausage -- or bacon. Also, let's see -- Sam also makes grits, too."
"Sounds good to me," said Carol. "Go for it."
It wasn't long until Lizzie Jane had everything ready to cook for breakfast with piping hot biscuits fresh out of the oven and turned her attention to lunch. She also made the coffee so it would be strong enough. Carol still made coffee too weak.
As customers came in, they had compliments on the breakfast. Carol said, "Wait until dinner (lunch)." Many said they would be back.
And come back -- they did. They weren't used to real southern style, home cooking like Lizzie Jane had prepared. Many customers, laughingly, said they were going to fire Sam. Many said they were going to come back for supper -- and they did -- some carrying the food home with them. Lizzie Jane had to repeat her whole cooking process so supper could be served. Usually, the meals lasted until they ran out -- but that would not work this time.
Lizzie Jane could not understand what all the excitement was about. All she did was cook vegetables with some meat, just like Sam. However, Sam did not know how to season and prepare the simple vegetables like Lizzie Jane.
When the girls carried the receipts to Sam that night, he was amazed. It was almost twice the normal amount.
The next day, Sam was still sick. Lizzie Jane decided on turnip greens, creamed corn, and macaroni and cheese with beef stew as the meat addition.The restaurant stayed full most of the day and into the night. The receipts to Sam was four times the usual amount.
Sam wanted to know, "What's going on?"
"It is Lizzie Jane's cooking. The customers love it," answered Carol.
"Well, I guess we have a new cook."
"Oh no, you don't! I need her to help me. I worked my pants off today. I'll tell you what --- she can teach YOU how to cook."
"Oh well, I don't guess an old salty like me is never too old to learn new tricks."
"Only thing," Carol added. "I don't believe you can take the pressure. She needs to teach another cook, too."
So, it was that the "Just Like Home" Restaurant became known all across the country and people came from miles around for good old southern-style "real" home cooking.
The restaurant's fame also reached Carter's Bend, so Doc Brown thought he would stop by on one of his trips to check it out.
---To be continued
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The names of people and places in these chapter (Chapter 10 and 11) are fictitious, except Ernest Tubb and Big Jim Folsom, who are famous persons in their own right, and any resemblance to any other actual person or place are coincidental. In previous chapters, names of actual places have been used so this statement is to prevent confusion.
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Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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Patiently, Doc Brown waited. It was a long minute. Finally, he saw a young lady come from the kitchen toward his table. He looked at her closely. Could it be...? It was! He did not know whether to shout or dance. What could he say?
The chef was Lizzie Jane!
Chapter 12
Doc Brown looked at his watch. He did not like leaving Carter's Bend because an emergency could arise, but he felt this trip had been necessary. He had missed the last few medical conferences and it was important for him to keep up with any new information that could help his patients. Well, at least this conference was over. It had been held in Chattanooga and he had to go back through a small portion of Georgia to get back to Alabama.
He had heard so much about the meals at the "Just Like Home" Restaurant that he just had to stop there on the way home. The restaurant was not too far off his route, somewhere near Rising Fawn, Georgia.
Doc Brown did not mind going out of his way. This was mountainous country and he loved the mountains. Lookout Mountain, in Tennessee, was a tourist attraction from which it was claimed that a person could see seven states on a clear day. After leaving the Golden Corral Restaurant in Georgia, he would go up Sand Mountain and enter Alabama.
Three states in just a few hours. He could make it quicker, but he wanted to stop at the famous restaurant. He did not have any problem finding his destination.
He doubted that any restaurant could come up to Aunt Maudie's cooking. He was pleasantly surprised, after entering the crowded establishment, at the huge crowd of happy people enjoying a good meal. He was even more surprised to find that the food was just as good as Aunt Maudie's. He must see the chef and give his congratulations on such a fine meal.
"Oh, I will see if she can turn loose long enough to see you," smiled Carol after learning of Doc Brown's intentions. "You might have to wait just a minute."
Patiently, Doc Brown waited. It was a long minute. Finally, he saw a young lady come from the kitchen toward his table. He looked at her closely. Could it be...? It was! He did not know whether to shout or dance. What could he say?
The chef was Lizzie Jane! He wondered if her memory had improved much.
Now, he knew why the meal was as good as Aunt Maudie's. She had been Lizzie Jane's cooking instructor.
Doc Brown was a very wise old man, so he knew he had to be careful. Before she had been frightened and ran away after Doc Brown and Lizzie Jane's only family came into the room. He did not want her to run away this time.
Lizzie Jane introduced herself, "Hello, I am Elizabeth. I understand you wanted to see me."
'Elizabeth,' thought Doc Brown to himself. 'That was Lizzie Jane's name. Maybe she knows who she is'.
"Well Elizabeth, I want to compliment you on your cooking."
"Thank you, kind sir," replied Lizzie Jane. "I am happy you liked it. My aunt taught me how to cook. She was the best cook in the country."
"Well, not many thirteen year old girls can cook -- much less as delicious as this was. By the way, what was your aunt's name, if you don't mind me asking."
Lizzie Jane stood there a moment. She did not know her age. How did this man know she was thirteen years old? Was he guessing? And why did he ask for her aunt's name?
She wondered if he was from the orphan's home that she escaped from? She didn't remember where she came from, but she was convinced that it must have been an orphan's home -- or someplace more terrible!
Trying to think of a way to throw this gentleman off the track, she replied, "Thirteen? Whatever gave you that idea? I am sixteen years old. My aunt died some time ago, so I would rather not discuss her."
Doc Brown quickly realized that Lizzie Jane was trying to get him off the subject , so he apologized. "I am sorry. I did not mean any harm. You were such a great cook, I had to meet you and tell you so."
Lizzie Jane replied, "Well, thank you sir. Now I must get back to the kitchen. Come back soon. Okay??"
Although fake, Lizzie Jane gave him a cute little smile, a little curtsy and walked back to the kitchen. She didn't trust him -- a stranger asking such personal questions. By the way he said she was thirteen years old, it seemed that he must have known her before. Whatever she had run from, maybe she had not ran far enough.
Carol came back to the table and placed the courtesy bill face down. Doc Brown said, "I would like to thank the owner, too. Is he around here?"
"No, he is at home -- in bed sick -- with the flu."
Not knowing what else to do, Doc Brown said,"Thank you". He walked with her to the cashier's stand, paid his bill and handed Carol a good tip.
"Here is another tip for the good cook," he said with a smile. "I haven't had such a good meal since I ate at a friend's house the other day. Her name is Maudie and a great cook, too. If I didn't know better, I would think that Maudie taught Elizabeth how to cook."
He mentioned Maudie's name on purpose, hoping that it would get to Lizzie Jane and ring a bell. He didn't notice that Carol looked up at him in a peculiar way when he mentioned Maudie.
"We are pleased you visited us. Where are you from?" asked Carol.
"A little place called Carter's Bend."
This seemed like a good time for Doc Brown to drop another bombshell.
"Maudie lost her desire to cook since her niece disappeared. I feel so sorry for her."
What happened," asked Carol. "Did her niece die or something?"
"No, she just lost her memory and could not recognize her family. So, she just ran away."
Carol became curious. "What was the niece's name?"
"Oh, we called her Lizzie Jane." Doc Brown was hoping that Carol would connect Elizabeth and Lizzie together.
Carol thought fast. "Ah -- we sent out thank-you cards to our out-of-town customers, so if you don't mind giving me your address..."
"Sure, I don't mind," smiled Doc Brown as he picked up his bill and wrote on the back. Evidently his sly way of getting out information was working.
Carol stood there a minute thinking -- 'The girl who ran away was known as Lizzie Jane and she had an Aunt Maudie. Maybe our Lizzie Jane is remembering things and doesn't realize it. She had adopted the name, Lizzie Jane, herself to use around here. Somehow that must had been impressed on her mind -- and she remembered having an Aunt Maudie who taught her how to cook. Now, here comes this man and says that our food was as good as Maudie's.'
Carol did not know what she should do. One thing was to discuss it with Sam. She would do that tonight. First, she would make up some excuse to see Sam and leave Lizzie Jane at home alone. But, would that work? The girls went almost everywhere together. They were like inseparable twins. Well, she would think of something.
Carol watched Lizzie Jane. She seemed very nervous at times, but still managed to serve up tantalizing dishes. Old and new customers kept coming in all afternoon and into the night. Finally, it came time to close and Carol put up the "Closed" sign and the girls waited patiently for the last customers to leave. Both were exhausted. It was clear that Sam was going to have to hire some extra help -- a lot of extra help.
On the drive home, Lizzie Jane spoke first. "Remember that man who asked to see me?"
Carol nodded her head.
"Well, I have just about decided that he was checking around, trying to find me and get me back into that ole orphan's home. I love you and Sam, Carol, but I may have to leave. I can't let them find me."
'Oh, no', thought Carol. Lizzie Jane may not be from an orphan's home. Surely her Aunt Maudie is still alive, so she may have a real home. She had to think of something -- but what?
"Oh, Lizzie Jane," she said with tears coming in her eyes. "You can't leave. We are sisters. Remember? I love you and Sam loves you, too."
"But, I have to. That man will report back to the home and they will come and get me. I just know they will."
"Let me talk to Sam first. He may know what to do." Carol thought it was best not to keep her meeting with Sam a secret. If Lizzie Jane had thought that Sam might think of a solution, she might stay awhile longer. A few more days, at least. "Please let me talk to Sam first."
Lizzie Jane just stared out the car window. Should she wait and risk getting caught? Or should she leave without telling anyone where she was going? What if Sam had a logical answer. Men are known to be logical.
"Please answer me," Carol cried.
Lizzie Jane did not know how to answer. She did not know what to say. Did she need to go on the run again? Maybe she was only 13 years old. She really loved Sam and Carol, but she did not want to go to an orphan's home.
What should she do??
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To Be Continued
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Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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"Just Like Home" Restaurant is ficticious and not intended to protray an actual place at or near the location indicated. I had used another name originally, but discovered that there was a chain of restaurants with the name I had chosen, so the restaurant name has been changed from the original.
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Lizzie Jane slowly walked to toward the house. Aunt Maudie was standing on the porch with loving tears in her eyes. "Lizzie Jane, don't you know me? I am your Aunt Maudie."
Chapter 13
Carol did not think it best to leave Lizzie Jane alone in her state of mind, so both girls arrived at Sam's home, bringing the receipts of the day and also to discuss the visit of Doc Brown. Sam listened carefully as Lizzie Jane told of her suspicions and Carol recounted her conversation with the gentleman.
Upon finishing, the girls waited for Sam to think the matter over and give his response.
"Well, from what you two girls have said, this man knows Lizzie Jane. Carol, you wrote down where he is from, so it would not be too difficult to pay this place a visit. So, here is what I think we ought to do. We will drive up there and check all this out. I will carry my camper trailer for Lizzie Jane to hide in while Carol and I do some snooping. That way, if there is any danger to Lizzie Jane, she will be out of sight. Lizzie Jane needs to get this settled once for all."
"But, who will operate the restaurant?" asked Carol.
"We will put up a sign that it is closed due to an emergency and will reopen shortly," said Sam. "That would not be a lie. This is an emergency. In fact, I think we ought to visit Carter's Bend tomorrow. I will get my map out tonight and find the location and we can leave early tomorrow morning -- say about 3:30 -- the same time you start working at the restaurant getting ready for the day's rush. Go back and put the Emergency sign up tonight so we will be ready to go."
Carol and Sam looked at Lizzie Jane. From the look on her face, they realized that she was not crazy about the plan, but reluctantly she finally said "Well --- Okay."
"Okay, 3:30 in the morning, it is," said Sam.
At the appointed time the next morning, the girls were at Sam's residence, ready to go. Sam had hooked his camper trailer to his pickup and had the cab warm and toasty.
"Thought you girls might be cold," smiled Sam. "Also, I have some egg sandwiches and coffee and more food back in the trailer."
The girls had eaten a quick breakfast, but they welcomed the coffee. With all three in the cab of the truck, Sam started down the road.
"It is a good piece to Carter's Bend. Girl, you traveled a long way," Sam mentioned to Lizzie Jane.
"Well, I remember traveling in the woods before -- day and night. Last time I remember thinking I might freeze because it was so cold, but when I woke up, there was a deer next to me, keeping me warm."
"A deer?" Carol and Sam spoke together.
"Yes, you see I may friends with a little deer years ago and when he got big and saw me cold, he remembered me." Lizzie Jane smiled. "And he had his family with him, too."
The road was rough and unpaved, but Sam maneuvered very well. Just before they entered Carter's Bend, Sam stopped the truck and told Lizzie Jane that it would be best for her to get in the camper trailer. There was a gas heater back there if she got cold and some quilts to wrap up in.
Arriving in Carter's Bend, Sam found a good place to park. Carol and he got out of the truck and walked around the very small village. Walking into the general store, Sam asked, "Where is the orphanage around here?"
"Ain't got no orphanage," replied the store clerk.
"Well, some time ago, we got a letter from a girl name Lizzie Jane. We thought she was an orphan, so we came by to see if we could adopt her," lied Sam. It wasn't the first time Sam had told a lie to get to the truth.
"Lizzie Jane -- now there was a girl here by that name, but she disappeared a short time back. Her mother was dead, but her Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie took her in. They are good folks and I don't think she could have asked for any better."
"Well, okay -- we had heard her mother had passed, but didn't know about her aunt and uncle. Where does Uncle Jed live?"
The store keeper gave instructions, a little complicated, but Same was a smart man and he believed he could follow them. Bidding the store keeper a good day, Carol and Sam went back to the truck.
"Well, one good thing," said Sam. "We know she is not from an orphan's home. Now to see what kind of people Maudie and Jed are."
After giving Lizzie Jane the good news that she was not from an orphan's home, Sam told her to stay in the camper while they checked out things further, hiding the fact that they were going to Aunt Maudie's house.
Upon arriving at Jed and Maudie's place, Carol and Sam got out of the truck, walked up on the porch and knocked on the door. Aunt Maudie answered.
Sam decided to come straight to the point. "Madam, we heard that you are worried about your missing niece, so we bring some good news."
"Lizzie Jane! Do you know where she is?"
"Well, yes. But we also know that she is a scared girl. Do you mind telling us why she left?"
"Scared? Why we love that child to pieces. We have been praying for some word about her. I understand that Doc Brown wants to come and talk to us about her. Now, you are here. Please tell me where she is and that she is okay."
"Listen, I know the girl and we love her, too. She is scared and I would like to relieve that fear. Now, please tell me what happened."
"Well, she fell on a concrete floor and somehow lost her memory. When she came to, she did not recognize any of us and, while we were not looking, she ran away. Now, please tell me where she is. I love her and I believe that God sent her to us after her mother died."
Sam preceived that Maudie was caring and loving, so he replied very softly, "She is out there in my camper trailer."
"Oh, let me see her," pleaded Aunt Maudie.
"Okay, but let me talk to her first and let her know that there is nothing to fear."
"Okay, I do want to see my niece! Please help her undertand that."
Sam and Carol walked back to the trailer, opened the door and Lizzie Jane stared at them. "What happened?" she asked.
"I think you ought to talk to the lady who lives here," said Sam. "If you don't want to stay, I am not going to make you. But, please talk to her."
Lizzie Jane slowly walked to toward the house. Aunt Maudie was standing on the porch with loving tears in her eyes. "Lizzie Jane, don't you know me? I am your Aunt Maudie."
Lizzie Jane stopped in the yard. She looked at Aunt Maudie, trying to find something in the far reaches of her mind to help her remember more about her aunt.
"I am your Aunt Maudie. Remember? I taught you how to sew, do housework, farm chores, and cook."
Out of that sentence, there was one thing that stood out in Lizzie Jane's mind -- "I taught you how to...cook."
They stood in their respective spots. Lizzie Jane began to rethink the woman's words, 'Aunt Maudie taught me how to cool. I remember that. That is how I knew how to cook at the restaurant that brought in so many customers'. Over and over, the thought went through her mind, 'she taught me how to cook'.
"Remember how you sat out in the yard and a little deer came to you -- and brought its friend?"
Yes, Lizzie Jane remembered the deer. She had just mentioned the ocassion to Sam and Carol just a few hours ago. It had evidently been the same deer that kept her from freezing by lying close to her the night she ran away. She also remembered the little deer of years ago coming into the yard --- and yes -- it brought a friend. She had patted both on the nose.
"Remember how when you were swept away by the flood waters, you were worried about me and set out to find me when you heard that I lost my mind because I thought you were dead? I loved you. In return, you loved me so much that you just had to find me."
Yes, she remembered the flood waters -- and she began to remember how she worried about Aunt Maudie and in trying to reach her, Lizzie Jane had experienced the greatest adventure of her life, although the details of the adventure were fuzzy and not clear in her mind.
As Lizzie Jane looked on the face of Aunt Maudie, a spark of recognition seemed to come out of nowhere and light up her mind. She studied the face.
Yes, it was coming to her.
This was her Aunt Maudie.
Lizzie Jane began crying a flood of tears and ran toward Aunt Maudie. Aunt Maudie leaped off the porch and they met halfway with outstretched arms, grabbed each other and went around and around, each hugging and kissing the other.
Carol could not hold back her tears. Neither could Sam.
"Oh, I love you, Aunt Maudie," cried Lizzie Jane.
Oh, child -- I love you, too."
"Aunt Maudie, I remember you, but I don't remember anyone else. Do you think I ever will?" asked Lizzie Jane.
"I don't know, child. Come on in the house and I will fix you a snack."
"Oh, I am not hungry," replied Lizzie Jane. She looked around at Sam and Carol. "I love you guys, too."
Turning to Aunt Maudie, Lizzie Jane motioned for Carol to come forward. "This is my new sister. I want to be with her, too. And Sam has been like a daddy to me and I can't leave them. Oh, Aunt Maudie, I cannot leave you either. What do I do?"
"Child, I don't know, but we have a spare room if they want to spend some time with us until we get all this straighten out." Looking toward Sam and Carol, she stated "You are welcome to stay a spell."
Sam walked up to Maudie. "Lizzie Jane seems like part of our family, too. We love her so very much. What Lizzie Jane does is going to be a hard on any of us. Speaking for myself, and I am sure for Carol -- yes, we accept your hospitality. We will stay for a little while. I will sleep in the trailer and let Carol have the spare room.
"No need for that," answered Aunt Maudie. "Lizzie Jane can share her room with her new sister."
"Ma'am. I would feel more at home in the trailer. It has a nice little bed, food, a radio, and a heater, so I will be okay out there."
"Okay, as you wish, but I insist that you eat with us."
"Very well," smile Sam. He was sure he would enjoy Maudie's cooking.
Lizzie Jane replied, "I will pray. My momma will know what to do. She is in Heaven with God. She will come to me in a dream and let me know."
The group smiled. Lizzie Jane was showing her faith in a higher power.
Carol thought to herself, 'How wonderful it must be to have the faith of Lizzie Jane -- sort of a child-like faith.' She had to accept the fact that Lizzie Jane was not 16 years old, but about thirteen as Doc Brown had said -- just barely in her teens -- but a sweet child --- and a loving little sister.
Lizzie Jane had acted more like an adult before, but maybe the reunion with Aunt Maudie brought back something of a childish nature. But, that was okay. No girl should be denied her years of youth. Carol was in her late 30's and remembered how she was pushed into an adult life at 16 -- going to work and taking care of her mother as death from cancer kept pushing closer.
She had gone to work for Sam and had been with him ever since. Sam had watched over her over the years and made sure that she was cared for. He was going to do the same for Lizzie Jane until the possiblity of a family came up. As much as he loved Lizzie Jane as his own daughter, he had thought it best for her to be reconciled to her uncle and aunt if possible.
To leave her here with her family was going to be almost more than Sam could stand and Carol wasn't sure how she could take it, either. Strange how, that in a very short time, a young lady could steal their hearts like Lizzie Jane did. However, Lizzie Jane could steal the heart of almost anybody. She was that sweet and lovable.
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To be Continued
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Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
This chapter is very descriptive of farm life in the 1950's in Alabama for many farmers. To begin getting her memory back, Lizzie Jane must begin re-living these moments in her mind.
Chapter 14
A couple of hours later, Jed came rushing into the house, followed by Doc Brown.
"I have good news! Doc Brown has located Lizzie Jane!"
Aunt Maudie came into the living room with a smile and said, "Oh, really?"
"Sure have. Doc Brown can tell us exactly where she is!"
"I kinda doubt that because I know where she is."
You could see the shock on Uncle Jed's face and the confusion on Doc Brown. Aunt Maudie just smiled and said, "Come here, hon, and meet Uncle Jed."
Shyly Lizzie Jane appeared in the doorway. She looked at Uncle Jed, trying to place his position in her absent memory bank, wondering if she made a mistake in coming back. She recognized Doc Brown right away. Not knowing what to say, so she just stood there with a smile on her face.
Aunt Maudie looked at Lizzie Jane. "Dear, he is your uncle. He loves you as much as I do. Isn't there something about him that you can recognize?"
Lizzie Jane slowly shook her head, "No".
Uncle Jed spoke. "Remember, I taught you how to milk a cow? When polk salet was ready to pick? And many other things about the farm and about nature?"
Lizzie Jane tried to think of what polk salad was. It slowly came to her mind as tasting similar to spinach -- only a wild spinach. Aunt Maudie had taught her how to cook it mixed with eggs. It was one of the favorite dishes among North Alabama country folk. She remembered Uncle Jed telling her it was poisonous unless it was fixed right and not to try to cook it until Aunt Maudie taught her. Of course, she had been taught that the berries were poisonous, too, until a very young boy had eaten some and not suffered any ill effects.
'Uncle Jed --- Uncle Jed' -- the thought went through her mind. She began to form a mental picture of a man in the field, wearing a straw hat with some plastic on the front of the rim that made her think of sunglasses. She could see the man plowing a field with a mule.
She began to remember him teaching her how to plow in case the need arose -- to pull up on the handles of the turning plow to go deeper in the soil and push down on the handles to go lighter. A farmer had to adjust the position of the handles to keep from making it too hard on the mule and to plow in hard soil as well as soft.
She began to remember hoeing and thinning the small cotton as it began to grow and doing the same with corn. Back in those days, the fields were kept clean because all the picking cotton and pulling corn were accomplished by hand. Lizzie Jane began to smile when she remember a packsaddle falling down the back of Uncle Jed's shirt when he was in the cornfield. He jumped around hollering while jerking his shirt off.
Yes, she was remembering Uncle Jed as these thought began to return. She remembered going to the cotton gin, helping sometimes to push the big "pipe" around that sucked up the cotton from the truck, watching the process until it came out in big bales. The seeds were separated and some farmers sold their seed while others carried it home to plant the next year.
She remembered always getting a huge, oversized pencil, a common gift at Alabama gins. Because of its size, farmers did not have any problem getting it out of the hole in the bib of their overalls. The farmer would weigh the sacks of cotton and jot down the weights in a little book. Cotton pickers were paid by the pound and a few could pick 150 pounds a day.
Lizzie Jane did not pick much cotton because Aunt Maudie kept her busy learning to be a future housewife. The one room school did not have Home Economic classes. That was always left up to the mothers to teach their daughters. But, Lizzie Jane and Aunt Maudie did pick cotton at times.
Uncle Jed was one of the farmers who planted a few watermelons throughout the cotton patch so that, when the cotton pickers came across one, they would burst it on a rock, dig in with their dirty hands and grab a big chunk. Some of the boys were always after the "heart" of the melon and grabbed it before anyone else could. To city folk, eating watermelon with dirty hands may sound awful, but a person has not really tasted a good watermelon until they find one in the middle of the field when they are hot and tired.
She remembered going to the mill to have the corn crushed, some for meal for cooking, such as cornbread, and some was used for feed for the cattle which was mixed with sweet creep and hay. Mules also had their supply of corn.
A few times she went to the market in Birmingham with Uncle Jed where farmers carried their produce to sell. Sometimes they would sit all night as people would stream by, but sometimes representatives from canning companies would purchase the whole load at a discounted price. Farmers welcome that so that could get back home. Other times, vegetables were sold to stores. Of course, the women would do home canning from the vegetables from the garden to use during the cold winters.
All those memories flooding back into Lizzie Jane's mind is what helped her remember Uncle Jed. One by one she was to become acquainted with family and friends and the best place to do that was at church, so there wasn't anything short of being swept away by a tornado that would have kept them from church the next Sunday.
While Lizzie Jane was getting acquainted with her aunt and uncle, Sam and Carol had been getting acquainted with the community. He got acquainted with another Sam, who owned Sam's place, thinking it was a restaurant, but discovered that it was mostly a soda and ice cream shop where the kids hung out. It did serve hamburgers, cheeseburger and hot dogs, but that was about all.
So, Sam Henderson (who had brought Lizzie Jane home) thought it would be a good location for an eating establishment so he began to formulate plans for a country-style restaurant in the area. He discussed it with Carol and both came to the conclusion that it would be profitable and they could be close to Lizzie Jane, the girl they loved so much and could not stand the thoughts of leaving her to go back to Sam's old business.
When Sam and Carol returned to the travel trailer, which Sam had parked a stone's throw from Jed and Maudie's house, they saw Lizzie Jane running toward them. The became concerned, thinking something detrimental could have occurred.
"Carol, Sam!" yelled Lizzie Jane. "I am so glad to see you guys. Aunt Maudie wants me to go to church Sunday so I can get acquainted again with a lot of people. Aunt Maudie and Uncle Jed are the only two I know around here, so would you please go with us so that I can have four people that I know and love?"
Sam had not been to church in awhile, but Carol had been recently with Lizzie Jane, so she agreed. Sam said that he would go, too.
"One other thing," mentioned Lizzie Jane. "They told me that I had a boy friend that I had promised to marry. I think his name is Jake. Aunt Maudie tried to help me remember him, but I can't. What will I do? I am afraid that he will be a complete stranger to me and I don't want to hurt his feelings. From what Aunt Maudie had heard from others, he had proposed to me just before I fell and hit my head. The way I feel now, I don't want to marry anyone."
"Girl, you don't have to marry anyone until you are ready. Remember how Philip tried to claim you?" Carol asked.
"Yes, but he thought I was 16 years old or older and he was only 18."
"That is true. But you thought you were around 16, also, and you still handled him as a woman would have. Don't worry about this 'Jake'. You are not old enough to think about marriage anyway."
"But around here, some girls marry at 14 and most are mothers at 18," replied Lizzie Jane.
"How do you know that?" asked Carol.
"I don't know -- it is just as if I just remembered it."
"See, certain things you remember and certain things you forget. Maybe you were trying to forget this 'Jake' fellow and in the process, you forgot everyone else. When you needed to, you remembered -- like remembering Aunt Maudie when you needed to explain how you knew to cook."
Carol thought of something, paused, then continued, "Let's try a little experiment."
"Okay."
"Now, trying as hard as you can, you do not remember Jake. Now think, did you go to school around here somewhere?"
Lizzie Jane thought for just a moment. "I think I remember a little one room schoolhouse."
"You 'think' you remember a one room schoolhouse? Or do you remember a one room schoolhouse?"
Lizzie Jane did not answer immediately, but eventually replied, "I remember the schoohouse."
"Think of what the teacher looked like."
Thinking very hard, Lizzie Jane could not visualize her. "But, I do remember helping the younger kids learn."
"Okay, that is important to you -- that you were of help. You seem to remember facts and later you remember people. Now, about this 'Jake' fellow. You don't remember him proposing to you, do you?"
"No, I don't," replied Lizzie Jane.
"Okay," answered Carol. "You don't remember the fact that he proposed, so naturally you don't remember accepting, do you?"
"No."
"Well, it seems to me that marriage wasn't important to you and, if you did accept, do you suppose that you were trying to forget that and forgot everything connected with your life at that time?"
"Well, I ---"
"Just think. You don't remember anything about Aunt Maudie around that time, do you? All you remembered was a long time before that when Aunt Maudie taught you to cook. Right?"
"Hey, that's right. And I remembed Uncle Jed when he began to talk about how he taught me things about the farm. I still don't remember what happened just before I lost my memory."
Carol was astonished at her own self. It appeared that she had hit the nail right on the head. The questions she asked had just popped up and, at the time, they all seemed to be natural.
"And you don't remember things about Jake --ever?"
"No, I don't."
"Girl, I think you have your answer. When you meet Jake and if nothing comes to memory, do like you did with Philip. Let him off easy and get ready to play the field. Once boys find you are free, you will find a lot of new boy friends. Trust me on that one. Okay? If Jake is the one, time will tell."
Lizzie Jane smiled. She realize that the door was open to romance and it could enter her life anyway that God willed.
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To be Continued
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Copyright by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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Lizzie Jane was a little scared, not knowing what to expect -- meeting people that knew her, but she was sure that she would not recognize them. Also, her old boy friend, Jake, would probably be there, too. She prayed that he would be off fishing or something.
Chapter 15
Thinking they would probably have more visitors than they could handle, Jed and Maudie kept the return of Lizzie Jane quiet. It was just a couple of days until Sunday and they had thought that would be the proper time for everyone to learn the good news.
Aunt Maudie, Carol, and Lizzie Jane were planning to prepare a large lunch and invite everyone to Jed and Maudie's home. (Actually, Lizzie Jane just went along with the idea.) Since a large crowd was expected, they were going to start cooking and getting things ready on Saturday.
Meanwhile Sam Henderson spent much of his time searching for a good location for his new restaurant and making plans to sell the other one. Although driven somewhat by his and Carol's love for Lizzie Jane, he realized an enormous financial advantage in placing a business in Carter's Bend. That would give Sam a chance to enjoy monopoly status, simply because there wasn't any other restaurant nearby, only an ice cream parlor (owned by another man named Sam.) Nancy, the woman who had owned Nancy’s Café, moved to take care of her invalid sister.
He looked at available sites, but none seemed sufficient. After much study, he came to the conclusion that the best site was located on the edge of Uncle Jed's property.
Sam needed about two acres to provide ample space for the restaurant with a huge parking area and to build a house with a large yard where he could have a vegetable garden. Also, he thought about trying to employ Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie as garden keepers to supply his restaurant with fresh produce. He hoped to employ Lizzie Jane as a cook.
However, he did not want Jed to think that his friendship with Lizzie Jane were reasons to give special favors. So, he had to be careful to present the idea to Jed as a business venture and nothing else.
Sam made contact with a real estate agent to sell his old restaurant and home. He needed top dollar because he was going to use the proceeds for his new venture. Sam had always been conservative and managed to save some money, but he could not be considered wealthy. So, everything had to fall into place financially for his plans to work.
The women were busy all afternoon Saturday, purchasing items from the general store to prepare for the lunch (referred to as 'dinner' by country folk). They were planning to invite the church and others in the community.
They decided to make desserts Saturday evening since they could be held overnight and prepare the main course Sunday morning.
Puddings were the first thing -- banana and pineapple. The women decided on cakes -- chocolate, coconut, and strawberry. Although strawberries were out of season, Aunt Maudie came up with the idea of using strawberry flavoring and strawberry jam which, when prepared through the expert hands of the area's best cook, would be delicious. Maudie had some dried apples and canned peach halves, so the suggestion of apple and peach fried pies seemed appealing.
It was three very tired ladies who, after deciding they had enough dessert, literally passed out as soon as they hit the bed. It was very late in the evening and morning would come all too soon. It was true that the weary soul can rest the best.
Sunday morning, the females were at it again, preparing the vegetables and meat before church. That meant getting up very early after only a few hours rest, but Aunt Maudie and Carol were excited, so the early hour wasn't a problem. Lizzie Jane was a little scared, not knowing what to expect -- meeting people that knew her, but she was sure that she would not recognize them. Also, her old boy friend, Jake, would probably be there, too. She prayed that he would be off fishing or something.
Getting ready at the last minute, the girls piled into Jed's old pickup truck -- the girls in the cab with Jed and Sam in the back. Carol tried to drive, but she had always been used to an automatic transmission. The truck jerked every time she let out the clutch and she had to restart the engine often. Finally, it was decided that Sam would drive his truck and Carol would ride with him. Uncle Jed would drive his vehicle with Maudie and Lizzie Jane as passengers.
"Someday you need to learn how to drive," teased Sam as they made their way to church.
"Oh, shut up," laughed Carol.
Needless to say, surprise and smiles were abundant when the congregation saw Lizzie Jane. Aunt Maudie had spoken to the pastor and he made the announcement that Lizzie Jane still had not regained her memory, but everyone was welcomed for dinner at Jed and Maudie's place to get reintroduced.
After the service, there were tears and neck hugs as everyone tried to meet Lizzie Jane again. Aunt Maudie kept trying to hurry Lizzie Jane home where everyone would have opportunity to express their feelings.
On the way home, Lizzie Jane asked, "Was Jake there?"
Uncle Jed answered, "No. Someone said that he took off the weekend to go fishing."
"Well," replied Lizzie Jane. "A prayer answered." She had been afraid of a spectacle when the couple met again.
All the ladies pitched in and helped get the meal ready. Uncle Jed had constructed a long table from used 2 x 4 boards and plywood that he had stored away. He did not have much money to spend. In fact, he was worried about the cost of the food preparation. Aunt Maudie had assured him that all the extra cost came to $18.30, but that was quite a bit of money in the 50's.
However, he was thankful that summer was getting near so that Maudie's canned goods could be replaced from the garden. He wasn't too happy about the women's raid on the smokehouse for meat, particularly since he had caught so many chickens in the yard for that purpose.
Lizzie Jane meal was interrupted continually as visitors mentioned events in their lives to Lizzie Jane, hoping that she could remember. She did not have enough time to consider any because of the constant stream of concerned friends talking to her. A few, like Sally, the school teacher, decided to wait until a more opportune moment. Even with all the confusion, a few things were brought to remembrance, mainly because Lizzie Jane had dreams about them.
As the church ladies began to help clean up, Lizzie Jane was told to sit on the porch since she was the center of attention and was not needed in the kitchen. As the women wandered around trying to help and getting in each other's way, Lizzie Jane finally had a few moments to herself. Sitting in a rocker not too far from the men, she listened to them as they discussed her.
She was startled to hear the name, Jake. She listened closely and discovered that it was not her boyfriend that they were talking about, but an older Jake -- whose house they went to once when she became lost in the woods.
"Yeah," said one of the men. "If it had not been for Big John, she would have been in big trouble. I heard that he shot a panther just as it leaped toward her."
"What do you think about what Big John saw in the woods?" asked another man.
"Oh, you mean the woman he saw in white -- the one who pointed Big John toward Lizzie Jane being in trouble."
"Yeah, she claimed that the woman Big John saw was her mother who had died before Jed brought her here."
"I don't know about that. Do you believe in ghosts?"
As Lizzie Jane listened, she remembered the event. Her mother had always appeared to her in a dream, but John saw her mother in person -- and was warned about the danger just in time to take a shot at the leopard as it jumped.
A ghost? Maybe. Whatever she was, it was just enough to save Lizzie Jane's life. Aterwards, she remembered Big John escorting her out of the woods and riding on his big, broad shoulders across the field to the elder Jake's house.
As she thought about it, that event began a series of thoughts which moved through her mind for an undetermined amount of time, similar to watching a movie on a screen, only faster, and causing her to remember events in proper order.
The string of thoughts finally lead up to the time that the younger Jake had proposed. She remembered being surprised and not knowing how to answer, she had fainted. That must have been when she had hit her head on the concrete floor. In a dazed state, she remembered telling Jake, "Yes, I will marry you." She didn't know why she said that. It just seemed like the thing to say at the time.
She sat there stunned. Her complete memory had returned, from the time Big John had rescued her from the panther until the present -- or as complete as it had normally been. Now, she remembered what Jake looked like. But, did she love him? She did not know. She remembered his sweet kisses and how he had refused to leave the waiting room when she was in the hospital, recovering from a gunshot wound, until she got better.
Why had she accepted his proposal? Because she did not want to hurt his feelings? He had been so good to her, stood by her in troublesome times, and she felt that possibly he really loved her. Maybe the fall had not caused the amnesia, but her brain could have just shut down because she could not handle the thought of marriage -- not now. She did not want to hurt Jake's feelings, so forgetting everything may have been the way out.
As she considered the matter, Lizzie Jane began to realize that whatever she did would affect her future the rest of her life. Would she want to marry someone that she may not love other than as a friend? Suppose she married Jake and "Mr. Right" came along? She believed marriage was for life and she would be miserable as a wife if she found true love in another man.
Lizzie Jane had a lot to think about.
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To Be Continued...
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Copyright by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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"And you look good for your age," said Robert as he turned toward Lizzie Jane, leaned forward, and kissed her on the lips.
Looking into her pretty face, and said, "Was that okay?"
"Well, no," replied Lizzie Jane with a smile. "But I liked it.".
Chapter 16
When the last of the guests left, Lizzie Jane went into the house to help straighten things up, but discovered everything neat and clean. The women from church did a good job. Aunt Maudie smiled and said, "You did not have to help clean up. You were the guest of honor."
"Thank you, but I gotta tell you something, Aunt Maudie. I have most of my memory back!" Lizzie Jane was bubbling over with excitement.
"Oh -- that is great, sweetie. What do you mean 'most' of it"
"Well, I remember being lost in the woods and a man named Big John rescued me and I suppose I remember just about everything after that."
"How about things before that?" asked Aunt Maudie.
"Well, I remember a little deer that I rescued from a kudzu patch --- and that is about it."
"You don't remember your mother and growing up?"
"I remember how my mother looks because I see her often in dreams. I also know that we loved each other very much, but about growing up --- no, I don't remember anything," replied Lizzie Jane. "Do you know anything about it?"
Aunt Maudie thought about it for a moment. Her sister had left Carter's Bend before Lizzie Jane was born and they did not correspond very much -- and what she did know -- well, perhaps it would be better if Lizzie Jane was not told about it.
So, Aunt Maudie stretched the truth a little by stating, "No, honey. I have always known you as a sweet little girl who loves others and they love you."
Well, part of that was true. To her, Lizzie Jane had been a sweet child ever since she came to live with her and Jed.
"Okay," replied Lizzie Jane.
She decided that there may have been some unpleasant memories that she needed to forget, so, as far as she was concerned, life began with Aunt Maudie and Uncle Jed. She wanted to always remember her mother. Even though she had passed away, she was always around to take care of Lizzie Jane.
Lizzie Jane was happy to know that her mother was in Heaven with God and the angels. She loved her mother very much and the memory of her had always been with Lizzie Jane, even when she had amnesia. Since Lizzie Jane's heart was stronger than her mind, she had always missed her mother and wished that she had not died when Lizzie Jane was so young.
Some people had told her that God needed an extra angel in Heaven, but Lizzie Jane believed that people who went to Heaven were not angels, but children of God. Angels were a special creation.
Lizzie Jane smiled at those thoughts and her eyes filled with tears. She could imagine her mother looking down from Heaven, reading her thoughts, and smiling at her lovely child with all the love that a mother could have.
Yes, her mother was smiling. Lizzie Jane was sure of that. Lizzie Jane's mother could see that her precious baby had turned out to be a beautiful young lady and knew the plans God had for her. Sure, Lizzie Jane would have some bumps and problems along the way, but all that was to prepare her to be a stronger person to meet the challenges ahead.
"Okay, It is time for bed," proclaimed Aunt Maudie. "You have missed a lot of school, young lady, and it is time for you to try to catch up."
It did not take Lizzie Jane very long to be sound asleep. Her dreams became filled with marvelous scenes and she experienced a dream-like fairy tale with her as the main character. There were angelic creatures, forest animals and she even saw her little deer friend again. She was queen of the forest and her every desire was granted. Everything was so magnificent that she did not want to wake up -- but wake up she must.
She woke with the sun shining through her upstairs bedroom window. Oh, it was going to be a beautiful day. She could hear the birds chirping their happy tunes, each one with their own distinctive sound. A couple of robins could be seen perched just outside the window, as if they were lovebirds; then flying away as one seem to chase the other. Walking to the window, she observed the squirrels running through the branches as if they were greeting the day with joy, too.
A trip to the outhouse and coming back to wash up in a basin removed the 'sleep' from her eyes. Already she could smell the bacon, sausage, and eggs that Aunt Maudie had sizzling in a frying pan. As Lizzie Jane walked in, her aunt was just reaching into the oven retrieving a pan of biscuits. She sat at her regular place at the table, quickly grabbing a biscuit while it was still hot and smeared it with freshly churned butter after she had pulled it into halves. Having a choice of strawberry jelly or honey, Lizzie Jane chose the honey.
She smiled at Aunt Maudie and the smile was returned. This was the one thing she missed while she was gone. She had not realized it before, but there is no place like home, eating breakfast with her family. She had loved living with Carol, but it was not the same. Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie loved her like she was their own daughter.
Removing her night clothes and putting on a fresh print dress, Lizzie Jane picked up the small lard bucket by the handle containing her lunch, kissed her aunt good-bye and started toward school. Since she had risen early, she decided to walk to the one room school so she could enjoy nature.
She was the first student at school, but Sally, the school teacher, was already there wiping the blackboard.
"Well hello, Lizzie Jane," when Sally turned and saw her. "I am pleased that you are here first. I wanted to get a chance to talk to you."
"What about? Nothing serious, I hope."
"First, how much do you remember?" questioned Sally.
"Oh, just about everything -- that is from the time that Big John rescued me from that panther," replied Lizzie Jane.
"Good. Then you remember the things you learned at school?" It was more of a question than a statement.
"Oh yes, quite a bit. Were you worried that I would forget?"
"No, silly" smiled Sally. "I have you as an eighth grade student and that is as far as we go in this school. Most of our students are going to be farmers or loggers, so there isn't enough interest to go higher. I was thinking about you. You have great potential and you really need to finish high school, so I have been trying to think of a way for you to get the education you deserve."
"How?" asked Lizzie Jane.
"I don't know. We need to get you to another school, but there is a transportation problem. There are a couple more that I think ought to be allowed a high school education, so I was thinking about writing the Alabama State Board of Education to see if they would let me teach the three of you. I haven't attended college, so I only have a teacher's certificate and they may not think that is good enough."
Lizzie Jane was considering what Sally said. Yes, she would like more education than most of the children of the community desired, but transportation was the immediate problem.
"We have this term for you to complete the eighth grade, so maybe you can help me come up with a solution. Ordinarily you would be in the seventh grade, but I promoted you two grades since you were such a great helper in teaching the younger children. You would make a fine teacher -- or maybe a nurse -- or some other profession. Your mind is too good to waste."
"Yes, I am most happy to help," is all Lizzie Jane could say. She was thinking about talking to Sam about the matter and see if he had any ideas.
Other children began arriving and Sally asked Lizzie Jane, "We have some new children. Would you help them learn the alphabet? and their numerals?"
"Sure." answered Lizzie Jane.
"Good, I will send Robert Nolan over to observe. I think he is interested with working with young boys. After he learns the ropes, he will take the boys and you can have the girls. That way, you each will have two children. A lot easier to teach."
Lizzie Jane suggested that they go outside and sit under a shade tree since it was such a gorgeous day and it would be quieter. Robert watched Lizzie Jane's method and caught on very quickly. The children were divided between the two young instructors and they worked with them until lunch time.
Since the children were very young and this was their first day, they were dismissed to go home, but had to promise that they would practice what they had learned. Before the children left, they enjoyed their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Lizzie Jane smiled at how thrilled they were about being 'big kids' and going to school.
"You have a pretty smile," mentioned Robert.
"Thank you," was Lizzie Jane's reply.
"I am sure your boy friend thinks so, too."
"Oh, I have a boy friend, but it is not a serious situation on my part."
"Then, you are not asked for?"
"Well -- yes -- he asked for me, but I am not sure what I should do, so I am keeping an open mind."
"You are saying you are free?"
"Yes," replied Lizzie Jane.
That opened the door for Robert. Now, he had to think of a way to get his foot in the door.
The couple opened their lunches while sitting in the shade of the tree. Lizzie Jane had some buttered biscuits, a piece of ham, and a pint jar of milk. The milk had gotten warm, but still okay to drink. Robert brought out a couple of sandwiches and some tea in a pint jar.
"Wanna swap?" asked Robert. "One of your biscuits and part of your ham for one of my cheese and lettuce sandwiches?"
"Well, I like my buttered biscuits -- but, okay."
As they ate, Robert looked at Lizzie Jane and said, "You know, you are pretty."
Lizzie Jane blushed. She had not thought much about being pretty.
"Why so red in the face?"
"I am not red in the face."
"Yes, you are!"
Lizzie Jane thought for a second and replied, "Well, you are good looking, too."
"How about us two good looking people meeting together after school?" asked Robert.
"Where?" inquired Lizzie Jane.
"Well, it will not be dark. How about down by Johnson's Lake? I will buy some cokes and cookies."
Lizzie Jane smiled. "Okay," she said.
Miss Sally was close by and heard the conversation. After school started again, she motioned for the couple to come to her desk.
"You two did such a good job today. Why don't you go home early. Lizzie Jane has had a rough experience and it may help her relax," said Sally with a smile.
The two walked along the dirt road. Although it was not summer yet, there hadn't been rain in a few days and the temperature was warm for a spring day -- a perfect day for a walk to the general store and to sit by Johnson's Lake.
Enjoying the coke and cookies, Lizzie Jane leaned back and looked at the sky. Robert followed suit.
"Have you noticed how the clouds look like certain things?" asked Lizzie Jane, watching the clouds floating through the sky like big wads of cotton.
"Yep -- there is one who looks like old man Doc Brown," replied Robert.
"Doc Brown ain't old. In fact, he is very nice -- and good looking for his age," replied Lizzie Jane, watching the same cloud.
"There you go. You agreed that he is old -- looking good for his age, you said," laughed Robert.
"Guess I did," smile Lizzie Jane.
"And you look good for your age," said Robert as he turned toward Lizzie Jane, leaned forward, and kissed her on the lips.
Looking into her pretty face, and said, "Was that okay?"
"Well, no," replied Lizzie Jane with a smile. "But I liked it."
"I am glad."
"Me, too."
He returned to his original position on his back and began watching the clouds again with his fingers interlocked behind his head. "What are you looking for in a husband?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a hard working man who will be good to me and the kids -- and a Christian."
"How many kids do you want?"
Oh, about a dozen I guess will do for a start," replied Lizzie Jane.
"A dozen?"
"Yeah, for a start."
"Why so many?"
"Well, when I get old and feeble, maybe some of them will take care of me. I would go to their homes and stay awhile and rock their kids -- my grandchildren -- and spoil them."
"I don't think I could support that many," said Robert.
"Well, I didn't say it had to be you."
Jokingly Robert replied, "Well, I object to that."
"I am not ready to get married yet -- just thinking."
"Okay, but don't be surprised if I throw my hat in the ring."
"Just so you will know -- It will be a big ring," smiled Lizzie Jane.
The couple lay there for a couple of hours discussing things of general nature when Lizzie Jane said in her normal sweet voice, "I think it is time to go home."
"Well, it is always hard to leave a princess."
"Me? A princess?"
"Sure -- you would be one in my castle."
"Okay Knight Robert. Just be ready to fight the dragons when they show up."
Reaching Lizzie Jane's home, Robert faced her, took her by the shoulders and said, "One for the road" and kissed her with a longer lasting kiss.
"Sweetie, I want to see you again," Robert stated in his soft manly tone.
"Well, you will. We go to school together."
"You know what I mean."
"Yes, I know," smile Lizzie Jane. "Well, goodnight."
"It ain't night yet!"
"Nope, but close enough. Aunt Maudie will be expecting me."
She gave Robert more peck on the cheek and opened the door. Just before closing, she placed her head against the edge of the door and winked at Robert and said, "You be good now."
"Okay," said Robert. Lizzie Jane was that special girl that every man looks for. He stepped off the porch and walked down the road-- singing. Not only with his mouth, but also with his heart.
As she walked into the house, Aunt Maudie asked, "What kind of day did you have?"
Lizzie Jane smiled and in a dreamy tone, "It has been a wonderful day."
Aunt Maudie smiled. She had seen what happened on the front porch.
"Jake came by today," mentioned Aunt Maudie.
"Jake?"
"Yes, he went by the school this afternoon and you wasn't there, so he came over here. You do remember Jake, don't you?"
"Yes. He was the one who stayed close by when I was in the hospital. I think he loved me so much that he did not want to leave."
"Well, Jake is coming back tonight."
"He is? Well, I guess I had better start cooking. Now, what did he like to eat? Oh yes, I remember that, too. I will get some ham out of the smoke house. He likes mashed potatoes, english peas, creamed corn, and ham."
Aunt Maudie stood there a little stunned. "I wasn't sure how felt about Jake."
"Oh, Aunt Maudie, we are still friends." Lizzie Jane paused, then added -- "I hope."
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To Be Continued...-
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Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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"Jake, get Jed's truck and run and get Doc Brown. Maybe he has enough training to talk some sense in that girl. She is threatening to kill herself and I don't think she is kidding. She has never talked that way before."...
...Aunt Maudie could hear Lizzie Jane tearing some cloth. What was she doing? Aunt Maudie tried to knock the door in, but was not strong enough......
Chapter 17
Lizzie Jane scurried around trying to get supper ready for Jake. The vegetables were from the canned goods that Aunt Maudie and she had put up from the preceding summer. The ham had to be washed thoroughly and everything had to be seasoned just right.
Just as she was finishing, there came a knock on the door. Lizzie Jane heard Aunt Maudie say, "Come in Jake. Lizzie Jane is in the kitchen."
Lizzie Jane was setting the table just as Jake walked in. Looking up, she smiled a sweet smile and said, "Hello, Jake."
"So, you do know me?" inquired Jake.
"Yep," replied Lizzie Jane proudly. "I got a lot of my memory back."
"A lot? Then you don't remember everything?"
"No, I thought I remembered everything after the time that Big John rescued me and, after talking to Aunt Maudie today, I realized I didn't."
"How about our engagement?"
"Oh, I remember you asking me to marry you and, out of confusion, I remember saying 'yes'."
"Out of confusion? Then you did not mean it?"
"Jake, that is what I wanted to talk to you about. I believe that your proposal is what caused me to faint and lose my memory. Since then, I have seen the outside world and --- well, girls just don't get married at 14 any more -- well, at least, very few."
Jake stood there shocked to some extent. "But, you know I love you," he said in a pleading tone.
"Jake, I love you, too -- but, for marriage --- well, I just don't know. You are a good friend..."
"A good friend is all I am?" asked Jake, his tone turning cooler.
"Please, Jake, understand -- Here, I have fixed supper for you."
"Supper? You expect me to eat supper when the girl I love has just told me that I am just a friend?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that," cried Lizzie Jane, tears beginning to flow from her eyes. "Oh, I don't know what to say! I had it all planned out that we could have supper together and talk this thing over, but..."
"So you planned to let me down easy. Is that it!?"
Lizzie Jane dropped a dish, breaking as it hit the floor, and ran upstairs. She ran into her room, slammed the door, and fell across the bed, sobbing. Why couldn't Jake understand? Why didn't things work out like she had planned? She felt at the moment that she had never been so heartbroken in her life.
Yes, she loved Jake? Why could she not tell him that straight? Now, he is angry. Jake had never said a cross word to her in his life. Now -- oh, everything was going wrong.
Aunt Maudie came into the kitchen and saw Jake sitting by himself and asked, "Where is Lizzie Jane?"
"I am afraid I upset her. I made a big deal about her referring to us as friends. Mrs. Morton, I love that girl with all my heart. To me, she is more than a friend. She is the love of my life," stated Jake in a mournful tone of voice.
"Jake, she is young and just find out about life. She has been sheltered all her life with a mother who tried to raise Lizzie Jane right after a good-for-nothing man left her mother with a baby to raise. Lizzie Jane does not remember that, but somewhere in her subconscious, it must be there. There are a lot of things stored up in the back of that girl's mind that we would not imagine."
"I am so sorry, Mrs. Morton. I guess I spoke too harsh and she went upstairs crying."
"I will go and look in on her," offered Aunt Maudie.
Aunt Maudie knocked lightly on the door of Lizzie Jane's bedroom. "Can I come in?" she asked.
"Go away. I can't do anything but hurt the ones I love," came the voice from inside. Aunt Maudie could hear in Lizzie Jane's voice that she was crying.
"Come on, open the door. I want to talk to you. Please."
"No!" screamed Lizzie Jane. "I am no good to anybody. I am just going to kill myself!"
"Don't talk that way, child. You know you don't want to do that."
"Yes, I do. You won't see me alive in the morning."
"Please don't say that! Please!" pleaded Aunt Maudie.
Maudie ran downstairs. "Jake, get Jed's truck and run and get Doc Brown. Maybe he has enough training to talk some sense in that girl. She is threatening to kill herself and I don't think she is kidding. She has never talked that way before."
Maudie got the truck keys out of a desk. Jake grabbed them and ran outside. Aunt Maudie could hear the truck start and tires spinning as Jake left the yard.
Meanwhile, she went back upstairs to try to talk some sense into Lizzie Jane's head.
"Come on. Open the door, Lizzie Jane. Right now!" begged Aunt Maudie.
"No, I am getting ready to leave this world," replied Lizzie Jane.
Aunt Maudie begged, "Please open this door. I love you. We all love you. Please, don't do anything to hurt us."
"I have already hurt all of you. I lost my memory and ran away. I hurt Jake tonight. How many more of you am I going to hurt? The best thing is for me to leave this world. You all will get over me in a short time."
Aunt Maudie could hear Lizzie Jane tearing some cloth. What was she doing? Aunt Maudie tried to knock the door in, but was not strong enough. She ran outside to try to find something to burst the door lock.
Doc Brown drove up with Jake right behind him.
"I found him on the road," explained Jake. "When I told him about Lizzie Jane, he came right on ahead of me. Boy, can that man drive -- and I thought I was fast."
"Quick, let's hurry," pleaded Aunt Maudie.
Doc Brown ran up the stairs, which was quite a feat for an old man, with Jake and Aunt Lizzie right behind him. Doc Brown knocked very loudly on the door.
"Lizzie Jane, let us in or we will knock the door down," exclaimed Doc Brown.
There wasn't any sound. Doc Brown called again. Still no sound.
"Come on, Jake, Let's get in there."
Doc Brown and Jake hit the door with their shoulders together and it came open and saw the shock of their life. There was Lizzie Jane with a string of cloth tied around her neck dangling from a light fixture which appeared like it was going to fall.
"Quick, let's get her down," screamed Doc Brown.
Since Lizzie Jane's feet where just off the floor. so it wasn't any problem for Jake to cut the cloth rope above Lizzie Jane's head. Doc Brown carefully placed her on the bed, felt her pulse, and took out his stethoscope to listen to her heart.
"Is she ---?" began Aunt Maudie.
"Yes, Maudie -- I hate to say this -- but Lizzie Jane is dead."
What? Is this to be continued?
Well, yes -- Final Chapter next time-
-
-
Copyright 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
"Yes, Heaven -- that beautiful place I went to. There was a wall with all kind of precious jewels and something that looked like a pearl was a gate. Buildings inside the wall were sparkling and shining and looked like gold. The street looked like it was gold, too, and shined so much that it seemed as if you could see through it."
Chapter 18
"Lizzie Jane cannot be dead," cried Aunt Maudie.
Doc Brown tried one last thing even though there didn't seem to be any hope. He took his fist and hit one solid blow to Lizzie Jane's chest. Placing the stethoscope on her chest, he reported, "Her heart has started back." He promptly raised her head, took his finger and moved her tongue around, blew in her face causing her to gasp and she started breathing on her own.
"That is called a precordial thump. I read about it in a recent medical journal last week. Although it is supposed to be used in an observed cardiac arrest --- well, it worked. I moved the tongue around to open the airway. We still need to get her to a hospital quickly, though."
Lizzie Jane looked around, her eyes falling first on Jake, after that she saw the good doctor and Aunt Maudie.
"Jake..." she began.
"Shhh - hush dear, you don't need to talk," said Aunt Maudie.
"Yes, I do!" insisted Lizzie Jane. "I have something to say and it is important. I was not meant to die, so I was sent back."
"Sent back?" asked Aunt Maudie.
"Yes --- sent back. And Jake, I love you and I will marry you."
Jake said, "You told me that the last time you were going to a hospital and you lost your memory."
"This time I ain't going to no hospital and I know what I am saying. Please let me tell you something," insisted Lizzie Jane.
Doc Brown spoke, "You need some rest now -- and you need to go to a hospital for a mental evaluation."
"No, I don't. That is what I want to tell you."
"You are going to the hospital," insisted Jake.
"No, I am NOT going to no hospital."
"Yes, you are. I am bigger than you and I will carry you if necessary."
"And I had to rescue you one time! I am tough and I am okay. So there!!"
"Okay kids," said Doc Brown. "Let's put you on the bed and I will let you talk for just a minute and then we will decide what to do with you."
"Okay, while I was dead, I went to a beautiful place..." began Lizzie Jane.
"You wan't dead enough to go anywhere," said Jake.
"Shut up, husband, and let me talk. Time is nothing in Heaven."
"Heaven?" Doc Brown and Aunt Maudie questioned together.
"Yes, Heaven -- that beautiful place I went to. There was a wall with all kind of precious jewels and something that looked like a pearl was a gate. Buildings inside the wall were sparkling and shining and looked like gold. The street looked like it was gold, too, and shined so much that it seemed as if you could see through it."
Tears began to fill her eyes as she continued, "and the first person I saw was that little crippled girl who died when I was in the hospital. She ran up to the gate and hugged my neck and thanked me for telling her to go to Jesus. She had the prettiest smile,'
"and the next person I saw was my momma. She was smiling, too, and hugged my neck. I started to go in and momma said I couldn't. I asked why and she said that it was not time for me to die. Oh, the place was so pretty and I wanted to go in so bad, but momma wouldn't let me. She said our heavenly father had a message for me.
"She pointed toward a bright light which I could not look at because it was so bright. It was God. I wondered how could I talk to God when I could not see him. Then a man walked out of the light. He looked like a normal man, except that he was beautiful. I cannot explain that. He walked toward me and said that I could talk to God by talking to him. That was why he came to earth one time as a man, so that people could know God. He showed me his hands and I saw scars -- big scars and he said, 'This is where I was wounded in the house of my friends'.
"He told me the same thing momma had told me many times -- that I had something to do on earth -- that I would be a good wife to a wonderful husband and have children and that I should carry them to church where they could learn about God. He told me that I have a long life ahead of me and God would use me in a marvelous way -- in such a way that I would not believe right now -- that all things that has happened to me was preparing me for that work.'
"I asked who my husband will be and he said that when I wake up, the man who was prepared to be my husband would be the first person I would see. When I came back, the first person I saw was Jake."
Turning her head to Jake, "So I guess we are destined to be married."
Jake smiled. Lizzie Jane continued, "and I am sorry for what I did. But my attempt at taking my life was for a good reason."
Jake replied, "I am sorry for what I said, too."
Looking at the small group, Lizzie Jane ended with, "so I was sent back. The man with scars in his hands said that Doc Brown would be given the knowledge on what to do to bring me back, but that he would not believe it would work."
"I didn't think it would work," said Doc Brown, "but Maudie was screaming and crying, so I had to try something. You see, you did not have a heart attack. You choked to death."
Aunt Maudie had to say something. "Dear, do you not know who that man was that had the scars in his hands?"
"No, not really. I thought in Heaven, all scars would be done away with," answered Lizzie Jane.
"That man was Jesus. He will keep his scars to show that he died as a sacrifice for us so that we can go to Heaven. The scars is where they nailed his hands to the cross with those big ole nails. When we talk to God, we go through Jesus. The Bible says he is our mediator between us and God. He was a man that others could see and handle, so that we could go to God."
"So, Doc -- I am well, healthy and a good mind. God did it and he did it perfectly." Lizzie Jane turned toward Jake. "Now I know there will never be anyone but you in my life."
"Wonder how many children we will have?" Jake wondered aloud in a joking manner.
"Oh, I guess about a dozen --- for a start."
The End-
Soon it would all be over. People had told him God does not make mistakes. If God did not make mistakes, what was he? Perhaps after he dove into the deep abyss of the black waters, he would soon face other creatures of doom, even coming face to face with Satan himself.
Lizzie Jane has returned to BC as promised. It is here because it is a transsexual story that I felt must be told. There is a dark side of transitioning which I hope to show, but there is also a bright side when God is in the transition.
I hope to answer Bible objections as the story goes along. Yes, I realize that there are many Bible-thumpers out there that have their minds made up and will not accept Bible answers to matters which they have decided is wrong. I will not attempt to argue with them. They have closed their minds and their learning ability has is greatly diminished.
The story will be based on the first rule of Bibical interpretation: When the Bible speaks on a subject, certain issues can be discussed as to being right or wrong. When the Bible is silent on a subject, do not condemn. No one has that right. However, many do try to condemn, but I am answerable only to God. They also are going to face God with their hatred.
I hope the story will be accepted and eventually be used as a tool for God's glory.
Love,
Billie Sue
Soon it would all be over. People had told him God does not make mistakes. If God did not make mistakes, what was he? Perhaps after he dove into the deep abyss of the black waters, he would soon face other creatures of doom, even coming face to face with Satan himself.
Charles stood on the rusty iron truss bridge over the Coosa River watching the dark swirling waters beneath. The hour was near midnight and reflections of streetlights could be seen along the edges. It seemed that Charles was looking into the blackness of hell as he placed one leg over the rail.
Soon it would all be over. People had told him God does not make mistakes. If God did not make mistakes, what was he? Perhaps after he dove into the deep abyss of the black waters, he would soon face other creatures of doom, even coming face to face with Satan himself.
He placed the other leg over the rail. Now he was sitting on the edge, ready to take the plunge that would end his life on earth forever. Placing his hands firmly on the rails, he started to push his body to his watery grave. Instead, small hands, grabbing him by the shoulder, jerked him backwards causing him to fall to the floor of the bridge.
Looking up, he saw a young lady. The light shining on her face were artificial lights from somewhere distant from the bridge, but she looked like an angel. A no-good person such as he did not deserve an angel to prevent him from facing his destiny, but there she was, a stern look as if she were someone who really cared.
She spoke with a kind, gentle voice. “Hello, my name is Elizabeth. What is yours?”
Just a simple statement and question — no scorn, no hateful speech — just a few words seasoned with sweetness. Charles saw a cute smile beginning to form as he looked into the face of his angel.
“Ah — ah — I am Charles — Charles Reed” His voice quivered and stammered — not really knowing what to say.
Smiling again, she said, “I had just fallen asleep when my mother came to me in a dream and told me that I needed to come out here. I am glad I did. Won’t you come and sit a spell in the truck with me and my husband?”
Charles looked and saw a young man, evidently a farm boy by his clothing and reddish facial appearance sitting under the steering wheel of an old Chevrolet pickup truck. Charles raised himself up to a standing position and slowly walked toward the vehicle.
The young man stuck his hand through the open window of the truck and said, “Howdy. My name is Jake.”
“Hello, I am Charles.”
“Kinda warm out here tonight. Let’s go to the house and have some iced tea. Lizzie Jane has some ready and we might grab a few egg sandwiches,” replied Jake.
Charles did not know why, but he accepted the invitation and, allowing Lizzie Jane to go first, seated himself on the passenger side of the vehicle, a position Alabama folk call “riding shotgun”.
Jake expertly drove down the street in spite of the loose play in the steering. As he always said, he just bounced when the truck bounced and rocked when it rocked. Leaving Gadsden, the trio rode down US 278 toward Cedartown, Georgia, finally coming to a paved road leading up into the Alabama mountains. Jake did most of the talking — mentioning the weather, how long he and Lizzie Jane had been married, and general things.
“Road hadn’t been paved long,” said Jake. “Up until a few years ago, it might near took a four wheel drive to make it up this road, but the road commissioner wanted a few extra votes, so he put down some tar and gravel.”
Arriving at a white five-room frame farmhouse, Jake parked the truck and said, “Come on in. We will treat you so many ways, you will like some of them”.
Charles was still in some shock and surprise at this couple coming out of nowhere and driving quite a few miles just for him because Elizabeth’s mother had talked to her in a dream. He had never heard of anything like that. Finally, he mentioned the subject.
“Oh, my mother has talked to me since I was a little girl — telling me things and every time I have been in trouble she would tell someone that I needed help and send them to rescue me,” answered Lizzie Jane. “She died when I was very young. I don’t remember anything about it because I lost my memory once and my aunt will not tell me what happened. She said it was best that I did not know.”
“So, you talk to your mother — and she is not living?” asked Charles in a strange tone, wondering within himself what strange couple could this
be -- talking to the dead? They had saved his life -- but why? Why would anyone be interested in a 'pervert' like him? After all, wasn't that what people had called him -- a pervert -- not welcome anywhere?
“Oh yes, she loved me very much and she watches over me like an angel. She is not an angel, of course, because angels are special creations of God, but she is in Heaven and someday I will be in Heaven, too.”
Mmmm -- so she did not consider her mother an angel. That must mean that she is not an angel, either. Charles mind was still going around in circles -- confused -- if this 'angel' wasn't an angel, what was she?
Changing her tone to one of concern, she continued, “Don’t you want to go to Heaven some day?”
“God doesn’t want me. I am no-good,” answered Charles.
“Why do you think that? God loves everybody.”
“Because I ain’t build right.”
“What do you mean, you ain’t built right? God knew you before you were born.”
“Wish I could believe that. Anyway, I don’t wanna talk about it. You would be like everybody else — make fun of me and think I was crazy.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” declared Lizzie Jane. “We are all different. That is what makes the world go round.”
“I still don’t wanna talk about it,” insisted Charles.
“Well, it is way past our bedtime. I will fix you a bed in the other room if you will promise not to do anything rash,” offered Lizzie Jane.
“Okay, I promise. You have already spoiled my suicide attempt. It will take awhile to work up nerve enough to try it again.”
“That settles it. A good night’s sleep will make everything look better in the morning.”
“I doubt it. I am sorry to put you to so much trouble.”
Lizzie Jane prepared a half bed for Charles with clean sheets. “I don’t think you will need any more cover — pretty warm tonight. This is our adopted daughter’s bed, but Linda is spending the night over at a friend’s house tonight, so it is not any trouble at all.”
Going into their bedroom, Jake asked, “Do you suppose we can trust him?”
“Of course. My mother and I discussed everything already. It will be okay. He needs help and the way people are now-a-days, it is going to take special help — from God,” replied Lizzie Jane as she put out the light.
--To be continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
Lizzie Jane noticed that Charles had used some of her mascara — very lightly, but having seen Charles before, it was obvious. Charles realized that she knew what he had done, so he replied, “Sorry — I will go back in and wash it out.”
Lizzie Jane gently grabbed his arm and said, “It is okay. I know.”
“You know what?” asked Charles nervously.
“Let's just say that I know.”
Charles woke on a bright sunny morning. He looked around trying to determine where he was. As he relived the previous night’s events, he began to realize what a dangerous position he had placed himself in his sucide attempt. It seemed like Satan had taken over his body and he could do nothing to prevent his self destruction and was doomed to perish in the swirling waters of Coosa River — that is, until the angel came along.
He glanced around the room looking for a clock. It was 8 o’clock in the morning. He figured that he went to bed about 1 am, so that made 7 hours of sleep — the most restful sleep he experienced in a long time.
Sitting on the side of the bed, he looked at his clothes. They were the same ones that he had worn the day before. The angel had respected him enough so that she did not pull off his garments. He appreciated that. In reality, he was very modest.
Rubbing his eyes, trying to get the sleep out, he sat there for a few minutes. He tried to stand on his feet, which he did with a little difficulty. His legs felt very weak. He ventured outside the room and looked for a bathroom. Still groggy, he made his way through the living room and into the kitchen.
“Good morning. Doesn’t everything look a lot brighter this morning?” asked Lizzie Jane in a sweet song-like voice. “Jake will be in here in a minute and we will eat breakfast. He is milking the cow. How about some bacon and eggs with a buttered biscuit? We have some fresh honey, too.”
“Right now I need to go to the bathroom. You do have one, don’t you?” asked Charles.
“Oh yes, when Sam bought a couple of acres of land from Uncle Jed and put up his restaurant, one of the provisions was that he would pipe some running water from the spring on the hill. He built this house for us and included a bathroom. I never had one when I was growing up.” Lizzie Jane realized she was talking too much, so she quickly stated, “Go through that door there and it will be on your right.”
Jake came in the back door into the kitchen with a half pail of milk, poured it into a wide mouth jar and placed it in the refrigerator. Sitting down, he asked, “Have you heard from our guest this morning?”
“Yes, there he comes,” answered Lizzie Jane as Charles made his way back to the kitchen.
“Good morning. Bet you are as hungry as a horse,” said Jake.
“Well, everything smells good,” replied Charles.
“Well, here you are, boys — go to it,” said Lizzie Jane as she sat three plates of bacon and eggs on the table. In the center of the table, she sat a plate piled with homemade biscuits. She sat down next to Jake, sitting at the head of the table. Bowing her head, she gave thanks.
Charles had never been one to pray over his food, but he politely bowed his head, too. After all, this was an angel praying to God.
“Dig in,” declared Jake as he forked a biscuit. Charles took the cue and forked one, also.
“This being Saturday, I will be going into town for a few groceries. We grow our own in the garden and Lizzie Jane will can some for winter, but there are a few things we need from the store,” Jake mentioned to Charles. “Care to ride with me?”
“I guess so. Nothing else to do right now,” answered Charles.
“How about a change of clothes? I have some that I think will fit you.”
“Well, I don’t know — you all have been so nice already.”
“Well, go take a bath and I will get some of Jake’s clothes for you,” offered Lizzie Jane.
"Well — all right.”
“The towels are in the cabinet as well as the wash cloths,” said Lizzie Jane as Charles slowly headed toward the bathroom.
Lizzie Jane accompanied Jake into their bedroom to find Charles some clothes. “How about this shirt?” asked Lizzie Jane as she held up a flowery one that had been given Jake last Christmas from his mother.
“Ah, that is too sissy,” answered Jake.
“I say to offer it to him. I bet he will take it. In my dream, mother told me what I needed to know about Charles when she sent me to rescue him.”
“What about Charles?”
“I am not saying right now, but you will find out when the time comes. Charles is facing a tough road and it is going to take some people on his side for him to make it through his problem and we are some of those people. Charles is weak. I don’t know what we are going to do or how to do anything, but God knows.’
“We need to lead him to God. What he does not realize is that God will accept him just as he is, but that is a lesson he will have to learn. First, we will have to help him face his problem and go from there.”
Jake opened the bathroom door slightly without going in and handed Charles some clean clothing. In a few moments, Charles was out looking as fresh as a daisy.
Jake remarked, “I need to go to the bathroom for just a minute. I took a bath early this morning, so I will be right out.”
Lizzie Jane noticed that Charles had used some of her mascara — very lightly, but having seen Charles before, it was obvious. Charles realized that she knew what he had done, so he replied, “Sorry — I will go back in and wash it out.”
Lizzie Jane gently grabbed his arm and said, “It is okay. I know.”
“You know what?” asked Charles nervously.
“Let's just say that I know.”
Charles face blushed a cherry red, which caused Lizzie Jane to giggle a little.
“Whether you believe it or not, my mother talks to me in dreams. She told me about you. Why else do you think I would get out of bed in the middle of the night and drive so many miles to a railroad bridge in Gadsden to stop you from taking your life unless my Mother did talk to me? God knows, but He looks on the heart — not on the outward appearance. You will have problems and it will be with men. I am here to help you. Please believe that.”
“Well, you put up a good argument, but I have tried to keep it a secret — just dressing in the closet.”
“You can’t keep secrets from God.”
“I never thought about Him seeing me.”
“Well, He did and He loves you. I have been to Heaven and met Jesus. He told me that I have a long life ahead of me and God would use me in a marvelous way — in such a way that I would not believe. I was sent to you or you were sent to me, either way you want to look at it, so we will cross each bridge as we come to them. Okay?”
Charles smiled for the first time in quite awhile and said, “Okay. When I saw you, I thought you were an angel — now I know you are — my angel.”
Jake came out of the bathroom and said, “Well, let’s go.” He looked at Charles and cocked his head sideways and remarked, “You know — that shirt looks good on you.”
---To be continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
Tears began to fill Charles’ eyes as he spoke. “My dad is a deacon and he kicked me out of the house and told me not to come back until I changed. I can’t change. I have tried and tried. I thought he loved me. I was raised in church and that has been important in my life. Why does God want me to be miserable — putting me in the wrong body and saying that it is wrong and requiring me to live a life that I cannot?”
When Jake and Charles returned from the store, they found Lizzie Jane sitting at the breakfast table talking to Doc Brown.
“How did things so?” she asked.
“Oh, about as usual — seeing things I would like to have, but cannot afford them right now,” answered Jake. Looking at Doc Brown, he asked, “How are you today?”
“Oh, fine — just fine,” was the answer.
Lizzie Jane spoke, “Charles, why don’t you go into the living room with Doc Brown? I asked him to come over in case you want to talk about things.”
Charles gave Lizzie Jane a stern, but embarrassed, look. “Well, I don’t know if I have anything to talk about?”
“Charles, I am sorry for butting into your life, but sometimes we all need someone to talk to — you know — to express our feelings,” said Lizzie Jane. “No one is forcing you to do anything. I just thought ---“.
“It’s okay. I will leave,” replied Doc Brown. Looking at Charles, he stated, “However, sometimes I can help when it looks like there isn’t any help.” Doc Brown smiled.
Charles sat there a moment. ‘Why was this woman prying into my life? She said she knew, but she knew what? Oh yes, she noticed the mascara. Jake did not seem like he noticed anything. Could this doctor have anything to say that would help? I doubt it. He will just think I am a pervert. Oh well, others do, too, so what would one more hurt? I will be leaving soon anyway and be out of everyone’s life.’
“Okay, I will talk to the doctor,” he finally said.
“Good. Jake and I will put up the groceries,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“Put up the groceries? Why I never…” Jake felt Lizzie Jane kick him on the leg. “Oh, that hurt,” he mouthed to her.
Doc Brown and Charles retired to the living room.
“Sometimes you have a big mouth, husband,” said Lizzie Jane. “Doc Brown may be able to help. He is very understanding.”
“What is wrong with Charles? I found out that his dad kicked him out of the house. He told me that, but he seems like a nice thirteen year old kid,” said Jake.
“How do you know he is thirteen?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“He told me. We talked a little on the way to the store, but I never could find out why he was on that railroad bridge, ready to take his life.”
“Have you ever heard of Christine Jorgensen?”
“Oh, he was that nut that had his…” began Jake, but then stopped and said, “Oh — You mean…”
“Yes. I told you that my mother and I had a long talk — and he is not a nut! God has chosen me to be the instrument to help him. Of course, I don’t know why me.”
In the living room, Doc Brown sat across from Charles in an easy chair; Charles on the davenport.
“First, let me say that I have helped some people through a lot of problems and nothing surprises me anymore. It might do you good to talk about why you attempted suicide. I promise I will not laugh or make fun of you,” began Doc Brown.
“Suicide? That woman is a blabber-mouth and busy body,” complained Charles.
“No, she is a very sweet girl — one who wants to help somebody. She has even placed her own life in danger to come to a person’s aid. She is a Christian lady and an outstanding woman in this community. People here think very highly of her. She is sweet and understanding — and she wants to help you.”
“Well, I don’t know how to say it. My dad kicked me out of the house, calling me names and that is why I decided the best thing to do was to end it all.”
“Like I said, Lizzie Jane is a Christian lady. She wants to help you.”
“Sir, God doesn’t even want me. Why should she?”
“I will let her talk to you about that. She knows more of what God wants than I do. She died once and went to Heaven and talked to Jesus.”
“You expect me to believe that hog-wash?”
Doc Brown smiled. “I was there and she was dead. On top of that, it has been proven to many of us that she talks to her deceased mother often and her mother is in Heaven.”
“Why can’t people just leave me alone?”
“Because you are hurting. That is why Lizzie Jane asked me to come by. She wants you to come clean with us — me on the medical side and her on the spiritual side.”
“Spiritual side? God doesn’t love me. Christians have told me so.”
“And you want to take the word of people who are set in their ideas, right or wrong — who know nothing about how you feel?”
“They have told me that I am an abomination to God!”
“I will let Lizzie Jane answer that. I bet she has a good answer.”
Tears began to fill Charles’ eyes as he spoke. “My dad is a deacon and he kicked me out of the house and told me not to come back until I changed. I can’t change. I have tried and tried. I thought he loved me. I was raised in church and that has been important in my life. Why does God want me to be miserable — putting me in the wrong body and saying that it is wrong and requiring me to live a life that I cannot?”
“I will let Lizzie Jane answer the Bible questions. You don’t want to tell me your problem? If not, I will go, but I may be able to help you.”
Charles blurted out: “I am a girl in a boy’s body! Now, does it make you happy to know I am a pervert?” He suddenly burst into tears.
Doc Brown put his arm around Charles. “I knew what it was. I just wanted you to tell me. I have helped someone else through something similar to this and I think I can help you.”
Wiping the tears away from his face with his hand, Charles asked, “You have?”
“I believe the other person was intersexed. Now she is a prominent member of society.”
“Who was it?” asked Charles with a tear-stained, but a hopeful expression.
“I am not privileged to tell you. In fact, she doesn’t even remember it. The only memory she has now is one of being raised as a little girl. I guess that is God’s way of healing the mind. Nobody has the heart to tell her any different.”
“She is a girl now?”
“Yes, she is -- a beautiful, sweet young lady.” Doc Brown paused for a minute — then asked, “Do you want me to help you — medically?”
“Oh yes, so much so, sir.”
“Well, you are the right age to start. In a very short time, you will start developing into a man if we don’t do something to stop it. However, I am not going to rush into anything. I need a few more counseling sessions with you. I would rather for you to go to a psychiatrist, but we don’t have any around here and they are too expensive, anyway. I have had some courses in psychology in my training, so I believe I can substitute in this case.”
Charles stated, “No one has ever offered to help me before. I don’t know what to say.”
“It is okay. Since your father has kicked you out of your home, I think I can make arrangements for you to stay with Jake and Lizzie Jane. We will see if we can get the judge to set up a hearing in court to keep everything legal and get them appointed as foster parents. They have a nice new house — nothing fancy — but comfortable and they are a good Christian family. I think the judge will approve that.”
“Will that be okay with Jake and Lizzie Jane?” asked Charles.
Doc Brown smiled and replied, “I think — Yes — I am sure it will.”
Doc Brown, accompanied by Charles, discussed the issue with Lizzie Jane, who in return was asked to discuss it with Jake. Before Doc Brown left for the evening, everything was settled. Lizzie Jane and Jake would apply to be foster parents. They decided to let the children that had been rescued from Gorilla Island continue to stay with Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie, except Linda. Jake and Lizzie Jane had already adopted her.
--To be continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
Charles — or rather, Charlene -- felt like crawling through a keyhole when Jake drove up to the church. Why did she ever agree to attend church? She knew that she would be ‘read’ and told not to come back.
“Wake up, sleepy head,” said Lizzie Jane. “Need to get ready for church.”
Church? That was the last thing Charles wanted to face. Although he had loved church and tried to be a good person, they had turned their back on him. He was a sinner — an abomination to God. That is what he had been told, so it must be Biblical.
“I bought you a pants suit to wear today,” said Lizzie Jane. “I paid for it out of the egg money. I will make you a dress this week.”
Pants suit? A dress? Suddenly Charles began to feel ashamed. He (she) had not gone out in public, but had always dressed in secret — that is, until his father found out. The church had prayed to cast out the demons, but their prayers did not produce any results.
He thought about the pants suit. Maybe that would not be too bad. He had seen some leisure suits men wore that were not much different from a pants suit.
“Breakfast is ready.”
Another surprise — pleasant, but surprising. Charles had been helping Lizzie Jane prepare breakfast. He (she) had been learning to cook and do the work of a housewife, although there weren’t any thoughts of ever getting married.
Still uncertain about attending church, Charles slowly began to get ready after a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage and biscuits. “Light on the makeup,” Lizzie Jane had advised. That was understandable. The transition from male to female should be carefully planned. Although no one knew Charles in Carter’s Bend, except Jake, Lizzie Jane, and Doc Brown, Charles did not want to look like a transvestite.
Checking the makeup, Lizzie Jane stated, “Well, that will do, but we need just a little light lipstick and I have some earrings you can wear — clip on, of course. You don’t have pierced ears, do you?”
“Clip on will be okay.” Boys did not usually have their ears pierced — at least, not yet. Lizzie Jane looked at his Charles’ hair and decided that it would look okay pinned up. Charles had already started letting his hair grow a little, but it still made him (her) look boyish. With the hair pinned up and makeup, he (she) began to look more like a girl.
Time came to go. Jake had checked out the pickup and it seemed to be cranking okay. Often it had to be pushed off and cranked in gear while rolling. Lizzie Jane sat in the middle with Jake driving, Charles rode shotgun -- a southern term meaning sitting next to the window on the passenger side.
“You need a new name,” mentioned Lizzie Jane as they bounced along the country road. Although paved, it was rough with potholes scattered around. “Something besides Charles.” Thinking for a moment, she said, “I know! How about Charlene?”
Charles swallowed a lump as large as his throat. Lizzie Jane was serious. “It’s okay, I guess,” he (she) finally answered.
“Then Charlene it is,” said Lizzie Jane.
Charles — or rather, Charlene -- felt like crawling through a keyhole when Jake drove up to the church. Why did she ever agree to attend church? She knew that she would be ‘read’ and told not to come back. They might even turn against Lizzie Jane for bringing her.
“Well, here we are,” said Lizzie Jane. Noticing the hesitation, she said, “Well — get out.”
Charlene thought her knees would buckle under her. She felt very foolish and was sure that people would laugh. Shyly holding down her head, she walked beside Lizzie Jane with Jake in front. Seats were chosen about the center of the church.
The pastor were greeting parishioners as they arrived, finally making his way to Jake and Lizzie Jane. Staring at Charlene, he asked, “Who is this —ah — young lady?” Charlene knew by his greeting that she had been ‘read’.
“This is a friend who is staying with us for awhile — Charlene,” stated Lizzie Jane.
Still staring at her and grinning, he said, “Hello. My name is Alan Snow.”
The hymns were the same old songs the church had been singing for years. Everything seemed to be natural to Lizzie Jane. The deacons, between their naps, expressed approval of the sermon with the usual “amens”.
The members were friendly, particularly the ladies. They just had to meet Charlene and welcome her into the community. They knew about her Lizzie Jane adopting Linda and thought it marvelous that she would take another young lady into her home.
After service, the pastor stood at the back shaking hands and expressing words of appreciation to the attendees. When he came to Lizzie Jane, he whispered, “I want to see you before you leave.”
Lizzie Jane walked to the pickup with Jake and Charlene.
“Wait here,” she said. “Brother Snow wants to talk to me about something.”
Watching her go back toward the church, Charlene said, “It is about me, isn’t it?”
Jake replied, “You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I know it is. I can feel it.”
“Well if so, Lizzie Jane has killed dinosaurs, captured murderers and counterfeiters and saved more than one life, so I am sure she can handle a little thing that may come up about you.”
Charlene looked at Jake and said, “Huh?”
“Take my word for it. She did all those things — yes, including killing a dinosaur when she was ten years old,” said Jake, referring to the time she traveled backwards through time when trapped in the Bermuda Triangle.
“You want to see me?” asked Lizzie Jane as she stuck out her hand to shake with Reverend Snow.
“Yes. That ‘Charlene’ you brought. She is a boy, isn’t she?”
“Well, partially. She has a girl’s soul in a boy’s body. What difference would that make?”
“That is an abomination to God.”
“I find nothing in the Bible objecting to her condition. From what I have read, Charlene is a transsexual, like Christine Jorgensen. There is no scripture that even mentions that.”
“How about Deuteronomy 22:5 where the Bible says that a man shall not put on a woman’s garment, for all that do are abomination unto God?” asked Reverend Snow.
“In the first place, it says that a man shall not wear a woman’s garment. Charlene is not a man. She is a girl in a boy’s body. In the second place, that is the Old Testament. You are not going against what you taught us are you — that we are under grace and not under law? Deuteronomy 22:5 was part of the law.”
“I believe it applies to us today.”
“Well, then I suggest that you put a parapet for the roof of your house, never wear nylon and polyester clothing together, and if you catch a couple committing adultery, you put both to death because you will find all of that in Deuteronomy, chapter 22,” answered Lizzie Jane in a very determined tone.
“God doesn’t make mistakes. He was born a boy and will always be a boy.”
“How about Ben’s granddaughter — born deaf? Or how about Harold and Jane’s little crippled boy? Are they mistakes? No, God does not make mistakes, but he allows people to be born with birth defects. God does not cause babies to be born deaf or cripple -- or even transsexual. That is the result of an imperfect world made imperfect by Adam’s sin!”
“Elizabeth, you and your family are well thought of around here. Don’t ruin that!”
“I do not intend to ruin my reputation. I love people and I am proving that now by taking Charlene into my home and helping her toward what she should be. I think that is what Jesus would like for me to do.”
“Homosexuality is wrong!”
“Transsexuality is not homosexuality. I don’t believe Charlene is interested in men right now — not even women. She is concerned about spreading the love that God has put into her heart. She was raised in church and you are going to deny her that right? Our church is known for its love for everyone and the welcome mat is out for whosoever will to come. I am standing on the church’s claim to that.”
“Well, I don’t think…”
“Why don’t you just keep quiet and let Charlene prove that she is a Christian girl and the only way to prove that is to watch her life. That is all I ask. Are you going to ask her to leave — or force her to?”
Reverend Snow seemed to give some thought to the matter and then replied, “Well, if we run her off, we will not be able to help her.”
Reverend Snow suddenly realized what he had said. He had called Charlene by the pronoun, ‘her’. Maybe Lizzie Jane was getting to him. Lizzie Jane was well thought of by the church and the community. She had shown herself to be a loving, sweet lady, ready to help in any situation. Maybe this was just another ‘situation’.
“I will still have second thoughts so I will be watching — and praying.”
“Well, Brother Snow. I would expect you to pray — now wouldn’t I?” said Lizzie Jane as a big smile appeared on her face.
Reverend Snow smiled back.
“What happened?” asked Jake as Lizzie Jane walked back to the pickup.
“Oh nothing — just the love of God being manifested,” she said. “Let’s go home. Charlene and I need to fix dinner. I am hungry.”
Riding back to their home, Lizzie Jane opened her Bible to Deuteronomy, Chapter 22.
“Whatcha reading?” asked Jake.
“Oh, something in the Bible which we discussed. I wanted to see if what I said was right. I had read it before, but was not sure that I was remembering correctly."
“You mean you mentioned things in the Bible that you did not know about for sure — and in a discussion with a man of God?”
“Jake, it wasn’t me who was talking,” smiled Lizzie Jane.
Jake remembered the scripture where Jesus told his disciples that in meeting opposition to give no thought for what you will say for it will be given in that same hour what you shall speak.
____________________________________________________
--To be continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
Looking toward Charlene, the judge asked, “You look like a girl to me, but you have a boy’s name. Do you wish to explain?”
“Sir, I am a girl in a boy’s body,” answered Charlene.
“If you felt like a monkey, would that make you swing through the trees like a monkey? I am sorry, but that reasoning is not sufficient.”
“What do you think the judge will say?” asked Charlene, as she was getting ready for the hearing to determine if she could be placed with Jake and Lizzie Jane as a foster child.
“That is something we will not know until we see the judge,” replied Lizzie Jane as she worked with Charlene’s hair, trying to make her look more feminine.
Lizzie Jane and Charlene decided that she should wear the pants suit Lizzie Jane had purchased. The plans were for Charlene to appear before the judge as a girl, but not too dressy.
“I am on pins and needles. Suppose he sends me back to my daddy’s — or even place me in a children’s home?” asked Charlene.
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it,” answered Lizzie Jane as she watched Charlene working on her face.
“Okay, just a little makeup — like we did the first time in church,” said Lizzie Jane.
The small courtroom was adjacent to the town hall, so the drive did not take very long. Lizzie Jane had spent quite some time praying over the matter and tried to reconcile herself that whatever the judge ruled would be God’s will. Still, she could not keep her mind from worrying somewhat.
Since it was a hearing and not a trial, the courtroom was empty except for the presence of Jake, Lizzie Jane, Charlene and Doc Brown, who was already seated. He had promised to be present for support and as a witness to the character of Jake and Lizzie Jane.
Charlene looked around for her father. She had feared that he would be there and say or do something to cause problems. He was nowhere to be seen.
The judge entered from a side door wearing the usual black robe. One thing Lizzie Jane was thankful for was that he was a real judge, not some prejudiced redneck from the mountains as judges were selected just a few years prior. One of the two members of the town’s police force accompanied the judge as he came into the courtroom. Everyone was asked to rise as the judge strolled to his position behind a huge desk.
The judge spoke. “We have before this court a petition that Charles Reed, a.k.a. Charlene Reed, be placed with Jake and Elizabeth Wall in a foster home. Are these persons present?”
“Yes, your honor,” stated Jake.
“Where is the child’s father?”
The police officer spoke. “Sir, according to our information, a subpoena was served by the sheriff of the county in which he resides.”
“Yes,” said the judge, looking over some papers. “I seem to have that information here.”
Looking toward Charlene, the judge asked, “You look like a girl to me, but you have a boy’s name. Do you wish to explain?”
“Sir, I am a girl in a boy’s body,” answered Charlene.
“Mmm, very odd — and what makes you think that?” asked the judge.
“Well —ah — I just feel that way.”
“If you felt like a monkey, would that make you swing through the trees like a monkey? I am sorry, but that reasoning is not sufficient.”
Doc Brown stood and asked, “Your honor, May I approach the bench?”
“Yes, Doctor Brown. You may,” answered the judge, recognizing the physician.
“Charles here — or rather, Charlene — is under my care for therapy and treatment for a condition which Doctor Harry Benjamin, a noted psychiatrist, has recognized as a medical condition. He has termed the condition, ‘transsexual’. I took the liberty of obtaining a copy of his comments along with his Standards of Care which professional therapist and physicians are requested to consider in treating patients.”
The judge read over the Standards of Care, which Doc Brown furnished. “It says here that a patient is to be seen by someone holding a PhD. Are you qualified to treat this patient?”
“Yes sir. I have had training in psychology and a degree as a medical doctor and I am very well qualified to treat Charlene. My experience consists of assisting an intersexed person toward a full life as a female.”
Turning to Charlene, the judge stated, “Your legal name is Charles. Is it your desire that the name be changed to Charlene?”
“Yes,” answered Charlene.
“What middle name would you desire?” asked the judge.
Charlene had not given any thought to a question like that, so she said, “I don’t really know.”
“What is your middle name now?”
“Lee,” answered Charlene.
“A girl can have the name Lee. Would you consent to leaving that as is or do you want to change it to something else?” asked the judge.
Charlene looked a Lizzie Jane. She nodded her head that would be okay.
“Yes,” answered Charlene.
“First, I would like to know more about this couple.” Looking at his papers, the judge asked, “Jake and Elizabeth Wall. Is that correct?”
“Yes, your honor,” replied Jake.
“Doctor Brown, you seem to know this couple. Are they good people and able to take care of —ah — Charlene?”
“Yes, I know them very well. They come from good families and have a brand new house, complete with running water and a bathroom which, as you know, are a little difficult to find in some homes here in the mountains,” answered Doc Brown.
“Yes, I very well know,” said the judge. “Anything else?”
“Well, they are considered to be well thought of by the people in their community and go to church regularly,” replied Doc Brown. “I believe that Charlene will be raised right.”
“Since the father does not seem to be interested in this child and you say that they are good people, Doctor Brown, I will allow them to be temporarily placed in the home of Jake and Elizabeth Wall for the time being, subject to change if additional information indicate them to be of unsuitable character or if the father decides to object, in which case we will hold another hearing. I am placing them under your watch, Doctor Brown, and will expect monthly reports from you for awhile — that is, if you do not object.”
“I do not object,” said Doc Brown.
“I will also expect medical and mental reports on Charlene, also. As far a name change is concerned, I will allow the name Charlene to be used until such time as I am assured that it is suitable in every way and then, and only then, I will make it legal.”
“I will agree to the medical reports if it is okay with Charlene. There are matters of confidentiality concerning a patient under my care,” stated Doc Brown.
“I understand. However the continuality of Charlene continuing to live with Jake and Elizabeth Wall is granted on a conditional basis. It is just that sufficient reports from you might make it easier for me to make a judgment in the future.”
“Sir, I don’t mind any reports on me being sent you,” replied Charlene.
“Fine. Are there any other questions?” asked the judge. Waiting for a moment for someone to speak, he said, “So be it” and pounded on the desk with his gavel.
“All rise,” stated the police officer. Everyone stood as the judge made his exit.
“Well, everything is taken care of — temporarily, at least,” said Lizzie Jane.
“Why temporary?” asked Charlene.
“Well, the judge is trying to be careful. Things can change and the judge probably has not had a hearing like this before. If I had not been here to state that I would be your doctor and was able to furnish the information from Doctor Harry Benjamin, he would have probably refused everything,” said Doc Brown.
Lizzie Jane smiled and said, “Thank you Doc Brown.” Turning to Charlene, she said, ”Well girl, you go home with us for awhile. But keep in mind, you will be treated as our own daughter. That means you will behave,” and smiling, she continued, “and you will be taught how to be a proper young lady — sewing, cooking — the whole thing.”
To be Continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
Charlene never realized how much there was to being a woman of the hills. “Anytime you want to back out and be something besides a woman, you can,” was the words of Lizzie Jane. No way was Charlene going to go back to her old life. If the things she was being taught were what rural women needed to know, she was all for it.
Lizzie Jane was true to her word. Charlene received the same hillbilly education that all mothers taught their daughters — cooking, sewing, keeping a reasonably clean house, sweeping the yard (back in those days many rural women kept their yards clear of grass and kept the yard swept) and, most important of all — how to please a man.
Charlene never realized how much there was to being a woman of the hills. “Anytime you want to back out and be something besides a woman, you can,” was the words of Lizzie Jane. No way was Charlene going to go back to her old life. If the things she was being taught were what rural women needed to know, she was all for it.
Lizzie Jane decided that school was important, too. All women needed to learn to read and write, how to take care of family finances (since so many men squandered their money on moonshine and wild living), and the proper way to raise a family. So, the next step was to introduce Charlene to Sally, the teacher in the one-room schoolhouse.
Putting on her new print dress that she had made with Lizzie Jane’s help, Charlene began to nervously get ready for school. The dress was made from flour sacks imprinted with dark blue flowers on a lighter blue background. Charlene thought it was the prettiest dress she had ever seen, partially because it was a product of her own hands.
Lizzie Jane drove Charlene to school the first day in Jake’s old rusty pickup truck. They walked into the school building together, hand in hand. In Charlene’s free hand, she carried a lard bucket with a couple of buttered and sugared biscuits, two apples (one for the teacher) and sweet tea in a pint mason jar.
“This is Charlene,” said Lizzie Jane, speaking to Sally. “She is staying with us for awhile.”
”Welcome Charlene,” said Sally, holding out her hand. Charlene felt weak all over, so her handshake was not very strong.
“And you, Lizzie Jane — I have arranged for you to attend Howard College in Birmingham if you wish to go. They have moved to Shades Valley and that is just south of Birmingham. It took some doing on our pastor’s part, but I believe you can get in.”
“I don’t know what course to take,” replied Lizzie Jane. “What do you suggest?”
“Well, they have a teacher education program. Since it is a Baptist College, you can learn teaching and take Biblical studies, too.”
“How about money? Doesn’t it cost something?”
“We thought about that and believe that we might be able to get you a scholarship. At least, we could try.”
“Well, maybe later. I have a young lady to see about right now.” A smiling Lizzie Jane, assured that Charlene was in good hands and after the usual farewells, turned and walked back to the pickup.
“Well, young lady,” said Sally handing Charlene a few papers. “Let’s take a test and see how much you know.”
Charlene sat down at her assigned desk and stared at the papers. She looked up at Sally writing on the blackboard, then around the schoolroom, before her eyes settled back on the papers. She sat there for fifteen minutes with her hands folded on the desk.
Lizzie Jane’s adopted daughter — Linda — walked over to Charlene’s desk. She felt that she needed to get acquainted anyway, so she introduced herself. “Hello, I am Linda — Mother Elizabeth’s daughter — and you are…?”
“Charlene,” came the reply.
(Linda knew Charlene's name, but thought some kind of self-introduction would be proper.)
Looking down at the papers and back at Charlene, Linda asked, “You cannot read, can you?”
“Ah — I didn’t bring my glasses.” That was the standard answer she had learned from her father.
“Now, please tell me the truth. You cannot read, can you?” Linda repeated the question.
With a blush and looking down at the desk, Charlene answered, “No, I can’t.”
Sally heard the conversation and walked over. “I am so sorry. I didn’t know.” She quickly added, “But it is nothing to be ashamed about. A lot of children come here that cannot read. We will teach you.”
“Let me help her. After all, she is almost my sister,” requested Linda.
“I need you to help the other students with their science,” answered Sally. After thinking about the matter a moment, she said, “Okay, you can pull double duty.”
Linda, because of her advanced studies in the field of science in the school of her future world, was a lifesaver for Sally. Linda was able to explain things that college professors had not learned yet. Sally was sure that many great minds would come out of her little one room schoolhouse.
“Let’s go outside and sit under a shade tree,” suggested Linda,
“Okay,” agreed Charlene. She did not seem to be as embarrassed as before.
“I am staying with Aunt Maudie while you are here,” said Linda as she smoothed her skirt out and sat down with her legs folded under her. Charlene tried to do the same, but was having a little difficulty.
Linda smiled. “This is the way many girls sit in this age. It covers their legs since girls wear longer dresses than they will thirty years from now.”
Charlene was as confused as she appeared.
“Oh, I am sorry. I need to explain. I am from the future and got trapped in this time, so that is why I know so much about what will happen. Some things I don’t want to think about -- for instance, terrible disasters that will occur.’
“Anyway, back to you. I know about your problem, so you don’t have to worry about keeping your secret from me. Right now, I realize that you could face difficulties. Things will get better in a few years, but we are in the here and now. I desire to be of help if I may.”
Charlene smiled. Not only did she have a sister, but a friend. That made the day a little better.
Linda was an expert teacher. She used the accelerated methods that were part of her advanced educational training and, by noon, Charlene was reading on a second grade level.
“Lunch time,” stated Linda. “What do you have in your box?”
“Biscuits with sugar and butter and some tea,” answered Charlene.
“Sounds like Momma Elizabeth. I have a ham sandwich and a sausage sandwiches. I will swap you one for a buttered biscuit.”
“Okay.”
“Which would you rather eat?’
“I think I would like the sausage sandwich. Hope it has ketchup on it.”
“No, it doesn’t, but it is good anyway.”
The girls quietly enjoyed their lunch. Finishing, they laid on their backs looking at the clouds scattered around the blue sky.
“Where I used to reside, we could see vehicles flying around up there,” said Linda.
“What kind of vehicles?”
“Similar to your automobiles. We still have small vehicles that could be considered automobiles, but they are only used for short trips — only carries about one or two persons. If we are traveling, we have our flying vehicles. They are faster — and safer. We don’t need roads up there.”
“How do you like it here?” asked Charlene.
“I appear to be getting accustomed to this primitive life style. I am trying to learn and use your language, too.”
“Our language? We speak English.”
“Oh, I know, but we used different words. Everyone here seem to use simple words — but I am learning.” Smiling, Linda said, “Y’all say things like ‘don’t’ for ‘does not’ and ‘ain’t’ and such words like that.” She added, “We never say things using ‘like” as I just did, either.”
“Oh — okay — I guess.”
“Well, we had better get back in. I got some science lessons to teach,” said Linda, sounding as much as a southern country girl as she could.
Sally was happy for Charlene while listening to her read a story about Peter Cottontail. Charlene was proud of her accomplishment and her face beamed with joy.
Looking across the room, she noticed a boy wink. Her smile faded. ‘What could that mean?’ she thought to herself. She enjoyed being a girl, but was she ready for boys yet?
________________________________________________________
Linda was introduced in an earlier story and more complete detail about her travel through time can be read at Ficioneer.org. in the "Gorilla Island" stories.
http://fictioneer.org/content/gorilla-island
_________________________________________________________
Note that may be of interest:
Howard College in Birmingham was later changed to Samford University.
__________________________________________________________
--To be continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
"My mother died a few years ago.” Charlene stared straight ahead as if in deep thought. “She loved me… she understood…I would tell her I wanted to be her little girl…and she always told me, ‘You ARE my little girl’. I would crawl up in her lap and she would hug me and love me…”
“How was school today?” asked Lizzie Jane asked she reached over from the driver’s side, opening the door of the rusty pickup. Charlene climbed in with a slight “Okay, I guess.”
“Anything happen today unusual?”
“Well, a boy winked at me. I didn’t know what to do, so I just looked away from him.”
Lizzie Jane smiled. Charlene was a pretty girl and she could see why a boy would find her to his liking. “Just smile back, be friendly, but watch for any advances. Right now, we need to be careful, you know.”
“I know,” said Charlene with a sad smile. “Wish I were a real girl — instead of make-believe.”
“Charlene, you are a real girl. Just not complete in certain areas.”
Charlene could not hold it back any longer. She suddenly burst into tears. Lizzie Jane stopped the truck and pulled off the road as much as possible in a shady area.
“It’s your daddy, isn’t it?” asked Lizzie Jane.
“Yes, I wish he loved me. But, the night I left, he kicked me and opened the door...and…” There was a pause while Charlene tried to regain her composure, but no use. The tears flowed that much more...“he told me…to get out and…never come back,” sobs coming between the phrases.
“He is all I had. My mother died a few years ago.” Charlene stared straight ahead as if in deep thought. “She loved me… she understood…I would tell her I wanted to be her little girl…and she always told me, ‘You ARE my little girl’. I would crawl up in her lap and she would hug me and love me…”
Lizzie Jane replied,“I lost my mother, too...when I was nine years old. I never knew my daddy. He left momma before I was born." While speaking, tears also came to her eyes, remembering and cherishing the sweet moments as she shared a similar experience — different mothers, but both losing a loving mother when a child.
Realizing each other’s sorrows, they embraced with a hug that lasted for a few quiet moments. That day, the two hearts bonded with eternal cords that cannot be broken.
Releasing the hug, Lizzie Jane held Charlene straight out by the shoulders looking at her with tear-stained cheeks. “Charlene, I know I am supposed to be your foster mother, but I did not have a sister. I will always think of you as that sister.”
Remembering that she had adopted Carol as her sister, too, she thought, ‘Now I have two sisters.’ She did not mention that to Charlene, but she smiled at the thought. (Carol was the waitress Lizzie Jane met during the time Lizzie Jane has lost her memory.)
“Feel better?” asked Lizzie Jane as she reached to turn the key in the ignition.
“Yes — a little.”
Lizzie Jane pushed the big starter button with her foot and the starter went 'wheee wheee'.
“Oh, that Jake and his truck! Won’t crank! Oh, let’s get out and push.”
Lizzie Jane put the floor shift gear handle into neutral and, with the doors open, the girls began to push on the door panels. With the wheels rolling a little over 5 MPH (causing the girls to trot), Lizzie Jane jumped into the cab, put the gearshift into second, let out on the clutch. The truck bucked a couple of time and the engine went ‘voood, voood’ with Lizzie Jane patting her foot on the accelerator pedal.
“Okay, hop in,” she said as Charlene climbed into the passenger seat giggling as other girls. “Some day when I get the money, I am going to buy a truck load of batteries. This ‘pushing’ has got to stop,” said Lizzie Jane.
Lizzie Jane saw Charlene smiling. It is a miracle how much an old truck or car can change feelings while trying to operate one. Sometimes, it will bring giggles as it did to these two young ladies, but, often as not, it can cause a man to use words that he didn’t learn in Sunday School.
“Oh yes,another thing happened today,” said Charlene. “Linda helped me in school. I never learned to read and she had me reading sooner than you can shake a cat’s tail.”
“Yeah, she is pretty smart. She surprised Sally with things that Sally didn’t know.”
The conversation changed to girlie things as the old pickup jostled down the dusty road. Charlene did not ask any questions about Linda. Linda had already told her about coming from the future and how different things were.
That night, after Charlene had gone to bed, Lizzie Jane told Jake that she wanted to sit for awhile.
“I will sit with you,” was Jake’s response.
“No, please. I need to sit and think — mediate on something.”
Jake assumed it was about Charlene, so without argument, he bid Lizzie Jane a good night and went to the bedroom.
Lizzie Jane walked outside and looked at the starry sky. It was a clear night with a half moon, but enough light for Lizzie Jane to see as she walked down the long dusty driveway. It seemed to be past time for rain, but that was the farthest thing from her mind.
As she walked, she prayed.
“Dear, why are you so sad?” came a soft feminine voice. Lizzie Jane turned and, from the sound of the voice, saw what she had expected — her mother, clothed in her usual white robe, sitting on a stump where a large oak had grown, but the years had taken its toll and had to be cut down. Although she had usually appeared in a dream, Lizzie Jane’s mother had been seen visually a few times. Lizzie Jane well remembered the first time — when a huge man had saved Lizzie Jane from a hungry panther after being warned by a strange woman clothed in white.
Lizzie Jane wasn’t afraid. Her mother was not a ghost, but a messenger that had some words of comfort sent from Heaven. Lizzie Jane always welcomed her, either in a dream, or in a vision as she must be seeing now.
“I don’t like to see Charlene so sad,” said Lizzie Jane. “She has had a rough time and I don’t know how to help — what to do,” replied Lizzie Jane.
“All of us have a set time on this earth — some longer than others. We need to help those who do not have much time to find peace with God. You, Elizabeth Jane, have been called to a special work and that is why you have been chosen to help Charlene.”
“You mean Charlene doesn’t have long to live?”
“That is predetermined, of course, but it is not for you to know. Charlene was born for a purpose — to be a forerunner of those who will come behind her with the same sorrows and desires as she possesses. Whatever happens, God will be there with all his love and mercy. Sometimes it takes a lot of pain and suffering for mankind to find out God’s ways are better.”
“Please tell me what is going to happen to Charlene.”
“I have already told you it is not for you to know. For now, she needs your love and direction. Elizabeth Jane, I came to tell you to abide in your calling for, if you do, you will not regret it. Goodbye for now. Just remember. I promised to never leave you and I will be with you through all that will come your way -- and Charlene will have a special angel to help her accept what may come her way.”
“No — wait,” cried Lizzie Jane, but to no avail. Suddenly her mother was gone.
Lizzie Jane fell to her knees. “Please God — protect Charlene. She is so young and has the whole world before her.”
A voice came from somewhere. Was it an audible voice or was it in her mind? “My grace is sufficient” was the message — from wherever it came.
Again, the night was still. The stars still shone bright as before — maybe brighter. The leaves in the bushes and trees began to rustle as a cool breeze began to fill the air. Lizzie Jane turned and walked toward the house, uncertain what the message meant that was sent to her.
Abide in her calling — that, along with “My grace is sufficient” -- controlled her thoughts.
‘Yes,” she said to herself. ‘I will abide in my calling. I just hope I can know what that calling is when the time comes’.
--To be continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
The next morning seemed like normal. The sun rose on time, the birds were singing -- everything were great -- that is, except in Lizzie Jane's mind. She keep rolling over in her mind about Charlene. Was she going to die? What about her soul salvation? Was she ready to meet God?
The next morning seemed like normal. The sun rose on time, the birds were singing -- everything were great -- that is, except in Lizzie Jane's mind. She keep rolling over in her mind about Charlene. Was she going to die? What about her soul salvation? Was she ready to meet God?
Oh, it seemed so unfair. A young girl with a life ahead of her if only the community would get out of the dark ages and understand that God is love -- not the god so quickly ready to condemn someone as taught by so many preachers. Lizzie Jane made up her mind that day that, if God called her into any kind of ministry, she would proclaim the love of God and his provision for mankind's salvation.
Charlene strolled into the kitchen just as Lizzie Jane had taken the biscuits out of the oven. "Good morning --- mom."
Lizzie Jane smiled at that title. True, she had custody of Charlene, but it seemed to be only temporary, so "mom" did not seem adequate although she enjoyed the title.
Charlene took a seat at the table. The smell of bacon, fried eggs, and of course, the biscuits seem to overpower her, but she knew she had to wait a minute for thanks to be given.
"Our father in Heaven, we thank you for the food you have provided and ask that it be sanctified for our bodies. Please, bless Charlene and may she find happiness in the midst of her situation. This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen." Lizzie Jane closed the prayer with a weak smile as she glanced toward Charlene. "Well, dig in."
As Charlene ate, Lizzie Jane looked at her. She was such a beautiful girl and, if she were complete in body, the boys would fall over themselves trying to win her favor.
"Aren't you going to eat, mom?" asked Charlene as she noticed Lizzie Jane sitting at the end of the table with a cup of coffee in her hand.
"Oh, not now. I will in a few minutes," answered Lizzie Jane. The day was Saturday, so there wasn't any rush to get Charlene ready for school.
As Charlene was finishing breakfast, Lizzie Jane said, "Just put the dishes in the sink. I will get to them later."
The two women walked out on the porch, then into the yard. As they walked, Charlene could see a worried look in Lizzie Jane's eyes. "What is wrong, mom?"
Lizzie Jane turned toward her. "Charlene, how is it with you and God?"
"I dunno. I guess I kinda thought God did not love me because of the way I am. My daddy was against me. I am afraid others will turn against me if they only knew."
"Don't think that," said Lizzie Jane as the girls sat on a swing fastened to chains that connected to a huge limb of an oak tree. "God knew about you before you were born."
"But people say God doesn't make mistakes."
That was the same answer, Lizzie Jane's pastor had given, so Lizzie Jane gave Charlene the same answer she gave the pastor, "No, God does not make mistakes, but he allows people to be born with birth defects. God does not cause babies to be born deaf or cripple. That is the result of an imperfect world made imperfect by Adam’s sin! Some babies are born as morphadites. Is that a mistake of God? I think not." (NOTE: Morphadites, a hillbilly term meaning hermaphrodites.)
"But mom, I want..." Charlene did not finish the sentence. She buried her face into Lizzie Jane's shoulder, hiding the tears. Putting her hands on Charlene's shoulders,Lizzie Jane pushed her back and looked her straight in the eyes.
"If you have doubted God, let's get this thing settled right now."
Lizzie Jane got on her knees, using the swing as an altar. Charlene knelt beside her.
If someone had heard, they would have probably have thought that Heaven had ever heard such prayers from two broken hearts as the girls poured out their hearts to God. Time flew swifty by as they prayed to God in such agony as any two souls had ever experienced in seeking God's favor.
Forty five minutes later, Charlene ceased and with tears in her eyes, she looked as Lizzie Jane turned her head to face Charlene.
Lizzie Jane smiled, "You got your answer, haven't you?"
"Yes". Charlene smiled back.
Lizzie Jane felt in her heart that Charlene's time on earth was short, but satisfied that the gates of Heaven would be opened to her when the time came.
To be Continued
Copyright 2010 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
"Hello, Carol," welcomed Lizzie Jane as she opened the door to her visitor. "I was afraid that you all had forgotten me now that you and Sam are opening the new restaurant here in Carter's Bend."
"Nope, we didn't forget you. I am here for two reasons -- first is to offer you a partnership with us in the restaurant. Second is about your upcoming wedding to Jake'.
"Sam and I were wondering -- would you mind having a double wedding? I know this is short notice for such a request since the wedding is a week off, but this is what Sam and I want."
"You mean..?" began a startled Lizzie Jane.
"Yep, it won't be long until I will be Mrs. Sam Henderson," replied Carol.
"Oh, that is so wonderful. I would be pleased to have our marriages together -- that is, if it is okay with Jake and I think I will be. As far as part owner of the restaurant -- well, I don't know."
"Please, Lizzie Jane. Your school teacher has made arrangement with the Board of Education to teach you privately through the 12th grade in preparation for college and it will help pay your way through college," pleaded Carol.
"Well, that is true, but -- Well, what the heck. Shoot, I accept."
"Since you are underage, you don't think there will be any problem in getting Jed to sign a contract on your behalf, do you?"
"There had better not be. He is the one signing for me to get married," answered a smiling Lizzie Jane.
"Great. I will go and tell Sam the news."
"Won't you stay for some iced tea?" asked Lizzie Jane. "I have just made a gallon."
Iced tea was the major drink in Alabama in the summer. Southerners never drank a cup of hot tea; that is, country Alabamians.
"No, thanks. Gotta run," said Carol.
Lizzie Jane went into her bedroom and fell across the bed. 'How about that?' she thought to herself. 'Me and my adopted sister getting married together'.
Lizzie Jane had never thought of getting married before at least 25 year of age, even if she married then. Now, at the tender age of 17, she was on her way to being a wife with hopes of going to college next year.
She had been thinking of Howard College in Birmingham (the name was later changed to Samford University). It was a Baptist school and she had considered being a missionary. She wondered how difficult it would be to serve on the mission field with a husband who only completed the 8th grade.
She had also thought of being a teacher. Most of the teachers across Alabama had gone to Jacksonville State Teachers College (later known as Jacksonville State College and becoming Jacksonville State University in 1967).
Lizzie Jane had helped Sally teach school at the little one-room schoolhouse and was highly regarded as a excellent teacher. She loved children, especially those attending school for the first time and had learned how to make learning fun for them.
The future never looked so bright as it did that morning as she began to think about the future -- and, of course, the past. She had lived an exciting life and had learned tremendously about life, self-esteem, and how to protect oneself.
"Lizzie Jane," called Aunt Maudie. "You have another visitor. One you have never seen."
"Oh, I wonder who that could be", Lizzie Jane said aloud. She quickly ran downstairs. There was an elderly woman sitting in a chair, smiling. She looked to be in her upper 80's. Lizzie Jane had no idea who she was.
"Lizzie Jane, meet my mother -- your grandmother -- Ruth Ann Fortson."
Her grandmother? Seems like she had heard that name somewhere before, but could not place when or where. Seems like it was something that Sally had taught in school. Oh yes, Lizzie Jane remembered. Sally mentioned that we had a person in Alabama that used to be famous.
Lizzie Jane stood there shocked! Was this her grandmother? Ruth Ann Fortson? The woman who met a professional gunslinger in the west and outdrew him? The woman, who could drawn her gun faster than any man except Wild Bill Hickok? The woman who whipped a strong indian brave single-handed to rescue some children? This was her grandmother?
"Hello dear," said the lady as she reached out her hand. "I have heard much about you from Maudie and you are a very brave young lady."
"But -- but -- but, not as brave as you," said Lizzie Jane.
Ruth Ann smiled. "Now don't you believe everything you hear about me. Most of those things are exaggerated. I am just an ordinary happy married woman. In fact, your grandfather will be here before the wedding."
"My school teacher told me so much about you, but there is nothing written in books. I thought you might have been a legend," said Lizzie Jane.
"No, after I left the west, it seems that my exploits was considered fables and that suited me just fine. You know -- kind of like Pecos Bill. I may have fought an indian brave, but I never killed a T-Rex."
"Oh, Aunt Maudie has been talking to you," said Lizzie Jane, giving that 'you-ought-not-have-done-that' look at Aunt Maudie. Aunt Maudie just grinned.
"I brought you a present," said Ruth Ann, handing Lizzie Jane a large package.
Opening it up, she found a wedding dress. "Oh, this is so nice, but I was going to get married in a regular dress. These are too expensive."
"Oh, pa-shaw. There isn't anything too good for my granddaughter. I just wish your mother was here to see what a fine young lady you turned out to be. We have done very well on our farm over in Blountsville. We have three chicken houses and some fine cattle."
With tears in her eyes, Lizzie Jane rushed over to Ruth Ann and hugged her neck. "Grandmaw, thank you so much. I never knew you, but I think I will love you to pieces."
"Hope so," stated Ruth Ann.
"Aunt Maudie, Sam and Carol wants me to be partners with them in their restaurant. Think Uncle Jed will sign the papers for me?"
"I am sure he will. He signed for you to get married, didn't he? And he let Sam talk him into one of the best pieces of our property for the restaurant. So, I am sure that he would not refuse his favorite adopted daughter partnership in a business that he furnished the property for," said Aunt Maudie.
"May I use the pickup?" asked Lizzie Jane. "I need to run to the store for just a minute."
"Sure, you know where the keys are."
Lizzie Jane cranked the old GMC and drove down the road. It had a straight stick in the floor. She was so happy. Not only was she getting married, but the most famous person in her family history was going to be there.
She wondered if there were any more family members that she had never seen who will come to the wedding. However, she was not prepared for a bigger surprise to come.
--To be Continued
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If anyone wants to know more about Lizzie Jane's grandmother, go to
http://www.fictioneer.org/content/prairies-children-chapter-1
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This will probably be a slow story in developing, but at the right time, some of you will understand why.
-smile from the author-
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© 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue
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All characters are fictitious and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, are coincidental, except occassional references to famous historical persons.
This is a short chapter, but if you want to see a longer version, go to "Escape from Gorilla Island, Chapter 2" at Fictioneer.org. This is where two stories eventually collide with each other.)
For the full story, read "Return to Gorilla Island" and "Escape from Gorilla Island" on www.fictioneer.org
This particular chapter is explained more fully in
http://www.fictioneer.org/content/escape-gorilla-island-chap...
"Jake, could I borrow your car?" pleaded Lizzie Jane. "I gotta go somewhere right away."
"Of course. I taught you to drive and you have your license. Where you going?" responded Jake.
"I got a letter from Shirley and Christie and they just called Dr. Brown's office from a bus stop. Lucky I was here where he could find me. They are coming up from Miami on a bus and I have to pick them up in Ft. Payne since the bus doesn't come this far."
"Drive carefully. Wish I could go, but gotta work. My dad has got to get his hay in before the storm comes." said Jake.
"Okay. You know I will. I need to hurry because the bus will be there before me if I don't. Will you see that Uncle Jed gets his pickup back?"
"Good as done," answered Jake.
Although excited as a hog going after slop, Lizzie Jane tried to drive within the 60 mph speed limit, although she exceeding it a few times.
Arriving at the bus station, she learned that the bus was expected within the hour. 'Just made it', she thought to herself.
When the bus whirled into it's parking place, Lizzie Jane strained trying to see Shirley and Christie. It had been just over seven years since they had said their goodbyes after their experience traveling through time in the Bermuda Triangle.
As Shirley exited the bus with Christie immediately following, Lizzie Jane recognized them immediately. She ran to hug their necks when she saw six children tagging close behind them as if they were all together. 'Wonder whose children these belong to?' she thought to herself.
Looking at the children, Lizzie Jane asked Shirley, "Do all these belong to you?"
"No, but they wanted to come anyway," answered Shirley.
Lizzie Jane began to hug their necks when her eyes fell on a small gorilla. He made her think of George and a moment of sadness filled her heart. "I used to have a playmate just like him", she said. "What is his name?"
"You ought to know. You named him. This is George."
"No, it can't be. Impossible. Where is his mother?"
A very young girl who appeared to be about ten years old spoke up, "She was killed. The savages attacked and they killed her. All she was trying to do was protect us. They killed my momma, too, so I knew I had to protect the children. George lead us to a boat and we went through a fog and here we are."
Lizzie Jane was really confused. Who was this little girl and why was she speaking with a strange accent? "Who are you?"
LInda spoke again, but with a trembling voice, "I don't want you to be angry, but I am your great, great, great grandaughter and these other children belonged to the other people who were killed by the savages. We were playing with George when it happened."
Shirley spoke and said, "I know your next question. How did they get to the island? The answer is, a time machine. They read something you had written, so they went back to comfort George since you had promised him that you would try to return."
Shocked at the statement, Lizzie Jane said, "I just gotta sit down." She opened the back door of the automobile so she could have a seat.
Could this be possible? Her great, great, great granddaughter -- here and now -- claiming that her mother was killed by savages, evidently on the same island where Lizzie Jane had spent a full year.
After sitting there a moment considering everything, she finally said to Linda, "Come here. If you want, you can be the first member of my new family after I marry Jake and, of course, George can be a member, too."
"How about these other children? I promised them that I would take care of them?" asked Linda.
Lizzie Jane thought for a moment and said, "Well, I guess I will start married life with a new family. I will tell Jake before I say 'I do' and if he doesn't like it, there just will not be a marriage."
Lizzie Jane held out her arms to the other children. "Come on, you are all welcome." The children ran into her open arms.
George just stood there, seemingly confused. Lizzie Jane walked over to him and said something in gorilla language. Whatever she said to him caused George to jump up and down in excitment.
Needless to say, the automobile was full. The smaller children sat in the laps of the older ones, including George, as they headed to Carter's bend.
Lizzie Jane was thrilled and thinking about the shock Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie would experience -- and how about Jake? He might just pass out.
--To be Continued
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© 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue
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All characters are fictitious and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, are coincidental, except occassional references to famous historical persons.
If you haven't already done so, to get the full story leading up to this chapter, please click on the following and follow the chapters as will be shown at the close of each installment:
http://fictioneer.org/content/return-gorilla-island-chapter-1
Arriving back at Uncle Jed's house, Lizzie Jane opened the front door and called, "Aunt Maudie!"
Maudie came running, thinking something was terribly wrong. As she saw all the children piling out of the car, she exclaimed, "My sakes, what is going on?"
Lizzie Jane said, "Let's go into the kitchen and I will tell you something you won't believe."
Aunt Maudie said, "I think I am about ready to believe anything."
"First, let me introduce my two friends who spent the year with me on the prehistoric island -- Shirley and Christie (the two young ladies bowed) and the rest -- well, they are from the prehistoric island, also. The most amazing part is this young lady here (Lizzie Jane put her arm around Linda). This is my great, great, great granddaughter who got trapped on the island and escaped the same way I did -- and these other children escaped the same way."
Aunt Maudie eyes grew larger and larger, causing Lizzie Jane to giggle. She soon gained her composure and continued, "We think all their parents were killed by the savages."
In the corner stood George, the small gorilla, looking like he was disappointed about being ignored, but Lizzie Jane walked over and took him by the hand, "This is George -- my little playmate and his mother was killed, too."
"What are we going to do with this group?" asked Aunt Maudie.
"Well, I am getting married and within a year, I will be 18 and I am going to adopt them all," said Lizzie Jane with a big grin.
"What do you think Jake gonna say about all this?"
"Well, he better say okay or the wedding is off."
"You would swap Jake for these children?"
"Yes. Linda is my great, great, great granddaughter and she rescued and accepted the responsibility of taking care of the other children. I think I can honor that by taking all of them, too. Besides, we have a common bond. We have all lost our mothers and we are all have traveled through time."
"Well, I always thought you were an unusual child, so I should not be surprised at something like this," replied Aunt Maudie.
Ruth Ann, Lizzie Jane's grandmother, overheard the conversation and asked what it all about. The entire situation was explained, beginning with Lizzie Jane's adventures on the prehistoric island.
"I dunno," wondered Ruth Ann. "With my adventures -- most of it being rumors -- and Lizzie Jane's and Linda's adventures, I must say that we have the most unusual family the world has ever seen. We have all rescued somebody when it looked like all hope was lost. All I gotta say is that Linda had better marry someone whose name begins with 'J'. Lizzie Jane is marrying Jake and my husband, Josh, is expected here tomorrow."
Needless to say, Jake was shocked when everything was explained to him. "You mean, we are going to have a ready-made family at the start?"
"fraid so," said Lizzie Jane. "Of course, if you wanna back out..."
"Oh no you don't. You ain't a-gettting rid of me that easy," replied Jake. "I have put up with so much to get you. I am a-gonna claim you and nothing is going to stand in my way. If I have to take a ball team to getcha..."
"I love you, too" said Lizzie Jane as she cut off Jake's comment and threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks for taking my new family."
The wedding wasn't anything lavish, but just a simple little ceremony with the young couple, Lizzie Jane's two girl friends, Doc Brown, her schoolteacher, Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie, Grandmother Ruth Ann, and her great, great, great granddaughter Linda -- with five children in the background.
Getting married at the same time, making the occasion a double wedding, was Sam and Carol -- the two friends of Lizzie Jane that helped her through her amnesia.
So, thus began a new chapter in the life of Lizzie Jane and her soon-to-be-adopted daughter, also her great, great, great granddaughter -- Linda.
One cannot help but wonder what lies ahead for Lizzie Jane -- and Linda. We will just have to wait and see.
What happened to George, the little gorilla? Well, he was part of the family, too, spending most of his time in the forest on Uncle Jed's farm with his new playmates -- Linda, the other children-- and sometimes Lizzie Jane.
-- More adventures to come soon
© 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
All characters and places are fictitious and any resemblance to places or persons, living or dead, are coincidental.