When we pull up to the Church in our old buggy, old Mrs. Mikes is there to greet us. I never liked Mrs. Mikes, she always smelled like old cheese and wears to much perfume. Today she was wearing traditional black. Are family is always the one that does everything different.

I hop out of the buggy and place my hands behind my back. Toby does the same. When mama comes out Mrs. Mikes smiles and hugs mama. Mama smiles back, but I can tell it is a forced smile. Pa also give Mrs. Mikes a hug and smiles. Papa's smile is not forced though, he has always loved Lizzy like a sister, but is trying to keep everyone cheerful.

“Toby, child, you look just handsome! What a nice shirt!” Mrs. Mikes smiles at Toby and the skin around her eyes get all wrinkly. Mama frowns and looks at the ground. I can tell something is wrong other that Lizzy's death, but I don't know what. “And Ally, what a cute dress! Brother and sister matching!” She practically screams in my ears as she hugs me. I can see Toby flinch when Mrs. Mikes mentions our matching colors.

“Dear Caroline, we better get inside, they are about to start.” Gram says to Mrs. Mikes. Mrs. Mikes smiles and turns to the church. When we are inside the building, I can see my friend Katie. I wave at her and she waves back. I also see Mr. Mikes and the rest of Lizzy's relatives. We sit in the front row and I place my hands in my lap.

“Lizzy Josephine Mikes, was a beautiful woman that was very strong and believed she could do anything. One thing I am afraid she could not do was stop Dr. Kevin from doing what he has done. We all no that it was wrong and cruel. Lizzy went down fighting for her respect and freedom. May Lizzy Josephine Mikes rest in peace.” The pastor said.

I sat there and my mind started wandering. I thought of Lizzy's laugh and the way she talked. She had a habit of telling someone if they did something she didn't like, even if it got her in trouble. She would just say it right to there face. When Lizzy came over to the house mama would laugh and stroke our hair. Papa would smile while he read his book. Toby and I would dance around the fireplace all happy and wouldn't fight. Whenever Lizzy came over everything was to good to be true. Then Dr. Kevin got mad at her. I don't no why, mama won't tell me, but I no that Dr. Kevin was so mad, he killed her.

“Ally. Ally, dear, its time to go pay our respects to the family.” gram shook me and my daydream was gone. I got up and fallowed gram over to Mrs. and Mr. Mikes. The Newts were saying hello and and talking about Lizzy with ma and pa. I stood there patiently and my eyes wandered to the coffin where Lizzy lay. I could see her curly hair, but that's all. I walked over to the coffin and peeked in. Lizzy lay there hands on her stomach and eyes closed. I remembered how she would never stay still when she was alive. Now she didn't even have a choice. My eyes started tearing up and I looked away from the ugly black coffin. I looked up at the ceiling instead. There was baby Jesus staring back at me, and Mary looking down at baby Jesus. I closed my eyes and prayed that Lizzy would be happy where she was now. I prayed that I would see her again and let one tear loose. It slowly rolled down my cheek and landed on the floor.

Then I felt someones hands on my shoulders and I knew it was gram. I let her rub my back and sing to me then I opened my eyes.

“Gram?”

“Yes, child.”

“Why did Dr. Kevin kill Lizzy?”

“Honey, I don't know. I do not know.”



I climbed into the buggy and we left. Ma was still waving to Mrs. Mikes when we got into the car. I didn't understand what had happened to Lizzy, but I did understand she wasn't coming back and I had to move on. I straightened my dress out and keep my head up. Toby was next to me in the car and I couldn't see any clue that he had been crying. No, of course Toby wouldn't be crying, he is brave and strong and older. Toby wouldn't cry if mama died. Gram told me its good to cry and Toby is just to proud.

When we arrived home I went to the barn to help gram get the apple buckets. I was very careful not to get anything on my dress in till I changed. I put the bucket on the counter and went to go change.

“Go on and take a bath, Ally.” mama told me when she handed me my clothes. I said nothing and went to take a bath. Toby had already taken one and was outside with papa working. I climbed into the tub and sat there just enjoying it for a while. Then I heard a crack! I sat up wide eyed. Mama came rushing in to tell me it was nothing and to stay put. As soon as mama left the room I got up and dried off. Then I put my overalls on as fast as I could.



I ran to the front porch to see what happened. Right on the side of the road a shiny new car was crushed under a huge branch of our maple tree. I could see a man talking to papa and papa shifting to each foot, very nervous.

“Oh, its alright Mr. Cave, its not your fault. It can easily be fixed. Don't you worry about a thing” the man said.

“You sure? I mean I could help pay or something. It was my tree.” papa told the man. The man shook his head and laughed.

“I was thinking about getting me a new one anyway! Why not now?” the man said to papa. Pa smiled and shook the mans hand.

“Nice to meet you Mr. McLean. At least stay for dinner, that's the least I can do.”

“Well that I might just do, if you'll have me.” Mr. McLean said.








“Alicanndra! I told you to stay where you were!” Mama's voice made me jump. I looked over to her and then to the floor.

“I'm sorry ma. It won't happen again.” I told her in a whisper. Ma just raised her eyebrow and looked over to papa. Papa nodded and everyone was quiet.

“Mr. McLean, this is my daughter, Alicanndra. And this is my wife, Kansas.” Mr. McLean shook mama's hand and smiled at me. I just stared up at him. “Kansas, I invited him to stay for dinner. What will you be cooking?” papa asked ma.

“Roast beef with mashed potato's.” said mama and looked down at me. I smiled at her and she rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Come on in Mr. McLean, I have a pot of tea ready.”







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That was a mighty nice dinner Mrs. Cave. I really enjoyed it, but I must be going now.” Mr. McLean announced. Mama signed and put the last plate in the sink.

“Well then Mr. McLean, I must say goodbye.” mama tells him.

“Goodnight to you Mr. Cave, Mrs. Cave. And of course Ms. Cave and the children.” he said with a tip of his hat and a bow. As soon as Mr. McLean leaves the house Toby scowls and wrinkles his nose.

“I don't like him. He called us children. Well called me a child, because Ally is one. I don't like it.” Toby says to papa.

“Hey!”I tell him. Just because he was older he thinks he is a grown up.

“Well Toby, you still are a child you know and I thought he was very nice. He said he just moved in and will be working with us at the coal mine. So you will be seeing him everyday from now on, so you better get to liking him.” Papa tells Toby.

“I bet he has something to do with George and Peter. A spy or something to get revenge.” Toby tells pa. Revenge? Spy? What is Toby talking about?

“Now, Toby. You better quit saying this kind of stuff about George and Peter. If someone hears you, you'll be in big trouble. I don't want to hear another word about it. How about you and Ally go on to bed so you can get to school in the morning.” papa tells him.

I get up and start walking over to our room. Toby fallows me with his head down. He doesn't like it when papa tells him to stop doing something. I turn on our light and climb into bed with my day clothes still in. Toby does the same and we lay there with the light on waiting for gram to come tuck us in.




“Goodnight pumpkin.” gram says to me as she tickles me on the tummy. I giggle and smile at her. She smiles back her eyes sparkling. Toby starts snoring and I know that he is asleep. Gram winks at me and turns out the lights.

It is morning and I just got dressed into my green overalls. Papa is already gone to work and this is the day Toby stays to go to school. Grams in the kitchen making toast and mama is on the porch sewing. I grab my lunch and eat my toast really fast. I hop down to the porch and say goodbye to mama.

“Mama? They gonna move that car today?” I asked her.

“There going to move it the next day, sugar.” she told me. I nodded and started walking up the road with Toby. The whole way to the bus stop we were silent. When we reached it I turned to him and asked.

“Who is Peter and George?”

“That's none of your business.”

“Well I want to know.”

“Well you ain't gonna know.” I stood there silent then turned back to him.

“Is they mean?” This time Toby didn't say anything, so I asked again. “Is they mean?” Toby nodded. “Don't ya like them. You work with them.”

“I don't like them one bit. They always talking mean about me and pa. And old Mr. Kane. They only mean to the blacks.” he told me.

“Is they mean to you like the kids on the bus and at school?” I asked him.

“Ya like those kids.” he tells me right before the bus pulls up.
“Don't you go around telling pa that I told you any of this okay?” He tells me.

“Okay.” I said as I climbed onto the bus.


As usual all of the white kids were in the front of the bus, and all of the black kids were in the back of the bus. I went to sit next to my friend Katie. I could hear Michael whispering to his friends.

“Here comes dirty Alice. Watch out she might have fleas.” I just held my tongue and went to the very back seat to sit next to Katie.

“I saw you yesterday at Lizzy's funeral.” I told her. She nodded and looked away. I guessed she was still upset about Lizzy's death. All of us were. Lizzy was extraordinary. Katie let her hair fall in front of her face, to hide from me. I didn't no what was wrong but I didn't bother her about it. I looked at her hair and wished mine would be pretty down. Katie had pretty blonde hair. Her eyes were ice blue and she had freckles on her nose. She had one of the few family’s that were nice to black people. I wished there was more like her and less like Michael. We sat there very silent for a while and then she said something.

“I'm leaving, Ally. Going away to a school. A school for children to help with the war. They have to learn how to care for the sick men and cure wounds. I have to go there because my daddy said so. I might not ever see you again.” I sat there and said nothing. Katie moving? That's almost just as bad as Lizzy dying! What am I suppose to do? I wont have any friends, Katie is my only friend.

“Katie, you can't go! You can't leave me! You tell your father you don't want to go! Katie you tell him!” I shouted at her. She started crying and I stopped. “Oh, I'm sorry, Katie. It's just that I don't have anymore friends. If you go I will be all alone.” I whisper to her.

“Ally, I don't want to go, but daddy says I have to! Mama said to me that black children will be going to. She told me that it would be good if I went. I could learn how to be a nurse or a doctor, so that later I can do better on my career.” she says to me.



“If you go there you are treated very nicely and get good food and shelter.” she tells me.

“Would you go if your parents said you didn't have to?” I asked her.

“No! I wouldn't leave you. I would say no and that would be the end of it.”

“If you are going I want to go too! Can I go? Is it free?”

“Oh, yes it's free. You get picked. Your family gets picked and a boy or a girl goes. Since I'm an only child I have to go. Well I don't have to, but my parents say I have to.” She tells me wiping her eyes.

“I would go with you if I had the choice.” I tell her. She shakes her head and says I wouldn't.

“Only some family's get picked each year. If you are good enough you go to war with them to treat the wounded. They are really low on nurses and doctors right now. Only three get picked from the school of hundreds. The rest get to go home.”

“Will you come home?” I asked her. She nods her head and closes her eyes.

“Yes, of course I'll come home.” she tells me. I let out the breath I had been keeping in so long and settled back into my seat wishing she wouldn't go. She will be gone for a year, but it's not forever like Lizzy.

The bus has parked outside the school and Katie and I get out to go to our separate schools. I wave goodbye to Katie and she waves back. I am about to go inside when Cathy Peak comes up to me.

“Why do you hang around with that white girl? Isn't she mean to you?” she asks me, her hands on her hips.

“Of course not. Shes very nice to me actually. You should say hello to her some day.” I tell Cathy as she wrinkles her nose up. I notice how ugly she is when she does that. Her face looks like it is all in one place, all scrunched up and ugly.

“You should stay away from her, that's what my mama says to me. She says they are mean and cruel.” I frown at her.

“Well my mama told me its okay to be friends with white people as long as there nice to you and treat you fair.”

“Well you can go do that, while everyone else is playing fairly. You can't trust the whites.” With that she walks off in another direction. This is why no one will be my friend because I'm known as “ White lover girl”. Mama tells me that it's fine to play with Katie. She says she is a nice girl and plays fair. I always liked Katie anyway. She was always so nice to me and her family was friends with Lizzy's family, so we got along great.


“Class! I need you all to sit in a circle around the chair. Today I'm going to read from the book!” Mrs. Daisy said to the Class. Everybody cheered and Mrs. Daisy laughed. We all huddled up in a messed up circle, it was more like an oval. Mrs. Daisy is reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. My mama had already read it to me, but I didn't mind listening to it again.

As Mrs. Daisy read her book I looked at all the kids in my class to see who would be my new best friend when Katie left. There was Cathy, no of course not, she was mean and didn't like whites. Then there was Brady, she stunk of stinky socks all the time though, I and don't think I could stand it. There was always Taffy, she was quiet and didn't talk much. She was always walking in the woods on our lunch break. She didn't hate the whites, but she didn't like them. She didn't really care. As soon as it was time to go to lunch I would introduce myself.

“There was a little gray in the sky now; so I stepped into the woods, and laid down for a nap before breakfast. Okay children that's it, go eat lunch.” Mrs. Daisy tells us.



I grab my lunch and go outside to catch Taffy.

“Hey! Taffy, wait up! Can I walk with you!” I ask her as I run into the woods. She turns around and waits for me. When I catch up she starts walking again. “Hey. So I was wondering...could I hang with you every lunch from now on?” She just shrugs. I smile and go back to tell Katie. We both get to eat our lunches together.

“Katie! I found someone I can eat my lunch with while your gone! Her name is Taffy!” I tell her smiling. Katie smiles back and says,

“That's good. I'm leaving tomorrow.” My smile turns into a frown. She smiles and sits down to eat her lunch. We don't speak another word.





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