HELD TOGETHER BY TWO STONES
James led me through the dark tunnel. It was narrow, the air smelled of mildew, and it was close to midnight. There was no light so we had to use the narrow walls as a guide. It wasn’t pleasant. The walls were rusty, had mildew covering spots, and every once in a while I swear I could feel a small beetle under my hand. “Don’t worry Eliza. We’re almost out.” James said in his husky voice. James was so protective. He was my favorite brother. Keith, Jack, and Dean never really appreciated me as a sister. James was different. He really accepted me. But right now…right now I couldn’t be worrying about which brother accepted me. I really should be wondering…will we be alive tomorrow. A stranger, not yet identified, filled our small house with deadly toxins. Mama said it was a terrorist or something. James and I made our way out the creepy tunnel.
“Eliza, I have to go back.” I could tell by the strength in James voice that he meant it.
“James, where do I go? I…I…I’m afraid.”
“It’s dangerous, but don’t be scared.”
The Depression seemed like it was never to end…ever.
“Eliza, I really don’t want to leave you hear alone. Especially since you’re so young. But, I just have no other choice. I want you to stay strong, and no matter what happens, you will always be my favorite sister.”
“James, I’m you’re only sister.”
“Exactly, that means no one can ever take your place. Now I have to go and get the others before the toxic eats them alive. I need you to go far, far away from here. Anywhere. Just far enough from here.”
“What if I don’t see you again?”
“You will. I promise.” And with that, James ran back into the tunnel and back to my family. I just stood there. Thinking. What just happened? I followed James exact directions. I ran. I ran until the soles of my shoes were starting to flap off. I ran, until I couldn’t run no more.
****
“Do you think she wasn’t fed enough?” I heard a voice comin’ from my left.
“No…no…she was fed well actually. I think it was lack of oxygen.” A loud, deep, voice boomed from my right.
“Could it be… alcoholism?” The first voice said. Alcoholism? Was she a nitwit? Shoot, I never even had sparkling grape!
“No Mildred. Of course not. Alcoholism?! That’s just nutsy!” Yes! I figured the woman’s name. Mildred. Now, I just need the man’s name.
“Should…should we wake her up?” Mildred asked.
“No, she needs her rest.” And then…I coughed, and opened my eyes. Where the bejeebez was I? Mildred immediately rushed over to me.
“Oh, honey.” Mildred gushed. She squeezed my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
I started to speak, and then the man cut me off.
“What is your name girl?”
“Not until you tell me yours.” I said coldly.
He chuckled. Why is he laughing? “My name is Wilbur Chance. Nice to meet you.” He smiled.
“Elizabeth Bradley.”
“Elizabeth Bradley…what a beautiful name.” Mildred said.
“Thank you.” I quickly replied. I didn’t want to be here. These people made me feel uncomfortable. They stared at me like I was something to eat, and where not that very attractive.
“Tell me Elizabeth, why where you fainted out-side our orphanage?” Wilbur asked.
Should I tell them? James didn’t necessarily say it was a secret so, why not? I don’t want to be rude and lie right to their faces.
“I umm… was running away. From my house.”
“Why dear?” Mildred asked. Her teeth were yellow. Maybe she’s been smoking…
“Umm… A stranger.”
“What about a stranger?”
“They…they filled our house with toxins.”
Wilbur quickly stepped in cutting off Mildred’s next sentence.
“That’s impossible. Where would someone get toxins? Especially right now, the depression.” His voice was stern.
“It…it was a terrorist.” As soon as I said that they all gasped. I was starting to feel light-headed. Then it snapped back into me. JAMES!
“I need to get home.” I immediately got off the bed and started walking to the door. My legs wobbled. I collapsed on the ground. Mildred rushed over to me and pulled me up.
“I think it’s best if Eliza got some rest.” Mildred said to Wilbur.
“I just need James.”
“Who’s James?” Wilbur said in a stern voice.
“He…he was my brother. I loved him. He promised!” I was yelling now. I want James.
Mildred put her index finger to her lips and shushed me. “Dear, please don’t yell. We are in a house full of sleeping children we don’t want to wake.”
“I don’t care! I want James!” At that point Mildred and Wilbur were really making me mad. I flung myself off the ground and left. I made sure I slammed the door behind me. Then I saw her. It was a girl holding her knees close to her chest rocking back and forth not far away from the room Mildred and Wilbur had me in. She was black. She barely had clothes on. What she did have on was, a brown dress that came to her knees, and a dusty apron over it. Her hair was frizzed. It looked like it hasn’t ever been washed. I felt…I felt so sorry for her. So sorry I walked up to her, just staring.
“Hello.” I said. She didn’t respond. “Are you ok?”
“No.” She replied.
“Do you need help?”
“Keep your voice down!” She grabbed my hand and led me somewhere. Where was she taking me? I didn’t ask. I just let her take me to wherever she was taking me.
“You want to get out here right?” She asked.
“I guess. I need to find---“
“I don’t need to know who you are looking for. That’s none of my business. The main point is I’m getting you out of here. Soon.”
I was breathless. Did I really want this girl who I had just met, lead me out? I have to think about this.
“What’s your name?” I panted.
She immediately stopped walking and pulling. She sighed.
“I don’t have a name.”
“How could someone not have a name?” Oops. My thoughts just slipped out into words. Crud.
“My mama died when I was born. Don’t worry about me. It’s ok. Just…just keep following me.” She pulled me hard this time. I caused her pain. Me, not recognizing where we were going, she opened a door.
“Where are we going?” I asked. We were standing outside. The wind was cold, and bitter against my face. She let go of my hand.
“Go.”
“What? Go? Go where?”
“Just go. Go anywhere. Just away from here.” Why did everyone want to GO?
“I don’t know. The last time somebody told me to go, I ended up here.” Footsteps starting coming in the direction me and NO NAME where standing.
“You have to run now! Mildred is comin’! I know she seemed ok but she’s not. She’s evil. Don’t trust her. Don’t trust Wilbur either.”
“I will go; just…I want to call you something. I don’t feel comfortable meeting someone with no name.”
No reply.
“I know you’re mama didn’t name you so…can I?”
“Eliza, we just met.”
“How do you know my name?”
“I heard Mildred and Wilbur talking to you inside.”
“Okay, so you know my name, can I call you…Addie?” Addie seemed to suit her perfectly. I couldn’t imagine her being named anything else than Addie.
After about half a minute, she finally said, “I like Addie. Thank you Eliza.” She smiled. I wanted to know more about her. How she came here. Why did she look like she was a slave? Was she a slave?
“Come with me.” I said. I needed somebody to come with me. Who knows where I’m going, I want somebody to come with me.
“I can’t. Mildred will know I escaped.”
“And you think she won’t figure out I escaped. Please. Come. I could help you.”
Yes. She made up her mind and kept pulling me onto the street.
“Eliza, we have to run, Mildred could bust out those doors any second now and—“
She just jinxed herself. Mildred stomped out the door Addie and I came through and started walking fast over to us.
“ELIZA! AND YOU! GET BACK HERE!” Mildred shouted.
“Time to go!” Addie yelled nervously.
Let me tell you, me and Addie ran. I was running out of breath. We turned the corner down Jenkins Ave. and realized we were still being chased by the nutsy Mildred.
“I SWEAR ON MY FATHER’S GRAVE; IF YOU HULLIGANS DON’T GET YOUR BEHINDS BACK HERE RIGHT NOW I WILL…I WILL…MAKE YOU SWEEP THE FLOORS ‘TILL THEY SHINE!”
“What a crude punishment.” I joked.
Addie laughed. She started coughing right after. She fell to the ground. Just like me. I couldn’t just let her stay there! Mildred was getting close! I did what every best friend would do to save their friends lives. I picked her up and ran as fast as I ever ran before. Faster than when James told me to run, and faster than all the times before that. I didn’t even know I could run that fast. In a few seconds, I didn’t have to look back at Mildred to know she stopped chasing us. Addie starting breathing again. I gently took her off my shoulders and sat her on the ground.
“Are you ok?” I asked.
“Yes. One question, why didn’t you just leave me there. I’m not worth anything anyways.”
“You are to me. You’re my best friend.”
“Eliza, we just met. How can I be your best friend?”
“Because you saved me from being one of Mildred’s evil clones.” Addie and I laughed.
“So where are we headed off to?”
“I don’t know.” Addie was staring at something behind me over to my left. I looked to see what she was gawking at. Then I saw it. I had landing smack down in the middle of a Hooverville. Stray men where casually walking along, not noticing me or Addie.
“I didn’t know the orphanage was so close to a Hooverville!” I whispered to Addie. Not that I needed to. It just made it harder to hear each other because it was so loud here.
“How could you bring us to a Hooverville Eliza?” Addie yelled.
“I’m sorry! At least it’s better than the orphanage.” I shouted back.
“Of course it’s better than the orphanage! There are problems with staying at a Hooverville! One, we don’t have any shelter, and Two, kids aren’t supposed to be at Hooverville’s alone!” She had a point, I didn’t know much about Hooverville’s anyways.
“It’s not like we can’t ask if we could bunk with somebody!” Her face was priceless, and kinda funny. Her mouth was open, like she could not believe what I had just said.
“ELIZA! Take a look around. Do you really think these men would share their tents to a few homeless kids?!” I was in trouble now. What had I done! I knew we should have turned on Cullen St. instead of Jenkins Avenue.
“Well I guess we are stuck here until--- THE CUTEST PUPPY!” I gasped.
“Say what?” Addie was so confused. Then she looked down. The cutest, most adorable dog with the softest golden brown fur, and floppy ears. I hugged the dog burying my face in the thick layer of fur.
“Uh Uh! No way Eliza! We cannot keep a dog! We can’t even take care of ourselves…” Addie bended over and pet the dog to. “Well, he is a dilly.”
“Can we at least name him, Addie?”
“Why not?” She smiled. We both starting shuffling names in our minds.
“BAILEY!” We both said and giggled, Bailey barked.
I laughed. “Bailey seems to like his new name!”
“Definitely!”
“I’m sorry to burst your bubbles lil’ ladies but… that dog is claimed.” A deep voice said from behind me. Addie and I both turned around at the same time. The man was tall, his beard was grown down to the end of his face, and he was chewing something, and spittin’ it out every once in a while. It was gross. As for his clothes, he didn’t look not much different than the other older men here. Brown knickers and a puffy dirty white shirt. He also had on a brown, worn out hat.
“Come here Sandy!” He bent down and clapped. Bailey ran over to him. I didn’t have to look at Addie to see she was wearing a frown to.
“We’re sorry sir. We didn’t know the dog belonged to you.” Addie apologized.
“We didn’t know it was a girl either.” I admitted. Addie gave me a look that said ‘You’re not helping’.
“So, you girls out here all alone?” He asked.
“Yes sir.”
“That’s different. Usually I don’t see 10 year olds alone in a Hooverville.”
“Excuse me but I am 12!” The man looked at Addie expecting her to say her age.
“I don’t know how old I am sir.” Addie admitted. The man let out a manly gasp, but I stayed quiet. I truly felt bad for Addie.
“Okay then.” The man’s eyebrows scrunched together making wrinkles in his forehead. “So you don’t have a tent set up?”
Addie and I shook our heads.
“Would you like to stay with me? For a day? I can’t just abandon two twelve year olds in the middle of a Hooverville.” He smiled showing his brown, stained teeth.
Addie looked at me then said, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. My friend and I are leaving bright in the morning so we won’t bother you that long.” Addie tried to smile a friendly smile.
“Well, Fun night’s beginning in just a while so, I will show you my tent and…we will see where we get from there.” He turned around and me and Addie followed him.
“Sir.” I said impersonating Addie. “What is your name?”
He laughed. “My name is Tex Rock.” Hmm… Tex Rock. What an unfamiliar name.
“Nice name.” I said.
“Thank you, may I ask what your name is?”
“Well, I’m Elizabeth! But just call me Eliza. I hate when people call me Elizabeth.” I smiled.
“And who is your friend?”
“That’s—“Addie cut me off.
“I’m Addie. I just got my name today. Eliza named me. Before that, I had no name.” Addie said proudly.
“Addie.” Tex repeated. “Nice name.” Addie and I laughed. It wasn’t funny, but we just laughed.
Before long, we reached Tex’s tent. It wasn’t that big but it would do for a day. Bailey—excuse me, Sandy ran under the tent onto one of man blankets and rested. I couldn’t blame her. After the day I had, I could collapse right now and sleep for days.
“Well, Fun night’s gonna start in a few moments so do ya’ll mind if I go talk to some of my Buds and tell them we’re gonna have two extra guests attending?”
Addie and I shook our heads.
“Ok.” Tex walked back in the direction we just came from and started talking to this other man.
Finally, I’ve wanted some calm time to talk with Addie almost all day.
After we got settled in the tent under warm, toasty blankets we started talking.
“So, what do you think a Fun Night is?” I asked Addie.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been to a Hooverville that had Fun Nights.”
“You’ve been at a Hooverville before?”
“Yes. I…I was born in one actually.” I let out a small gasp.
“You see, my mama was traveling with my dad, and she just had me at a Hooverville.”
“Well, if it was during the depression, you must be really young.”
“Nah, I’m probably like eight, nine, ten. I don’t know.”
“Wow. I could never imagine being born in a place like this.” That was the truth. I couldn’t.
“Where were you born?”
“In my house. Or what’s left of it.”
“What happened to your house?”
“I thought you said you were listening to Mildred, Wilbur, and me!”
She laughed. “I was, I just didn’t here most of it.”
“A terrorist put deadly toxins in our house. My brother James led me out so I wouldn’t die.” I sighed.
“That must be terrible… So, if you led you out…how did you end up at the orphanage?”
“He went back in for the others, he told me to run. Just run. And I did. I think I passed out or something in front of the orphanage. I miss him. A lot.”
“What happened to him?”
“Shoot, Addie I don’t know! He is probably dead!”
Addie just looked at me. I shifted my body across the tent and hugged her.
“I’m sorry Addie. I know it’s much worse for you. I’m sorry I got so worked up about it.” I let go. “I just miss him to much!”
“I miss my mama to.”
“Well, is your dad still alive?”
“I don’t know. He ran away saying he didn’t want any part of what my mama was going through when she gave birth to me. No one heard of him ever since.”
“That’s terrible.”
We just sat there, silent until Tex stuck his head in the tent and said, “Girls! Fun night is beginning.” Addie and I got up and out the tent and started walking with Tex over to Fun Night.
“Tex, what is Fun Night?”
He laughed. Man, this guy really liked to laugh. “Fun Night is when all us…hobos get together and just have fun. I mean, sometimes, you need to relax. Especially while living in the Depression.”
“Hey Tex, what kinds of fun is gonna be there?” Addie asked.
“Umm… The boys said something about a running race, and singing songs.”
“AWESOME!” Addie and I said at the same time. Ha-ha that’s because it is awesome. A night of fun.
Once Tex, Addie, and I reached the gathering a man dressed almost identical to Tex shouted,
“OKEY- DOKEY HOBOS! WELCOME TO THE ONE AND ONLY FUN NIGHT! TO YOUR LEFT WE ARE GONNA HAVE CAMPFIRE SINGIN’. TO YOUR RIGHT, YOUR FAVORITE EVERY YEAR, RUNNING RACES!”
“Watcha wanna do first Addie?” I asked tapping her on the back.
“I wanna race!” Addie yelled. She ran to her left and stood in line. She was going to be in the very first race. I smiled at Tex. He was smilin’ to, as usual.
“Do you think she has a chance?” I asked him.
“She has as much as a chance as every single man up there.” His grin warmed my fear of Addie losing. I really didn’t want her to lose. I wanted her to be proud of herself. And if she lost, I would be there for her all night long. The gun shot when off and the race started. The race was from the tree to a large, rocky cliff to my right.
“Go Addie! GO, GO, GO!” I cheered.
I could tell Addie was tryin’ hard because already half the race was behind her. Then she had a major boost to where there was only 1 person in front of her. It was a woman. Her hair was long and red, and she had a pretty blue dress on. I wanted her dress so bad. And so, Addie and the lady with the blue dress made it to the finish line in a tie. Addie came panting over to us, drenched in sweat.
“Addie!” I hugged her. Who cared if she was sweaty? “You did it! I’m so proud of you!!”
She smiled and hugged me back. “Thanks Eliza. But, now I’m covered in sweat and I’m—“ She took a break to yawn and stretch. “really tired.” I laughed.
“How the heck could you be sleepy when you just won the race?!” I hugged her again.
She pulled back. “I didn’t will though.”
“Yes you did. In my eyes you won.” We both smiled and Tex came over to congratulate Addie.
“Nice job kiddo!” He said. “You want to go back to the tent?”
Addie yawned again. “Sure. Hey, Eliza. Will you fall asleep with me?”
I smiled. “Sure.”
And we did exactly that. When Tex walked us back to the tent he said he was gonna say ‘night to his buds but me and Addie fell asleep way before he came back. It was the best sleep ever. Not because I was in a tent with gnats flying around me, but because I was with my best friend; Addie.
****
When I woke up Addie was gone. As soon as I started freaking out she popped her perky head in the tent. She was smiling.
“Eliza! You’re up! Come here. I have to show you somethin’.” She reached out her hand and I took it.
Most of the Hooverville wasn’t even up yet so I was thinking it was the crack of dawn. She led me to the edge of the cliff and took out her two clutched fists. What was she holding?
“Since you’re my best friend I got you somethin’ I found yesterday after I tied in the race.”
She released the objects in her hands. They were the two prettiest stones I have ever seen. They where shiny, and they were almost as if you could see the entire rainbow if you held it up to the sunlight.
“ADDIE! THEY ARE GORGEOUS! THANK YOU!” I squeezed her and gave her the biggest hug ever.
“These are our friend ship rocks. We are never to let them go. Promise?” She held out her right pinky.
“Promise!” We squeezed each others pinky’s till they hurt. We laughed. I gave her an even bigger hug and she lost her balance and fell. I gasped.
“I’m Ok, I’m Ok. My foot caught on this rock so it saved my fall.” She laughed. I laughed to. The as soon I she was almost to her feet, the rock crumbled and my best friend slid down the rocky cliff in a trail of blood.
I was screaming off the top of my lungs. “NO!!! ADDIE!” I felt a pair of strong hands grip my waist. I gasped. It was Tex. I didn’t realize ‘till now that I was starting too slid down. I buried my face in Tex’s chest, sobbing, probably getting his shirt soaked. He patted me on the back and kept telling me it was going to be ok. It wasn’t. I had to force myself to not look down the cliff; if I did I would see the dead Addie. My dead best friend, Addie. Just a few moments later the gossip was getting all around the Hooverville. Soon enough, the whole Hooverville was crowding the cliff asking questions like, ‘What happened?’ or ‘Who died’ or ‘Who was she, I never heard of her’. Tears where coming down my face like rivers. I lifted my face off of Tex’s shirt to see and man pushing through crowds to get to the front. Of course, everybody wanted a close up. Wait…wait…was that my name.
“Eliza! Eliza!” A voice coming from my left wanted me. He appeared from the crowd. He was the only happiness in my day, since Addie woke me up. I ran, I ran as fast as Addie over to him. Just like I did to Tex, I cried on his shirt, but these were tears of joy.
“JAMES! JAMES!” I kept repeating his name.
“Yes Eliza, it’s me. You’re ok. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why the heck would he say sorry? If he would have never told me to run, I would have never met Addie. Being with Addie were the best moments in my life. I lifted my head from his shirt. “Don’t say sorry James! I thought you were dead!”
“I’m not dead Eliza. I was in Hooverville this whole time. What I didn’t know was that you where here. And I’m sorry for letting you run off like that.” He squeezed me.
“Don’t be sorry. If you didn’t I would have never met Addie.” I grinned.
“I’m also sorry she died. Losing a friend is the worst thing that could happen to a 12 year old.” He kissed my fore head.
“James, I thought you were dead.” I repeated. It was just unbelievable that James was here.
He shushed me, and carried me on his shoulders back to his tent to rest. I will never forget Addie. We will always be held together by our two stones.
THE END
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