The Long Haul


“ John wake up get Annie, the baby is coming!” I heard my mom say. “Somebody get Annie.” All of a sudden I hear Annie run upstairs and about five minutes went by when I heard what sounded like a baby kitten. A sigh of relief came out of me as I ran into mom and dad's room to see my new baby sister. She was bundled up into a soft pink crocheted blanket, that my grandma had made. She had light brown hair and feet about two inches long.


“Look Lucy, her name is Isabelle but we are going to call her Izzy.” said mom. I ran over to hold her when all of a sudden a big crash of thunder boomed in the sky. I look over at my dad in the dim light of the kerosene lamp and I could tell he wasn't all there with us, which was nothing unusual.


I went back to bed grinning from ear to ear knowing that the baby was here. The smell of blueberry pancakes fill the house with their sweet aroma. I get up get dressed go downstairs and Annie is cooking us breakfast. The sun shinning through the windows, birds chirping "Today is going to be a good day" I thought to myself. My dad was out in the fields already this morning and mom was upstairs with the baby.

I pack my lunch and head off to school with my pencil and lunch pail. Maybe today I can teach a little. My teacher Miss Suzy sometimes allows me to. I can't wait to tell everybody about my baby sister, but most of all I can't wait to go home and help take care of her and my brothers.

Its been about a month now and Izzy is getting so big. I wish time would just slow down. My father hasn't changed any. Its time for me to get us out of here. My mother doesn't know quite what I'm up too but she knows it is something.

"Lucy what have you been doing in the barn the past week all day long?" Mother asked that evening at supper.

"Oh nothing mother I'll tell you later." I got done with supper and went down to the barn until bedtime. About an hour later the winds were blowing the clouds were rolling in and bringing in a storm. The crawl space was coming along good. Its a good thing Lightning is such a calm horse and doesn't mind me in his stall.

Thunder started booming and trees were starting to get closer to the ground. I know that whatever I have left to do I have to do it fast.

"Lucy, Lucy" come inside now the storms a coming and its going to be bad." I hurry and cover the hole with the door and cover it up with some hay so nobody figures out my plan. I get inside and see Annie, mother, and Izzy sitting at the kitchen table. But father is nowhere to be found.

"Mother where's father?" I ask

"I don't know sweetheart, I think he is still in town." My mother is such a saint, I think she wants to make up for all the bad things my father has done to our family over the years. She is our rock and I would do anything to get all of us out of here. She deserves better.

About an hour has gone by and still he isn't home so we wait a little bit longer. Finally at about 11:00 he comes stumbling through the doorway it's not hard to tell that he is drunk.

"Martha, where is my supper!?" he called for my mother. When she didn't answer he was ready to fight. I knew with the storm here it would be easier to get away. I just had to wait until father fell asleep. Which wouldn't be long. After supper I told mother my plan and she was okay with it. She got a couple of sacks with some necessities because it was going to be a long night. I'm just glad we have Annie to help. Its about midnight and mom comes in and asks me if I'm ready to go.

"Yes." I said We get to the barn and we hear the front door of our house slam shut. We hurry and get into the crawl space. There's seven of us so its a tight fitting but it works.

"Lucy come out now darlin'." Dad grumbled from the doorway. My sister Lisa didn't come we didn't tell her anything because she hates us too and would have told my father. We hear him mumble under his breath, "I'll find you, you brats." As he walked away we hurried and get into the buggy and shot out of here like a arrow from a bow.

We got out of my father's sight about two or three miles away from home we know father won't come after us he's probably passed out right now, so we decide to pull over out of the path and down into the timber we are going to get out of here in about three hours. We are headed to Lincoln about 120 miles from our hometown. We know we will be safe there.

Its been about a month since we left our old farm house. My mother, baby sister, two brother, Annie and I are living in a little house outside of town. We haven't heard anything from Lisa or my father. I would like to keep it that way. I have a job at Jim's Mercantile inside Lincoln. It helps keep my mind off of things and since I'm not going to school, its nice to keep myself busy and plus it helps us get food on the table since there's a lot of us. My mother has a job at the library and she seems to like it.

Today is Saturday so its we've been kind of slow at the store but there is still stuff to be done. As I was putting bread on the shelves I hear the ding at the door and just like any other time I always greet whoever comes in.

"Good Afternoon," I said as I was turning around but in great surprise it was my father. "What is he doing here,? How did he find us? Its harvest season he should be in the fields."

"Lucy is that you?" I didn't say anything just ignored him when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I quickly turned around.

"Don't touch me." I said

How did you find us?"

"I've been looking for you guys since the night you left me." He said

"How is your mother."

"Better without you."I said

"We are all fine and it would be in your best interest to leave town before I have you arrested."

He bent down to give me a hug and all I could smell was the alcohol on his breath and for a moment I realized why we left. I ran outside crying seems like that's all I do anymore. I wipe the tears off of my face and decide its time for me to go home. I close up the store and start to walk home, I get to where I can see the pale little house on the dirt road. I usually enjoy the walk but not today. Today its different something seems not right. I look in our yard and I can see another horse in our yard, Its not lightening but its a horse that looks familiar, Its a horse from the farm. Dad is here so I sprint up to the house and go in and holler for Annie and my mother. When all of a sudden I hear the faint cry coming from the boys room. I barge in to see my father beating my mother as she uses her body as a human shield to protect the boys.

"Get off of her." I yell As he turns around and looks at me I told you I would find you guys and now you are going to pay. Annie comes in from the back door with an ax and all you can hear is

"I'm going to kill him." Annie don't I said stay here and don't let him move I'm going to go get help. I sprint to town and make it there in about two minutes when I knock on the sheriffs door.

Sheriff Tallman is a mean guy to people he doesn't like.

"Sir we need your help, my daddy found us and is beatin' my mama we need you to get down there as fast as you can and quick." He runs outside and climbs on the horse and asks me if I wanted a ride.

"No go ahead sir hurry they need you I will meet you there." I got back to the house in what seemed like forever this time, I got in the door and Tallman had dad arrested along with some other officers who came.

"I'll find you again Lucy" he snarled as the officers were taking him away.

"Annie pack our things and I'll get mama cleaned up I think its time we go see grandma and grandpa." Mom's face was all cut up her lip was puffy he eye was turning purple and I can tell she was hurt. We get everything up in the wagon everything we can fit anyway and head down the road, we know that our journey has just begun again. I know that we will be safe out there father won't dare to come out there.

It has taken us about a week to arrive in Louisville Kansas, home sweet home. Its my safe place and we haven't been here in a really long time. We haven't seen grandpa and grandma since Christmas they only come up two times a year so they haven't even seen Izzy yet because she was born in January. We pull up on that long driveway and from a distance I can see the bright white house against the horizon with baby calves and pigs in the yard. Its about noon so I know grandpa will be in for lunch and I bet they are just as happy to see us as I am to see them. We pull up and see that little porch swing swaying in the July breeze.

"Martha, Annie, Lucy, Jake, Blake what a surprise to see you guys here at this time of year." Said grandma. "Bill get our here guess who is here, where's Lisa and John?" asked grandma

"Well that is why we are here mom we will talk about it later." said mother

"Okay honey well if you need to you can stay here as long as you need I think I know the reason, but on the other hand you babies are just in time for our fourth of July celebration tomorrow." Said grandma I had forgot it was even close to the fourth we had been on the road for so long, but now this just made my worries go away and now I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Bright and early in the morning I hear the popping and sizzle of bacon grease downstairs in an old iron skillet. Grandma was downstairs making apple pie and tea for the celebration tonight. We go outside and I see that faded red barn that has many memories of me and Suzy. I go to help grandma feed the tiny pink pigs and calves because those are her chores. After we get done she asks me if I want some ice cream and of course I do so we sit on the swing and just talk. I have missed these memories and I wish sometimes I could just freeze time and stay in these moments because when I have no worries it feels pretty great.

"I'm not for sure where mama and Annie have went." I said to disrupt the silence

"I think they went on a walk." Said grandma Tonight finally rolled around and we all were almost ready when grandma handed us our new blue dresses with little white flowers on them and the boys have matching blue ties. Now we are festive I told myself. We go into town and see some of the people who we use to see all the time and they are all flogging over Izzy because they haven't got to see her yet. After about thirty minutes everybody calmed down and got their plates of food we sat on the open hillside and watched the night roll around. Ready for the fireworks. Sitting on our quilts I bite into a big piece of juicy watermelon and my taste buds flip.

Boom, pop, crackle the fireworks filled the dark night sky. When the show got over we all got up and started to walk home when all of a sudden...

"Martha is that you?" mother turned around and you could see the twinkle in her eyes as she saw who was talking to her.

"Bo is that you, On my goodness how have you been?" I could tell we would be here awhile so I took the kids and walked home. About twenty minutes after we left mom came walking through the door. She came in with a big smile and I rush down the stairs to hear her story of who this mystery man was.

"Lucy can you watch the kids tomorrow and help Annie?"

"Sure mom but why?"

"I have a date." She said and now I could tell that she was just as excited for tomorrow as I was for today.

"Who was that man mother? I asked.

Well honey that was Bo Patterson his family owns the Patterson candle store in town we went to school together and well I always had a crush on Bo and we dated in high school for about a year and I thought I was going to marry this man but something happened."

"What?" I asked impatiently.

"Your father happened and well Bo and I split up and I moved back home with your father and I haven't seen Bo in a long time." Said mom We both go to bed and I could tell that mother wouldn't be able to sleep tonight I knew she was excited and I knew she needed to get out of the house and go out with another guy. But I just hope she doesn't get hurt again.

Its been about a month now and I still haven't met this Bo but mom came home one night and announced they were getting married. Grandma was so excited she just loved Bo but I still wanted to meet him but I trusted mother. We hadn't met him yet because she didn't want us to get hurt again so she kept us safe. So the planning started the place where they were getting married who to invite and grandma made us all new dresses.

Two months went by and they got married in grandma and grandpas barn they were for sure in love. The barn was decorated just so lovely and Pastor Evans knew the family really well so the October fall wedding was definitely was amazing. Pumpkins were everywhere and grandma cried when grandpa gave mama away.

We eventually got moved into a house beside our grandma and grandpa. Its not too far away so we can still go see them whenever we want and I am over there everyday. Things haven't been better since we left and I don't think mama ever thinks about dad anymore which is good. We never hear anything from Lisa anymore I kinda miss her. But I just keep thinking to myself that she is big enough to take care of herself. Maybe one day my journey will begin again and I will go back to that old town and find her. I was told that my father is put away and that Lisa is with her friends but I'm not for sure I know my mother misses her but she might not admit it. But we couldn't be happier Izzy calls Bo dad because he's the only father that she has known.

So I guess this is where the journey ends for mama and for me, well I think its about to begin all over again.