Where the Tracks Go

Chapter Ten

Ann woke up early and pulled herself out of bed.  She had told her ladies group that she would go for a short walk with them. She bundled up and headed out. The walk was a nice one. They walked down the sidewalk to the local park. It had a nice walking trail across from the elementary school. There was a chill in the air but the walk helped keep her warm until she got back to her apartment.

She hung up her coat and removed her shoes and went to the kitchen to make her some hot chocolate.  Today was a good day to sit with a warm blanket and sip on hot chocolate.  She went to her sunroom and turned on the radio.  As she sat there listening to the beautiful voice of Alison Kraus she could hear the school bell announcing the start of the day. 

 Ann had started school after she had moved to the new house with Great Aunt Flora.  She was six years old.  Ann had always liked school. She had struggled with spelling.  She hated it when she had to sit still and study her spelling words.   Ann remembered her favorite school picture. She would have to add it to her scrapbook.  Aunt Flora had always dressed her like a little princess.  She always had a beautiful dress on and her hair was curled like the child star Shirley Temple.

Ann remembered finishing second grade and starting third grade when things changed for her.  Great Aunt Flora was not acting like she had always acted.   Ann had felt like something was wrong for some time. It was as if Great Aunt Flora was distancing herself from Ann.  Ann remembered going to visit Ellen and hearing Great Aunt Flora telling her that Ann would be going to live with William. Ann was older now and financially they were no longer able to care for her.

Ellen had been ironing clothes.  Ellen was upset when she looked up from the ironing at her mother. Ann remembered Ellen asking, "Mother, you know how they lived, remember that house?"  Aunt Flora acknowledged that the living conditions were not good but the decision had already been made.

One day William arrived at Great Aunt Flora's to take Ann back to the mountain town.  Ann was not upset.  Maybe in her mind she thought it was just a temporary visit and she would soon return to her home.  She played out doors with little Lisa until called inside.  Great Aunt Flora was at the stove cooking.  She looked like she was crying.  

William asked Great Aunt Flora how old she was.  Ann was not certain but she thinks she heard Great Aunt Flora say she was forty two.  Ann later learned Great Aunt Flora was pregnant with her third and last child Emily. Ann could not remember leaving that day . She could not remember saying goodbye or hugging her little cousins who had been her sisters.

William's friend Bud had brought him to Norfolk.  They packed Ann's belongings in the truck and left Norfolk behind.  Ann had no idea who she would be living with or what adventures awaited for her in the mountain town.

Moving from Norfolk to the mountain town was a big culture shock for Ann. She had lived a sheltered life.  Her playground was as big as her yard.  Her biggest adventure had been the beach.  She was never left unsupervised to play on her own.   She would find that living in the mountain town would be a big adjustment. It was a much simpler life.  Modern day conveniences she had become accustomed to would not be available in the home she lived in. 

Ann had been sent to Sunday school in the city and had been taught to be obedient and quiet.  The mountain town church was completely different.  Ann found this church to be intimidating. The city church had been more focused on teaching Jesus' love whereas the mountain church taught more about the consequence of sin and the wrath of God. The mountain church was louder in delivering the word, simpler in their dress, and showed more humility in their worship.  Later in life, when Ann was struggling and felt she was living a sinful life she had been able to focus on the love and forgiveness of Christ. She was able to draw strength from this and was always able to get through difficult times.

 Great Granny had come to visit and she told William that Great Aunt Flora was mean to Ann, but as an adult, Ann realized that Great Aunt Flora had been strict not mean.  Ann thought, what would have happened to her if Great Aunt Flora had not gave her a good home.  Ann often wondered as an adult, if her life would have been more stable and happier if she had stayed and grew up in her Great Aunt's home.  There had been established boundaries and rules to obey.  Her new life would not be as structured or stable.

Ann arrived at her new home.  She was going to be living at with William's Uncle Wayne and his wife Millie.  They had two daughters older than Ann by about three and five years.  Ann was eight years old at that time.  Ann was glad there were girls to play with.  Helen was the oldest and then there was the youngest, Lizzy. Lizzy took Ann and showed her their room in the attic. It was a fun room where they played and dressed up. Lizzy took Ann across the road to the woods, here she had made a playhouse. Ann had never had a playhouse.  She had never played in the woods.

Ann was surprised that Eddie was living at Great Uncle Wayne's.  She would later find out that her mother, Emma had become overwhelmed and left June and Eddie.

Emma had been 25 years old. She had no income of her own and could see no way out of her situation. She didn't want to be stuck in the small mountain town where everyone knew her business and wagged their tongues. She needed a plan ,but had no one to help her. So she did the only thing she could and took her children and left them with her mother. Emma had told her mother it would only be a few days. She left to get Eddie and June's clothes out of the car. Emma didn't return to the house, she left the clothes by the gate. Eddie and June had watched their mother leave with the man who had brought them to their grandmother's home She had no plan, she would just let the chips fall where they may. When Emma did not return after a few days, her mother had no choice but to call William. She was unable to care for them long term. William picked them up and got them settled in to foster homes as he was unable to care for them himself. Ann was going to get to spend lots of time with her brother Eddie.  Everyone was pleased to have Ann living with them. 

Ann had never been around chickens and had never shucked corn to feed them.  Lizzy showed Ann how to shuck corn. It was fun.

There were some things Ann had never had to do. One of those things was using an out house. Uncle Wayne was very strict about not throwing paper in the hole.  They had to put the paper in a bucket to be burned.  Ann always forgot.  They threatened to turn her up by her feet and drop her down in the hole head first to get the paper.  Ann remembered being scared.  She had never been threatened in such a scary manner before.

There was no indoor plumbing. They had to pump water manually when they needed it.  They washed in a wash pan.  Ann wanted to brush her teeth so she used water in the wash pan.  Everyone made fun of her.  No one had showed her what to use.  They all used a dipper to drink water out of the pail.  

Aunt Millie was a good cook but Ann had never eaten rabbit, squirrel, deer or bear.  Bear meat was tough and Ann did not like it. 

Ann sat there thinking about the past when she realized most of the day was gone.  She went to the kitchen and pulled some pictures out for her scrapbook.  She found her favorite school picture, and a picture of Judy.  As she looked through more of the pictures she came across a picture of Aunt Millie tending the garden. You could see the path leading around the garden up to the old outhouse in the background.  These pictures would be good to put in her scrapbook.  She fixed herself a sandwich and glass of iced tea before getting to work on the scrapbook pages.  She was looking forward to seeing her Davey this afternoon.