Wanted

 “Thank you Mr. Johnson, you don’t know how much this is helping me!” said Jennifer while paying the driver “Anytime dear, you all be safe now.” “God bless you!” “God bless you too!” they all waved and he drove off. “From now on yawl it’s city buses or rides from people that I’ll pray about because that cost quite a bit of money.” Jennifer, Jackie, Calvin, Tammy and Kevin now was sitting in a Suffolk, Virginia Hardees. “Everyone better got to the bathroom now because I’m gonna try to get us to Kentucky and see if Uncle Boo will help us.” said Jennifer. Jackie leaned over the bench seat and in a hushed tone said she needed to speak with her without the little ones around. She nodded at her sister and shooed them to the bathroom. Jackie waited until they were out of site before speaking “Jenn how is this going to work? I mean can't go to jail?” “Well Jack it’s going to work because I planned for this ahead of time, the cops do want us but not for to be thrown in a cell” “Oh so you planned for our grandma to die just like mama and on the same day at that?!” Jackie asked angrily “No! Not the case. I was just simply thinking what to do if the worst if happened.” Jackie drummed her fingers on the table, “Ok but are we going to do Jenn? How will this work?” “Well first off we covered grandma half way with the blanket and put a pillow under head to make it seem like she’s sleeping at first so it won’t seem like she’s dead. Second we left the front door unlocked so that whoever comes will be able to just come in after seeing that the van is there but not getting a response from knocking on the door.” “Who will find her though?” “I’m getting to that…it will hopefully be aunt Casey so she can see the note early on and get funeral stuff arranged for grandma. But it will most likely be authority coming for to take grandma after not seeing yawl in school for days and that’s when the chase for us will begin.” “So they’ll be out looking for us!?” asked Jackie in a fearful tone “Yeah their going to wanna take us in custody but I’m hoping we’ll be at least in South Carolina by then.” “Ok but what are going to do about money? Were running out because you know we aint had to much in the first place.” “Were going to hustle, Calvin’s gonna have to pawn some medals, I got 2 pairs of nice pants that I think someone might buy for some bus money, we can wash cars and then there’s always begging!” Jennifer and Jackie laughed and frowned, they hated begging people for their money. The kids were now coming back. “Yawl doing okay?” They all shook their head in a No motion. “I know babies, but were gonna be okay you all gotta help me keep the faith.” Jackie and Calvin went up to the counter, “What will it be kids?” Calvin and Jackie studied the menu broad, “We’ll have 5 chicken sandwiches please.” kindly said Jackie “Ok we’ll have your order in just a sec.” Jackie and Calvin slowly walked back to the table. Jennifer began talking after they sat down, “Ok yawl my mind is on the verge of exploding with all these ideas!” “Before I tell you some of them I want you all to know that your ideas are important too and if you have any we all need to hear it and see if it will help.” Jennifer sat back to wait and see if any of them had ideas, just before she was about to speak again Tammy had one, “Jenn I think we should call daddy.” Jennifer looked at her and then thought about that. “Hmm you know what that would be cool, but let me tell yawl what I was thinking that relates to that.” “When whomever gets to the house and see’s that grandma is lying there lifeless they will call hospitals and the police. They’ll notify the closet relative which is Aunt Casey, Aunt Casey will ask where we are and once they find out that a lot of our stuff are gone their going to know we have ran away…” Jennifer paused to study the concerned looks on their faces and patted them on the backs. “They’ll report us missing okay and that means that there will be a big search for us and they’ll be listening in on any calls made to the house.” Jackie raised her hand and I nodded for her to speak “Aunt Casey shouldn’t worry to much since we explained that were okay and that it was grandma’s time to go right?” “Right but worry will still be there since we could not write on the note where were going, this a secret mission kids.” Calvin and Kevin awed at the idea of being on a mission, Jackie and Tammy had excited looks on their faces. “Now I know yawl are getting happy and thinking this will be fun but it’s a serious matter.” Jennifer leaned and motioned for them all to huddle in with her “Were team Campbell and I want us o stay together…if we do this right we can.” Jackie put her hand in and the rest followed. “Now as far as making calls go I don’t think we should do that. A cell phone might not get traced but I’ll have to ask some one about that. It’s 8:45 on a Wednesday so I don’t think anyone’s been to the house yet. I might try and call to see if I get the voicemail or better yet just call the voicemail and hope that Aunt Casey will get it.” Jennifer got kind of teary thinking of how their aunt will be an emotional wreck once she gets the 411 on everything but wiped them away as they saw the waitress bring their sandwiches. They ate and joked and headed on to find a cheap hotel. The lowest they could get was a $50 a night one that was near by. “We’ll sleep here until morning boo boo’s” said Jackie as she rubbed the kids cheeks. “Yea and we’ll all need to go to bed early and keep kind of quiet. Were going to get another taxi ride to the bus station and from their on we’ll keep getting on buses until were in Kentucky.” Tammy tugged on Jennifer’s jacket, “What do you mean ‘keep quiet?’” Jennifer thought what to say before she spoke “Well Tee Tee it kind of means we have to lie a bit…” “But you said lying is badddd!” shouted Kevin “I know hun but it’s for our good, we’ll be just telling people our secret identities, not necessarily lying.” Jennifer shot her little brother a smile and wink then Jackie piped in. “So we have to like make new names for ourselves and new ages and stuff like that?” “Yep. I want you all to think of new and reasonable names and either cut or add 2 years to your age.” The children literally danced at the idea of having new identities “I’m Thomas and I’m 5” shouted Kevin “Al right Kev you can be Thomas…yawl 3?” Tammy thought of one next “I wanna be Betty!” the children all laughed at hers but then Jennifer gave her the thumbs up. Jackie had a wild name too “Candy cane” they were hysterical over that one but Jennifer just told her to cut off cane and it would be fine. Next it was Calvin. He kept saying ‘Hey what about’ then stopping and ‘Oh I got one’ but then would come a never mind. Finally he came up with one “I’m Chris McNeil and I’m 11 years old.” Jennifer rubbed her chin. She always did that when she was thinking. “Okay Chris and yawl I liked how he gave us a new last name too. We are now know as the McNeil’s and you 4 are going to be my children okay. I’ll be Janette your 30 year old mommy all right?” The kids jumped around and began calling Jennifer mommy. They got to the hotel and made reservations at the desk. The clerk gave Jennifer a look and Jackie worried he knew she was lying but he actually had an slight attraction to her “My my you look great for 30 baby!” Jennifer gave him a smirk and whispered “Sex 5 times day keeps those wrinkles away…” he loosened his tie and Jennifer and Jackie tired their best not to laugh while they were walking down the hall to the room. It was getting past 9 so Jackie and Jennifer rushed and them showers before throwing them into bed. Jackie told a wild bed time stories and the kids laughed themselves to sleep. Tired and worn out Jackie fell asleep as soon as they did but Jennifer had to much on her mind and decided to watch some Christian television. Just as she turned it there Bishop Fly was on talking about how God blesses those who fulfill His commands…

“Congregation yawl are hard headed”

Everyone laughed.

“I can see it, because you come in here complaining to me about everything and I’m thinking in the back of my mind that if you were obedient this wouldn’t be happening to you!”

Amen’s were said across the church.

“This young woman said in her book that I tried to read once…”

He allowed them to laugh.

“That if you do bad you get bad and if do good you get good.”

“The girl was only 16 I think!”

Gestures were throw among the people.

“I said wow God has shown her something that we need to see, it’s being shown, but were blinded.”

“Oh and she said you can get her book for $13 at any Wal-Mart near you!”

The Bishop smiled and chuckled along with the congregation.

As he went on Jennifer thought about what was said and wondered to herself if this was a bad idea. Surely she loved her brothers and sisters and just wanted for them to stay together and as an family. But as she watched Bishop Fly and listen to him talk about understanding right from wrong she thought that maybe what she was doing wasn’t bad in the since people will hate her for it but that it’s against the law and that she’s leaving people back home very worried. Jennifer cut off the tv and got her bible. She always would read what ever page the book opened to when it landed on the bed. This time it opened to the first page of 1^st Peter. Jennifer read up to chapter 5 and something caught her and she keep going back, she marked verse 5:7 and wrote down in her notebook. She reread over out loud this time “Cast all your cares to Him.” Jennifer looked at it until she dropped the bible and fell asleep.

Author's Note

I open for any new chapter names. It was kind of hard to think that up.

Reviews

[Calypso]

I just love how you include the bible and God in this book. Thanks!

[Coyote Poetry]

Description of the trip was enough to keep the story interesting. Small detail of how the kids got into the situation is coming alive in the words. A very good chapter.
Coyote