Confessions of a Bunny

~**Emerald**~

"Take this money and get out of here Tamara, start your life over!"

That night we left I was so nervous that'd we be caught, but I had to hold it together because I knew Seven was looking at me to see if I'd actually go through with it, of if I'd wimp out like the times before. That wasn't the first time I'd tried to leave but every time I'd get the nerve something would happen or there would be a surprise night check. That night though it was like everything aligned for us even down to the bus ride, leaving in the middle of the night on a Greyhound bus by ourselves was definitely not the brightest idea, because anybody could have been on that bus that night. But our saving grace was that the bus driver was a woman. A gospel playing, gun carrying, take no mess black woman that instinctually knew that these 2 young girls had no business being on this bus in the middle of the night. She didn't question us all she said was you two sit where I can see you. We sat about 5 rows back in her line of sight and didn't move until we pulled into Dallas, Texas where she stopped to pick up another round of people.

"You girls know where you're at? Yes, ma'am we do we said gathering our things. Is someone coming to pick yall up? Yes, ma'am my cousin is Seven said confidently. Good you two don't ever get on a bus in the middle of the night again, you ride during the day with the good respectable people. Yes ma'am!"

Thank God her cousin really did pick us up because the folks and the area around that bus station was not safe at all. And where her cousin lived wasn't much safer. So, what's your next move Seven said pulling me out of my thoughts. Huh! Your plans where you off to next? Oklahoma to find my mom. Why on earth would anyone live there. I don't know, that's just the information I have. Yeah, I was thinking about that, and you need some paperwork if you're gonna travel like that. What do you mean paperwork? Paperwork, identification you can't travel these highways without a name and number attached to it. Do you have a birth certificate? No, I mean I probably do but it wasn't in any of that paperwork at my father's house. No Social Security cards. Nope! Oh god, girl do you even know your birthday? Yes, I know my birthday its June 13th, 1978. I am gonna see if my cousin can get you some paperwork, at least a birth certificate. Ok I said shrugging as I looked out over the neighborhood. Tamara, can I ask you something she said lowly. What's up? You regret leaving Louisiana? Regret no, am I afraid, Hell yeah, I am. I am out here on my own and the only person that even knows I left is the lady that lived across the street from me when I grew up. She gave you the money to leave. Some of it, the rest of it I'd saved from... I just saved it. I feel that she said nodding. You wanna go do something. Something like what? I don't know something other than sitting on this front porch, no one knows us here, we can be normal. What does that even mean? It means for once we aren't delinquents, we're just regular teenagers. Come on let's go to the movies she said pulling me up. I don't have... it's a Matinee and it only cost 3 dollars. Do we need to ask permission Girl please she said laughing as we left the house.

She was right, we did have more freedom here. I mean don't get me wrong, we still had some rules and responsibilities in her cousin's house, but for the most part we could do whatever we wanted as long as we didn't run up her electricity or water bill and we were in the house by a decent time. As I said earlier the neighborhood wasn't that safe, and she definitely wasn't trying to be out looking for us or answering the door at 2 am. We both respected that, and we were back in the house by 10 the latest. Even though I was adjusting to the surroundings I still needed a plan because I couldn't stay here forever, and I couldn't keep spending the little money I had. I promised Ms. Bernice I'd keep in contact with her, so I mailed her a postcard with the state of Texas on it, so she knew I was safe. I wondered if they were even looking for us. I doubt it two black juvenile delinquents, they were probably happy that we were off the roster.

It was probably a week or so after Seven, brought it up about having paperwork that I really thought it and how come I couldn't find a birth corticate in all of the paperwork that my father had. He had everything but no birth certificate for me. Maybe I left something, or it got lost. I knew it was a long shot, but I decided I needed to call Ms. Bernice to see if she could fill me in on what happened to it. I waited till I was sure her husband was at work before calling her. I used a calling card so it could be tranced and also because I wasn't going to get in trouble for long distance calls either.