Whispers Journey

Map, Math and Montanna

Friday was another work day but Whisper was different now. She'd coddled herself all the previous day but knew she needed to get over it and soldier on. She packed 10 pads in her backpack unsure of how many times she was supposed to change them, took 2 Mydol and put that in her bag too and headed down to work. The day seemed to move in slow motion like she was swimming under a deep sea. She didn't want to talk to anyone or be talked to so she just walked through her routine and waited for the small black handed clock above the sink to read 2. As her day wound down she stopped by Dans office to talk about her paycheck. She'd worked 4 days that week for 7 hours a shift at $5.50 an hour, she knew she owed rent and her loan so she didn't really expect to get anything at all. Dan explained to her that she'd only get paid from Sat-Thursday as payday was Friday and would start a new work week. He also introduced her to the world of taxes, she didn't know who FICA was but she knew she didn't like him. All in all her check came to $105 Dan decided to split her debt into thirds $35 toward rent, $35 towards her debt and $35 for spending money. She didn't have any of Olivers or Dans gift money left so this was it til next week. She left feeling deflated and like she wanted to quit right then and there but Dan assured her that it would get better soon her debt would be paid off and if she kept working hard he might mover her up to the register and she could make an extra 25 cents an hour. She knew she should be happy to have anything at all after all she had run away with nothing and now she had an apartment and a job but she knew she needed to make more cash if she ever hoped to see the world. She took her $35 check from Dan and asked where she was supposed to cash it, he directed her to the Smiths Loan and Trust on Warmack Street and suggested she ask about opening an account with them. She got to the bank no problem but that's where the easy part ended. She had no ID and no parent so they would not open an account for her or even cash Dans check. He came down to the bank after a teller called him asking if the check was stolen. He opted to pay her cash and said next week he'd help her open an account but she should really get some ID. He drove her to the DMV and they told her she'd need her certified copy of her birth certificate and $15 to get a state ID card. They gave her a form so she could request her birth certificate and she froze. She didn't know how to do this she was a kid for Christmas sake she wanted to yell but she knew she had to keep calm. Mother:Alexis Diane Wilson Father: Ralph Allen Wilson Place of Birth: Greenville, Iowa. They seemed satisfied with the information and said she should get her paperwork in a few days and that with her birth certificate she'd also be able to get a copy of her social security card so she wouldn't have any more problems. She walked out in a cold sweat fearing that all the lies were building and surly she'd be caught soon. 4 days later a large white envelope arrived with the name Whisper B. Wilson typed on the front, inside was a multicolored piece of paper with her name, her made up parents names and her fake birthday August 8, 1975 from Greenville, Iowa. She'd done the math in her head as she came up with her birth year and was impressed with herself. It was enough for the bank to accept her next paycheck and open a checking account. Her next stop was to the social security office she told them she'd lost her card and presented her birth certificate she was told again it would just be a matter of days and she'd get her new card. She couldn't believe it was so easy to be an adult and her fears began to ease as the days turned into weeks. She'd circled her new Birthday on her calendar and wrote Whisper is 17. She also marked December 10th and wrote H is 13. In July she knew she needed more income as the rent was adding up and Dan was losing his patience with her, he'd been so kind in the beginning but she'd never paid off the May amount and was late with June so when Julys note came in her mailbox she cried then thought back to her first conversation with Dan "What can you do" he'd asked her. "I can clean real good" She looked at the want adds and saw a 1/2 page add for Tims Timber Lodge looking for workers in almost every area of the hotel including housekeeping. It was a 15 minute bus ride to the west side of town and another 10 minutes walk up the long driveway to a large log cabin looking hotel. It had a huge lobby with a fireplace that had large Long horned cow horns mounted over it and a cowhide rug in front of brown leather furniture. She'd brought her new ID card and all her other ID because she still wasn't sure what she'd need. She was getting better at acting like a grownup so she confidently asked for an application and to schedule an interview with the manager. She filled out the application as she waited for a handsome man in a crisp white button down shirt, a bowlo tie and a tan blazer to approach her. She felt herself blush then looked away at the idea that she liked the look of this man. His smile made her blush deeper and she awkwardly stood up to shake his hand. He walked her around the hotel talking about its history and pointing out the pool and spa as well as the beautiful mountain views visible from almost every room. She quietly stayed in step with him til they made there way back to the lobby and he asked if she had any questions "ummm when can I start?" He laughed low in his throat and never lost the smile "A real go getter I like that, I'll start you on the cleaning crew at $7 and hour you'll need to be here by 6 am and you'll usually be done by 10. Your only 16 so I can only let you work 4 days a week I'm sorry." "That's ok, I do work at Dynomite Pizza so I'll have to schedule this with that at least for a little bit until you can offer me a full time position." They sat down and filled out her schedule for the fist week she'd work on her days off from Ds so now she'd work 7 days a week. She always worked weekends at Ds but usually had Monday, Wed and Thursday off so now she'd work at the TT Lodge as Eric called it. Whisper left on a cloud she had a new uniform,name tag and time card. She was told to get black tennis shoes to match her uniform. She'd cut down on her food budget to save some money and had just enough for a bike from the pawn shop with new tires and a pair of black tennis shoes from Shop Right. She wrote out her schedules on the wall calendar and for the first time in months wanted a phone so she could tell Dan her good news. She opted for going downstairs and talking to him one on one. She promised him she'd never miss a shift at the restaurant and she'd be much better at getting him all the rent on time. He gave her the easy smile she liked and congratulated her. The next day was Thursday so instead of riding the bus she followed the same route and biked with her new shoes on but her uniform in her backpack as well as a light breakfast. It was 5 am when she left her apartment, she didn't know how long it would take to get to the hotel and get herself ready for her shift. She was there in under 20 minutes as there was almost no one on the road yet. She parked her bike out back and locked it up then found the employee locker room and lounge. It was filled with broken and worn cast off furniture from guest rooms, there was a 30 inch Zenith T.V tuned to local news, it was her first glimpse of T.V. in 2 months. The news reporter was wrapping up a story that made her go pale " The Johnson girl disappearance from rural MN has been closed. The girl has been presumed dead or dose not want to be found. Ms. Ruth Johnson said in her final plea "Heather we miss you hunny, please come home." They held big posters of her picture blown up smiling in last years class photo. A new co-worker said hey pipsqueak wanna get outa the way I'm trying to watch this." "Who is that girl? " She asked it out loud but to herself more. "Some kid from Minnesota that went missing a couple months ago, she just up and vanished one day she'd been out riding her bike and then she was gone. Her family has been on the news like everyday asking for her to come home, they sent out search dogs and everything it's been crazy but that girl is long gone I figure." Whisper didn't turn around instead she walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her family had been plastering her pictures all over the country for 2 months and no one had once told her that this was a major news story. No one had once said she looked kinda like that girl but she knew now she needed to change her appearance before the papers caught up to her. She shook her self sane again and got ready for her first shift at the TT. The work was easy to learn but back breaking for sure. By 9:30 when she was walking into her last guest room she hoped she'd never have to clean another toilet bowl but then she looked up and Eric was smiling his way down the hall. Her hair was falling out of her once tidy ponytail and she knew she looked a mess so she quickly ducked into the room in front of her. The beds were both unmade and someone had decided to pound a 12 pack of Bud then throw up in the bathtub. She knew her new shift supervisor had handpicked this hall just for her, a baptism by fire. "Hey Whisper how's your first day going?" It was Eric bright and beautiful and just not what she wanted to see right now. She forced a smile into her voice "Great sir, I'll be done here in no time" she sprayed cleaner into the tub then turned on the shower as she walked around the room picking up all the beer cans. She tried not to get sick from all the smells all mixing. "Glad to hear it. You keep up the good work kid you'll go far." With that he was gone and 20 minutes later she was pulling out the dirty linens and all the trash. She clocked out at 10:10 and went to the bathroom to wash her hands, she felt the grime of every room she'd touched and she looked at her long brown hair, she'd grown it for as long as she could remember but she knew it had to go. They were looking for a girl with long brown hair. She changed back into her jeans and pink flowed tank top and jumped on her bike. She stopped at the corner grocery store and bought red hair dye and a sharp pair of scissors. She went home and pulled her hair into a lose ponytail and cut until it fell off in her hand then she dyed her hair a cute reddy blond. She didn't look like Heather anymore now she looked like Whisper a 16year old hard working girl from Montana by way of Iowa. She wrote in her notebook about seeing the news report and how it had said the search was actually over so she thought maybe no one would come after all.