Freedom Train

April 13, 1963

April 13, 1963-

"Would you two stop fussin' over me already?" Annabeth requested as she batted away Lizzie's hands as they tried to fluff her pillow for the millionth time since she'd been back. "I promise you, I'm fine."

Annabeth threw the blanket off her legs and sat herself up.

"As a matter of fact, I'm more than fine. I'm bored as sin and you ladies aren't doing nothing to cure my current ailment."

Sandy rolled her eyes and placed the blanket back on her friend's legs.

"Bobby said the Doc said you need to take it easy."

"I don't give a hoot what either of them said. I feel perfectly normal, aside from the sutures in my skull." She insisted, bringing her fingers up to the top of her head to lightly touch her stitches.

Sandy reached out and batted Annabeth's hand away from her injury.

"Keep your fingers off it," she insisted.

Annabeth climbed to her feet, ignoring the cries of resistance from her pals, and crossed toward the window- Looking out to fields where the boys helped Papa Pritchard with the morning chores so that they could get started on the cars.

"They seem to be getting on okay," Annabeth smiled as Henry said something that made the other men laugh.

"Papa's taken a real liking to them," Lizzie said as she came up to Annabeth's side.

"I think the feeling's mutual," Sandy added, joining them at the window on Annabeth's other side.

"I wish the rest of the world could see how beautiful it is," Annabeth sighed.

She put her arms around each of her friend's waists, the girls following suit and putting their arms around Annabeth.

"At least we get to see it," Lizzie exhaled, a soft smile on her lips.

***

Papa Pritchard wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, leaving a smudge of dirt in its path. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on the men as they finished up the morning farm work and headed over to the waiting vehicles.

Lizzie came down from the house, carrying a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade and 4 glasses. The men thanked her and drank their glasses down quickly. Lizzie collected the cups and carried the tray back to the house without a word.

"Such a sweet girl, my Lizzie," Papa Pritchard commented as he opened the hood of Henry's car. "Sometimes I'm afraid that I haven't toughened her up enough. I won't be around to care for her forever."

As if on cue, Ronny's car pulled into the driveway. He climbed out and nodded toward the men who watched him rush to the door. Lizzie opened it and jumped into Ronny's waiting arms.

"Looks like Ronny Washington is willing to take over for you, Sir," Bobby mentioned.

Papa Pritchard grunted and put his head under the hood of the car.

"You don't seem too pleased on that," Henry noticed.

"You boys haven't had the displeasure of meeting his father," Mr. Pritchard commented, causing Bobby to laugh.

"That Reginald's a real son of a bitch," Bobby added.

"Annabeth's turned out alright," Terry remarked.

"Thank Heavens," Mr. Pritchard said. "In truth, the boy seems to be decent enough. I just always pictured my daughter with someone better. Someone like you, maybe," he said to Bobby.

Bobby laughed and clapped a friendly hand on Mr. Pritchard's shoulder.

"I'd be honored, Sir. But I'm pretty sure she's already made up her mind."

Papa Pritchard grunted again, causing the others to smile and shake their heads in amusement.

***

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Annabeth," Terry said as he came upon her reading silently in the living room.

The boys were taking a quick break before lunch and Terry had come inside to make a call to Birmingham.

"Much better," she smiled. "Thank you for taking such good care of me out there," she blushed.

Terry knelt, making himself eye level with her. He reached out his hand to push back a golden curl until he noticed his grease-stained fingers and pulled away.

"It was truly my pleasure," he commented lowly, meeting her gaze.

It looked as if he wanted to say more, but the front door opened and the boys came in, causing Terry to stand to his feet.

Annabeth sighed, eager to hear what he wanted to say, as he left her to her reading to use the phone that hung on the wall in the kitchen.

***

After Lunch, Ronny had gone home and the men paused work on the cars to help Papa Pritchard do his evening chores. Time had passed and the sun was beginning to set as the boys finished up the work on their vehicles. Bobby's truck had finally started, leaving them working solely on Henry's car. They were close to being done when the women called them all inside for supper.

After they said Grace, the conversation flowed easily around the full table, everyone much more comfortable with one another on this second night.

"I don't believe you've told us what was said on the activist front," Mr. Pritchard mentioned as he loaded his plate with a second helping of roasted ham and sweet potatoes. "I'm truly interested in being one of the first whites to know what's gonna happen next," he joked.

"Well, tomorrow is Easter Sunday," Terry commented.

"Yes, that I'm aware of," Mr. Pritchard smiled.

"It seems as if the plan is to infiltrate the white churches."

"It's a shame we're gonna miss it," Henry sighed. "There's no way we can get into Birmingham in time."

The table was quiet while the group thought on the plan of action for the black activists in Birmingham.

"I don't see why you have to go to Birmingham to take part in this, Son," Papa Pritchard remarked. "Seems to me if you need a white Church, there's no better town than Audumnly to find one."

"Papa, I don't know if that's such a good idea," Lizzie said skeptically. "I told you about what happened the last time someone saw Terry in Audumnly. Didn't turn out well for anyone."

"The difference, sweet heart, is that Terry didn't have me on his side then. You all will come to church with me, and I can guarantee not a word will be spoken about it."

Annabeth bit her lip, silently thinking about the probability of running into her parents at the sole church in Audumnly. She looked across the table to Bobby and Sandy, who seemed to have similar looks of horror on their faces at the idea of coming face to face with the families they had left behind. But Papa Pritchard seemed to leave no room for discussion. They would go to church in Audumnly on Easter Sunday- All of them together.

And that was that.

**