Freedom Train

April 21, 1963 Pt. 2

April 21, 1963 Pt. 2

"Hello?" Annabeth called out cautiously, the shovel she grabbed from the side of the barn held before her in protection. "Is there anyone there?"

Annabeth heard a shuffling from near the piles of perfectly stacked hay. She stepped forward, her eyes on the straw- her mouth dropping into a surprised 'O' with the emergence of her trespasser.

"It's just me," Terry said as he came forward. "It's just me."

Annabeth sighed as she leaned the shovel against the nearest stall.

"Hey there," she smiled. "This is quite the surprise. What are you doing here, Terry?"

"I had to see you," he explained, taking another step toward her. "I had to talk with you."

"Sounds urgent," Annabeth said.

She gestured toward the stacked hay, a place that brought back wonderful memories of the two of them together. This was the same place that changed Annabeth's life forever. It was here, sitting on those stacks of straw, that Annabeth decided to leave her old life behind and journey on to a new life with the man she loved.

Terry took her direction and turned back toward the stacks. Annabeth found her seat and Terry began to pace in front of her.

"Sit down, Terrence," she urged gently. "Your pacing is making me nervous."

Terry stopped his anxious gait and looked down at Annabeth's twirling fingers, a sure sign that she spoke the truth about her own uneasiness. He released a strained sigh and found his space beside her.

It wouldn't be the first time he told her that he wanted to be with her in the last week or so. But this time, he knew for sure that she would be awake to hear it.

***

Ronny watched the barn from the back window above the sink as he washed the breakfast dishes. He knew that Terry waited inside for his sister. He had seen him sneak into the red wooden structure just before they sat down for their meal. This was why he had sent Annabeth along to the barn before him. He knew his sister needed that moment with the man she loved, even if Ronny would never again be able to share time with his beloved.

Sleep was a difficult task for Ron these days. Every time he tried to rest he relived the moment that Lizzie was brutally stolen from him. He tried to busy his mind with the farm and daily chores, and it worked for the most part. But when the night took hold and the silence surrounded him there was no other option but to cry himself damn near insane.

So, instead of sleeping, he'd come to laying down for a few measly hours before giving up and finding himself back outside to mend broken fences- Or in the living room dusting their antique furniture- Or checking in on his Mama to make sure she was sleeping soundly and not drowning her own melancholy in alcohol.

Sure, his limbs were tired. His mind was exhausted, and his eyes felt as if they were heavy enough to sink to the floor without the rest of his body. But he would work. He would work, and he would think of nothing but the farm, his Mama and his sister.

That was the only way Ronny would survive losing her.

That was the only way he could go on alone.

***

"Excuse me, Sir," Henry said to the balding black man behind the counter at the Sunoco 24-hour gas depot. "I've heard you were hiring."

"Yes, Sir. I don't suppose you're Sandy?"

Henry offered a friendly laugh along with his hand.

"No, Sir. Just looking for work."

The man reached across the counter and shook Henry's hand.