Don't Forget About Josie

Chapter 4

The calendar finally read Friday after a long week. I woke up on Saturday morning feeling so happy that I didn't have to go to school and face pimple nosed Penelope. Pa never asks me how school is going like Mama used to. Little Tim tries to help me with my homework, but it's no use. Ever since my Mama died, it seems like books could be written upside down and they would make just as much sense to me. One night Pa came home really late from the mines, and I watched him sit on my Mama's favorite couch looking at our old photo albums. I've never seen my Pa cry, but I swear I saw a tiny tear drop from his eyes that night. Sometimes Little Tim accidentally calls me "Mama", but I don't mind it all, I actually take it as a compliment. Sometimes it feels like Mama is five million miles away, and other times it feels like she didn't leave at all. I was just about to go back to sleep when I heard Pa calling my name. "Josie!" He yelled. "You don't have to yell Pa, this apartment is small enough for me to hear you whisper!" I walked on the cold wooden steps down to the kitchen. "Bring the soup down to Janis." He handed me a small bowl of chicken noodle soup. "Is she sick again, Pa?" I asked, worried. "Yeah, she's got it pretty bad this time." He said plainly. I ran down stairs, wanting to get the soup to Janis as soon as possible. Janis was one of the four people who lived in our basement. Over the years, I've gotten to know Janis, Cheryl, Wesley, and Bill pretty well. Janis and I have always been good friends. For a 69 year old, she sure does get sick a lot. She always told me stories of princesses and fairies when I was young. Cheryl was her best friend, at 72 years old, who had grown up with Janis. Bill just mostly sleeps, and Wesley loves to joke around with the girls. Wesley loves Little Tim and his wild imagination. I knocked on the door, and waited for an answer. "Come on in honey!" Said Janis. I walked inside and Janis gave me a big hug. "You've grown a foot since we last saw yah!" Wesley chuckled. "She came to visit yesterday Wes!" Cheryl remarked. "She did, didn't she?" Wesley have me a wink. "Where's Little Tim?" Janis asked. "Oh, he's sleeping upstairs. Pa said you wanted some noodle soup." I said. Janis never looked sick when I visited her, she always had a smile on her face. "Well ain't that nice of your Pa!" She laughed. "Hey Josie, Bill's awake today! What about that?" Cheryl said. Bill looked up from his newspaper. "I didn't even see you there Tim!" Bill said. Bill never liked to wear his glasses, but he sure needed them. Janis ate her soup while Bill and Cheryl fell fast asleep. "Gosh, they can't keep their eyes open for five minutes" Janis laughed. And in a blink of an eye, Wesley was snoring once again. "Do you have a cold again" I asked. "Well," she said sipping her soup. "Cheryl says it's the flu, but don't worry about it, I think it's just one of those darn colds." Janis said. "Hey Janis" I said. "Yes honey?" She said. "Can you tell me a story, but not about Princesses and Tinker Bell, but one about you?" I sat down next to her. "Well of course! Whatever you would like!"

"So you ran away?" I said with my jaw dropped. "I sure did Josie." Janis said and folded her hands in her lap. "And I'm glad I did." She said. "Ain't you a rebel!" I laughed, and she laughed too. I pursed my lips and looked down at my fingernails. "Go ahead Josie, what's your question?" Janis said. "How did you know I had a question?!" I said, astonished. "You always look down at your nails like that when you have a question, I know you well." She said, and winked. "Ok..I just wanted to know why would you run away from your home where your family is?" I asked. Janis thought about it. "Because," she began, "family will always be there, and opportunities won't." She said.

"Well it's getting late, little Josie, your Pa is gonna get worried 'bout yah." Janis finally said. "Thanks for tellin' me your story, it meant a lot." I said, and it truly did. "Feel better soon Janis" I said, forgetting she was sick. "I feel better already!" She smiled, as I left the basement.