Honey Suckle

Part 22

Eventually the day came. The day that Elizabeth had to go away on serve our country even if that meant leaving me behind. 

We left at the crack of down, and I carried a trash bag full of can foods because I knew the soldiers needed it. Elizabeth was wearing a purple blouse and men's trousers because it would be hard to train in a long skirt and bloomers. Elizabeth was carrying a small backpack that had a few changes of clothes for when she got to missal training. When she had settled in the war she would be given a soldiers uniform.

We were silent as we walked to the train station. The day was foggy and off in the distance you could feel the rain falling down. It was dark because the sun was hiding behind the thick fog. Christopher was quiet and looking off into the direction of the train, almost as if remembering his own experience. 

The other soldiers were getting on the train one by one, men saying goodbye to their worried wives, spinsters and widows saying goodbye to their friends or having having no one at all to leave behind. There were no married women because the one's who wanted to fight weren't allowed by there husbands because "A woman's place is and will always be in kitchen." As some may say, but a soldier's a solider no matter what lies underneath their trousers or there skirts.

The train station was full of angry men who sat on the concrete holding signs that sad 'Men fight or wars. Women cook our dinner."  The men who were standing up chanted "What has the world come to where a women is sent to fight? What about the children, who will take care of them?" The men were speaking loudly and it was beginning to hurt my head. 

The men were all dressed differently, some wearing black top hats and suits, and others were wearing tan trousers and shirts splashed with oil. One man wearing gray trousers and a blue shirt walked over to us. He stepped in front of Elizabeth and grabbed hold of her wrist. "Go home. Go to your kitchen." He said. The man was cruel and cowardly. He was still holding on to her wrists and he wouldn't let her go.

Elizabeth pushed up her knee and kicked him in his crotch. The cruel man groaned over in pain, and it became clear that men had no tolerance for pain what so ever. He stood up straight after groaning for a short moment. You could tell he was still in pain though he tried to hide it. "You're a coward." Elizabeth told him.

The was offended, but it was true and he knew it. He raised his hand and slapped her hard across her face. Her face was left with a red hand print on the side of her face and she was full of angry, but she froze. I wasn't gonna let him get away with hitting a woman, especially if that one was Elizabeth Taylor.

I raised my hand and slapped him harder the he'd hit Elizabeth and then I punched him in the stomach. The angry crowd of protesters looked at me like I was God themself. "Anyone else? Anyone?" I shouted out to them, and they all shuttered away like scared mice. 

Elizabeth kissed my hand. "Don't you every forget about me, Helen Carter." She said. I guess she was starting to feel like she wouldn't make it back. 

"How could I ever forget about you?" I said, and I knew I never would.

Elizabeth stepped on the train and then ran back. She embraced me in a suffocating hug and when she let go of me she kissed Christopher on his check. 

When she stepped on the train she waved out to us as the train pulled away from the station. She waved until she was out of our sight.

"Goodbye." I said.