by E A Lake
He spoke politely. “Well, you have sixteen. So that will have to do for now. I can get you another eight but not until next week. You know I just can’t always drop what I’m doing to take care of your every whim and desire, Sister. It doesn’t work like that.”
The older nun sighed. “They’ll have to do for now.” She finally looked at the three younger women with her. “Sisters, this will make two teams of five and one team of six.” The older nun thought for a moment before continuing. “We’ll have to split them up by age so that each team has some older and younger ones.” The three younger nuns nodded at their administrator.
“Okay ladies. Time to get out and stretch your legs,” Spurless called out. “Mother Margaret here will take you inside and feed you. Your journey is only about half complete, so keep your bags with you. Out now!” Lowering the tailgate of the transport, he helped each girl out along with her single bag. The line followed Margaret into the church.
Near the front of the line, Nancy spoke to the Reverend Mother as they went inside. “We just finished eating when they came and took us, so I don’t think anyone is hungry.”
The older woman stopped and turned to Nancy. “My child, your lives are about to change greatly. I’m not sure you will have another meal today. And the good Lord only knows what tomorrow will bring to any of you. So I would advise that everyone eat at least a little something.”
Inside, the girls sat together at a large table and were given bread, jams and something to drink. After the group gave thanks, they ate, carefully watching the younger nuns hustling around just outside the cafeteria. Something was being moved to the outdoors. The girls glanced at one another, unsure of what was happening.
When everyone had finished, the captain arrived and spoke again. “You ladies have been chosen to help our country in its greatest hour of need. I’m sure you are all a little concerned being taken away like you were, but I assure you it is necessary. In a few moments, the Sisters here will split you into three groups. Each group will be transported to a separate location. There you will begin a new life for yourselves.” Staring at their frightened faces, he tried to give everyone a reassuring look. “You won’t be coming back here or to DeepHaven ever again. You have more important work now. I’m not at liberty to say what that is just yet, but you will all discover that soon enough.”
Mother Margaret approached and asked all the girls their ages. After careful consideration, three groups formed – two of five and one of six. Each group was then passed on to one of the younger nuns, who came and stood among their allotted girls. Now everyone looked frightened, even the nuns.
The assembled lot was led outside where they found three small, almost ancient school buses; the yellow paint peeling off most, the windows caked with years of dust. A man came forward, took their bags and loaded them in the back of each bus. Most of the sixteen stood and cried as they looked at the other groups – their friends. The way it sounded they would never see their friends again. Even though they had promised solidarity to one another just an hour ago, they were separated like animals.
Theresa watched as the drivers approached and addressed their assembled groups of terrified teens. The closest cluster saw the nametag of Corporal Ramos.
“I want each of you to go in and take the first seat available. Each seat has a package for you. This will be yours. This is why you were chosen for this task. I’m not going to answer any questions, so don’t bother asking. We are leaving when we are all in place.” He paused and pointed at Theresa. “Each group has a Sister assigned to them. This is Sister Theresa. She will be staying with you. One last thing; before we load you in, I need your names, ages and hometowns for our records, okay? In case anyone comes looking for you.” Ramos motioned for the first to step forward.
A teen with long brown hair approached first. She appeared to be the same height as Sister Theresa. “Sheila Johnson, 14.” She looked back at the others briefly. “I’m from Wauwatosa, in Milwaukee.”
The next teen stepped forward, more self-assured. “Karen Hughes, 15.” Her hair was the same color as Sheila’s but a good six inches shorter. Theresa noticed the teen’s soft brown eyes. “I’m from between Racine and Kenosha.” Theresa smiled at Karen as the next teen stepped ahead of the group.
“Emily Stoddard, 13.” She was the youngest of the gang but stood a good three inches taller than the first two and was rail thin. “I’m from West Bend originally. Is that where we are now?” Ramos shook his head, and the girl’s waist-length brown hair swung as her head swiveled toward Theresa. Her deep blue eyes scanned the Sister’s face. “I’m scared, Sister.” Theresa gently took her by the hand.
The next girl stepped forward as Ramos stared at her. “Sara Andersen, 14. And I’m from Madison.” Ramos shook his head at the tiny teen.
Theresa chuckled as Ramos pulled the clipboard to his chest. This had to be a mistake, she thought. This girl wasn’t even five feet tall, and if she weighed 80 pounds it was only with rocks in her pockets. “Are you sure you’re 14, young lady?” Ramos asked.
Sara grinned and nodded, confused. “Of course. Why would I lie about my age?” She quickly took her spot between Karen and Sheila waiting on the last girl.
A slight, pale girl looked up nervously. “I’m Mary Powers, and I’m 14, too.” Her short dark hair offset her pale skin with great contrast.
“And you are from?” Ramos asked quietly.
“Chicago. Skokie actually,” Mary answered even more quietly.
“Okay girls, we’ll get loaded up and going in a minute. Sister, do you have anything to add?”
Theresa stepped forward confidently. “I promise I will help take care of each and every one of you, along with God’s help. I know none of you have chosen this path, but I believe God has personally chosen each and every one of you for this task. And He will not abandon you at any time. That I know as truth.” The Sister’s eyes scanned the faces of the group, most covered in tears.
Corporal Ramos immediately opened the doors to the short bus. The first sounds the collective group heard were tiny cries and whines from the already loaded occupants. Sheila stepped onto the bus and took her seat. She began to cry instantly. As Emily stepped inside, she saw what caused Sheila to weep. In Sheila’s arms was a tiny baby girl, maybe ten weeks old, perhaps less. Sheila looked up at Emily through tear stained eyes. Emily gasped as she observed an infant in blue on the next seat.
All the girls climbed on the bus and found similar packages waiting in their seats. Finally, Sister Theresa entered hoping to shed light for the confused girls.
“They’re all orphans. We have to get them away from the city. We have to take them somewhere safe. Each of you will be in charge of a young life now. I’m sorry, girls. I know you weren’t prepared for this. But this is what God requires of you presently.” As she sat down, Ramos fired up the bus. Reaching across his body, he pulled the door closed.
“Everyone sit back and relax. We have an hour and a half to our destination. Please be sure the children are all strapped in safely.” Ramos put the bus in gear and began their trip into the unknown.
Chapter Three
Their trip took them into the country. Traveling on side roads, they passed many farms along the way. What used to be farms at least. With limited fuel and no more electricity, the farms were mostly abandoned. Now after six years of neglect, they lay in ruin. Red barns stood eerily empty, the fields bare of crops. Once upon a time, the landscape was dotted with cows, horses and goats. Now they saw no animals anywhere. The fields used to be planted with soybeans, corn and alfalfa. Now, most everything was stark and desolate.
After 90 minutes, the vehicle pulled off the main road and down a long gravel driveway. At the end of the drive lay a large farmhouse, apparently deserted. The grey overcast sky added to the somber mood. No one spoke as the bus came to a stop. Just a few of the babies cried or squawked as the brakes let loose their final squeal. All else was quiet in the bus.
Corporal R
amos stood and looked at his passengers. They were all in a state of shock, as far as he could tell. Nightfall was coming soon and he needed to get the group unloaded, and get himself on his way back home.
“Okay, we’re here. Everyone out. And don’t forget your packages.” He opened the door. “I’ll grab your bags and supplies from the back end.” Ramos jumped off the bus. One by one, the girls stood and carefully toted their assigned little one with them.
The group stood silently in the yard of the vacant farm looking around. This was it? What was this place even? Where were they? Hearts sank deeper into despair. Sister Theresa went from girl to girl checking to be sure they had their assignees in place. Everything seemed to be in order.
Ramos took a good ten to fifteen minutes to unload everything and pile it on the enclosed back porch of the house. As he finished, he turned to his group. Some were crying again and panicked expressions filled their young faces. He shook his head.
“Okay, so this is it.” Ramos pointed at the large empty farmhouse. “It’s not much, but it’s home. There’s no electricity and no running water. The only heat is wood, so you’ll want to get the fires going as soon as you can. There’s infant formula in those boxes and some food for you. Water can be had from the pump by the windmill over there.” He pointed toward the road at the pump, about 40 yards from the house. “The water is good from what we can tell. We had a man out here last week, and he said it was fine to drink, so that will work.” Ramos climbed the three steps into the porch and continued. “The door is unlocked now, but it locks from the inside so you should be safe. There’s enough room for all of you, and Sister will help you get set up. The kitchen stove works by propane, and the tank is pretty full, so that should last you for a while. The next time I get out this way, I’ll try and drop off a new tank. Just use it cautiously.”
He frowned at the group. They weren’t listening at all. Their attention was focused on God’s new plan for them.
“The reason you’re here is to take care of those children,” he continued. “They’re our only hope for the future. The reason you’re at this location is because it’s safe, far away from any city and any danger. So you won’t be bothered much. A man should come around in a few days. At least we’ve contracted for one to come around, if he sobers up, I suppose. He’ll help you out as much as he can. Do yourself a favor and listen to him.” Ramos tried to think if he had anything else to tell the group. “Your job now – your only job – is to raise those children up so they can have children of their own. Maybe that way the next generation will stand a chance of living, maybe even prospering. That’s our only hope now.” Ramos walked back to the bus and stepped inside.
Sister Theresa came and eyed the sad man sitting behind the wheel.
He shook his head at her. “No questions, Sister. This is what you’re supposed to do. Sorry.”
The nun spoke kindly. “Thank you, Corporal. May God give you safe passage back to the city. I look forward to seeing you again in the future.” Theresa stuck her hand out to shake Ramos’ hand; he returned the gesture.
He glared strangely at Theresa. “Good luck, Sister.” Ramos closed the door and fired up the vehicle. He spun it around in the large front yard and took off for the road. The collective group stood silent, watching the small bus disappear back down the road that had brought them here. Sister Theresa closed her eyes and offered a quick silent prayer for strength. She was going to need all that God could spare.
She returned her attention to the group of five, ten actually. She took a deep breath before beginning. “We’d better get these children inside, out of the evening air. And we’ll need to find the lamps in our boxes, so we have light when it gets dark. Hopefully we can make some fires inside.” The five young ladies stared blankly at Sister Theresa. She had expected this much. “Girls, listen. We need to get everything inside. This is it; this is our new home.” She clapped her hands and herded the group inside. They were all in for a rude awakening, she thought. Perhaps even herself.
The group cautiously stepped inside, finding the house dark and chilly. Theresa dug out two kerosene lamps and filled them half full. She lit them with the matches from the same box and set one on the kitchen table and another in the living room. The place was dirty and dusty from years of neglect. It was apparent that this home was abandoned shortly after the event some six years back. Sister Theresa put on her best smile and encouraged the group while walking among them.
“This isn’t so bad. A little cleaning and it will be nice. There is one smaller room up front here by the kitchen. I’ll take that one. There’s another room off the living room and two upstairs. From what I was told, one room upstairs has three large beds. So, three girls in that room, one at the top of the stairs, and one by me down here. Emily, since you’re the youngest, maybe you should stay down by me. Karen, you’re the oldest, so why don’t you take the single upstairs and Sheila, Sara and Mary can share the larger one up front.” She hoped they would understand her simple instructions. Instead they gave her blank looks of bewilderment.
Sheila spoke up. “Sister, what are we supposed to do with these children? I don’t have any experience with little kids. I was the youngest at my house, by like five years. I’ve never even babysat. What am I supposed to do with this little girl?” Sheila, like the others, was in tears again.
“We’ll just have to do our best. All of us. I’ve obviously never had children either, but if we all work together we can manage.”
Karen eyed the Sister, horrified. “You’re kidding, right? They expect us to do this? No way. I’m only 15. I’m not ready to be a mother yet. This can’t be happening. And just how are we supposed to survive out here… alone?” Karen started to become frantic. Six hours ago, all she could think of was her upcoming algebra test. Now she was in the middle of nowhere, with an infant in her arms. This just couldn’t be happening.
Sister Theresa’s brow furrowed and lips pursed. She shook her head at the teens. “We don’t have a choice, ladies. This is God’s plan for us, all of us. We are to work together and do our best. We can’t abandon these poor infants. They were left alone once. We can’t do that to them again. We just can’t.” She noticed that doubt and fear showed on most faces. She thought she saw a little hope on a few. “Does anyone know how to make a fire in a stove? Using logs, of course.”
Sara raised her hand. “I used to help my dad at our cottage up north. I think I know the basics at least. Someone needs to take little Matty. I don’t want to set him down in this dirty place.” Theresa reached for the baby.
Slack-jawed, Karen shook her head at Sara. “You named yours already? What if he has a different name? What are you going to do then?” Karen glared back at Theresa for help.
“None of the children have names that we’re aware of,” Theresa began. “You will all need to name your children. Actually, that’s a good idea. While Sara gets the fires going, you need to come up with suitable names for your child.”
Sara went to collect sticks and whatever paper she could find. The others squeezed the tiny children in their arms.
Chapter Four
Sara got two fires going, and the sound alone of the crackling fires warmed the group. There was no heat yet, but everyone hoped that would come soon.
Sara played with the draft on both stoves, and within fifteen minutes there were two nice fires going. For the heat to radiate throughout the entire house would take longer. Sara received a nice hug from Sister Theresa for her efforts. She was by far the happiest of the group.
“Sara,” Emily began, staring at the fire in the living room. “This one looks like it’s not going very well. It almost looks like it’s dying.” Sara broke her embrace with Theresa and stared at the dwindling flame.
Sara frowned as she knelt next to the old stove. “That’s strange.” Sneaking a peek at the back of the cast iron fixture, she pulled on the draft again. “Maybe I’ve got the draft open too far.” She pushed the handle in, and it squeaked as i
t moved. “That should help.”
Karen bent over and examined the fire further. “I don’t think so. The flames are gone now.”
Sara opened the front door and shook her head. She turned to face Sister Theresa. “I don’t get it, Sister. It should keep going.”
Theresa opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of Sheila and Mary opening the door on the kitchen stove. “This one’s out already, Sara. It’s not even warm,” Sheila reported.
Sara jumped to her feet and came to restart the fire. After another ten minutes, the orange flame died again. Sara’s tiny body shook with frustration. “I never have this trouble with my dad. Never.”
Theresa frowned at the exasperated teen as she moved closer with a squirming Matty clutched tightly to her chest.
“I think we need to get these babies changed and fed, girls. We can worry about the fires after they’re sleeping,” the nun said. “Okay, I will go out to the pump and get some water. We’ll need to boil some, or at least warm it up so we can feed our little bundles of joy soon. Most of them will need another bottle during the middle of the night as well. But don’t worry, I am here to help no matter what time they wake up.” Almost all the girls shook their heads at the Sister. How could she possibly expect them to handle all of this?
With Theresa gone for water, Karen spoke to the group. “I have no idea what to do here. I’m not ready for this. Any of this. No decent heat, no water inside, miles from anyone and these?” She pointed to the baby in her arms with the nod of her head. “I can’t believe this. None of this. How did they choose us? What is anyone thinking?”
Sara rose to address Karen and the rest of the girls. “It’ll be okay, right?” Sara started. “I mean we’ll get the hang of this. And Sister Theresa knows what to do, I think. They had the babies all there at the church. So they must have taken care of them for a while I would think.”
