13

It was a long uncomfortable trip to Montridge, Texas.

Alex and her siblings were piled up on the floor of Lyle's cargo van. It was getting late, but Lyle had no intention of stopping for the night. He was determined to drive straight there stopping only for brief bathroom breaks and the occasional meal.

Mr. Bonilla's fruit was long gone. The children had made a feast of it while Lyle had stopped at a McDonalds for a few hamburgers and coffee.

Alex had a horrible headache and couldn't sleep. She never could sleep while they traveled anyway. When she was younger, she didn't want to miss anything, now she just had too much on her mind.

Where was Angela? Was she still alive? What would Bonilla do when he discovered the Potterbins weren't coming back? Though the question session in his apartment was uncomfortable, Alex thought he was a nice man that meant well. She would always remember that he cared. Most people didn't. Alex knew she and her family were looked down on as trash. It seemed tattooed on their forehead. It robbed her self-esteem.

Everyone was dozing except for Mary who seemed lost in her own thoughts. Even Erma who never could sleep during car trips was snoring softly. It had been a long hard day for her. Alex felt surrounded on all sides by sleeping children. Becky slept on her lap, Elizabeth's head lay on her shoulder, Elijah was snuggled in between Alex and Mary and was sucking his thumb. Abraham was passed out on Mary's other side. Little Leah was nestled on Mary's lap. The other children were lying in a huddle on the other side of the van.

It was cold and the heater didn't work. They did not have time to steal the blankets from the bedding this time around. Alex wondered how Lyle could be so uncaring to everyone's comfort but his own.

Alex's stomach rumbled, though Elijah and Ruthie kept sneaking her bits of their orange. Mary's rumbled in return. She and Elizabeth had each helped themselves to an orange a piece. Erma turned a blind eye where they were concerned, but Alex knew Erma would sound the alarm if she caught Alex breaking one of Lyle's golden rules. Alex wondered if her father had done something so horrible that made her mother unable to love her as much as the others. He couldn't have been any worse than Lyle. Could he? That was really hard to imagine.

Alex also thought about their destination.

Lyle's mother often took them in, but she didn't bother hiding the fact that Lyle was a big disappointment to her. She also felt Lyle made poor choices where wives were concerned. Though the woman saw that the children were fed, she liked to control the meals and portions. She also liked to make rules. Myrtle and Lyle often butted heads on ideas and often the children were the casualties in their disagreements. Alex was not looking forward to going back there at all.

Alex also realized she was seventeen years old and in a few months time would be a legal adult. She felt as helpless and frighted as the five-year-old she'd been when Lyle first took over her life.

She needed to get away. She needed to be a brave strong adult and get the children away from both Lyle and Erma.

How can I do that? She wailed inwardly. I have no idea what to do. I haven't any skills or education.

Lyle so dominated her that she was too frightened to cross him. He had threatened more than once to end her life. He had come close to doing it several times in the past. No one ever seemed to stop him or care.

Alex's head throbbed and she wiped her helpless tears on the back of her hand.

Her life was going to be a long dreary nightmare. She would grow to middle age still living with Lyle, Erma, and perhaps even old Myrtle. She pictured herself in an unattractive house dress and harlequin glasses still jumping to obey an aging Lyle's orders. Erma would still remind her daily how she broke poor Ester's fingers. The thought was truly frightening. Perhaps she should have gone with Angela.

Angela was a pain at times, but she was brave. Alex had to admire her pluck and courage.

Alex said a silent prayer for Angela's safety and long life. Though Lyle preferred to expound on a cruel unforgiving God molded from his own self-image, Alex wanted to believe in a kinder more merciful God.

A memory slipped into her mind, long forgotten. She almost had to physically squint and focus with her eyes to see it more clearly.

She was around three years old and in Sunday school. She was sitting at a round table with a few other children coloring in pictures. Her picture was one of Jesus sitting on a huge rock surrounded by children and small animals. The picture filled Alex with a certain peace as she tried to carefully shade in Jesus's robe with a purple crayon.

"Stay in the lines, that's it." A gentle voice encouraged.

Alex turned and assumed to see Erma in the memory. Instead a tall lovely woman with long golden blonde hair and huge blue eyes smiled down at her. She reached down with a pretty well manicured hand and stroked Alex's baby cheek. Alex felt a surge of love and realized with a start that they had loved each other very much. Who was she? Why did she forget about her? Was she even real?

As Alex strained to remember a name, the recollection slipped from her grasp.

She determined to ask Erma who she was the first chance she got. A lump came into Alex's throat and she suddenly felt like crying again.

The feeling of being loved, safe, and comfortable with being herself was foreign to her now.

Lyle turned a corner sharply jarring the contents and children in his van. Alex instinctively clutched Becky and held her tight.

"That will teach you to fall asleep on me." Lyle roared at Erma. "Some navigator you are!"

"I'm sorry Lyle," Erma moaned.

Alex felt an intense hatred growing inside her toward Lyle. It was sharper in intensity than ever before. To her surprise she felt an equal hatred toward Erma as well. Alex had always tried to paint Erma as a victim, but she was slowly realizing that Erma was as much a monster in her own way as Lyle was. She let her unreasonable love for a man blind her to the suffering of her children. They didn't have to live like this!

Lyle preferred driving cargo vans because they were cheaper and it was harder for cops to see inside. Lyle often scoffed about child safety rules and car seats. They didn't enforce those things when he was a child and he made it just fine he'd brag.

The rest of the children settled back down once the scare was over. Becky howled her disapproval, but when Lyle threatened to toss her out his window, Erma hurriedly made up a bottle and thrust it at Alex.

Becky sucked the bottle noisily and all was peaceful once again.

Alex felt a bottomless pit of dread.

How would her story end? Will she ever actually be happy?

Mary nudged her in the side. Alex looked her sister in the eye in the dimness of the darkened van.

Mary's hopeless look mirrored her own.

"Merry Christmas." Mary whispered bitterly.

A single shiny tear fell from her eye.

*************************

END OF PART TWO

Coming Next: There's a party in Springer and everyone is invited!!!

For everyone interested in Alex and the Potterbins they will be back in part four. You will meet Myrtle Potterbin and perhaps get a glimpse at what makes Lyle so rotten. I realize that this installment was heavy on the pathos, but just bear with me. If you need an Alex fix or a hint of things to come, I suggest my short story The Never Ending Work Day or Alex's short bio in chapter one of SpringerUSA: Part One. The first features a future Alex and the second a glimpse of what's coming up.

Daughter of the Faeries: Arturo was supposed to be a kind background character. Just another face in Alex's many travels with her family. I got quite attached to him myself as he fleshed out on the paper, so I probably will use him in another story. I thought perhaps I could make a series of short stories about other people who pass through the Crystal Motel and stay in room twenty-four. Perhaps since he let Alex slip through his fingers, Arturo may take a more pro active stance helping some of his other guests. If you have any story ideas, suggestions, etc. please run them by me. I really value your feedback. Now quit reading this and get back to A Path of Magic and Tears. LOL!