Chapter 3:

Must Go

The next morning, Amerie and Jack ventured out to find Sarah. The morning was dull and gray. No sun shone. The streets were crowded with homeless children peaking around the corners of buildings. Amerie sighed. She didn’t like seeing the children so sad, and deprived of everything. It brought back too many memories of her sister Jack.

Suddenly, Jack spotted Sarah next to a bunch of crates in an alley. He ran over to her, calling out her name. Amerie followed.

“Hey, Jack. Hey, Amerie. What are you guys doing here?” asked Sarah standing up and brushing herself off.

“We’ve come to help ya” said Jack.

“Assist me? How?” asked Sarah.

“Yeah, we want to find ya a nice place to stay” said Jack, helping her gather her things, and leading her out of the alley. Sarah smiled.

“Something just came to my mind. I was having tea with my grandmother and her friend, Lavinia, when Lavinia mentioned that my Aunt Beth was in town” said Sarah excitedly.

“Really! Where?”

“I think Lavinia mentioned that she was in O’John’s Boarding House. Do you know where that is?”

“I think it is two blocks down from the old Johnson diner” said Amerie.

“The diner that’s shut down?” asked Jack.

“Yes. You know where that is then?” asked Amerie.

“Of course” said Jack.

“Good, because I can’t take you there. I have to work” said Amerie.

“Thank you, Amerie” said Sarah, embracing Amerie in a warm hug, and then looking at Jack as if to ask if she was ready.

“Of course. Now you two be careful! No fights Jack” said Amerie as the two walked off.

“I never get into fights” yelled Jack back at Amerie. Amerie rolled her eyes and sighed. Then she walked back to her work.

A while later, the streets began to become worse, and look more like the slums district. Suddenly, Jack didn’t recognize them anymore. She told Sarah to wait while she checked the next street. She didn’t recognize it. She came back to Sarah, and they decided to backtrack a bit. Jack figured they had taken a wrong turn. It had turned out that Jack was right. About 10 minutes later, they reached a place that looked old and run down, with a sign that read O’John’s Boarding House on the front. Sarah gave it a snobbish look, and followed Jack inside. Once inside, they saw a young lady with bright red hair and green eyes sweeping the floor. Jack slowly approached her.

“Excuse me” said Jack.

“Yes. If you be here to look for a room, I ain’t got none. And I dinna have any work for ye to be doin” said the woman in a very strong Irish accent.

“We’re not here for that. We need to ask ya a question” said Jack.

“Okay, then. What’s ye question?” replied the Irish lady.

“We’re looking for a lady who goes by the name of Beth O’Malley” said Sarah, finally having the courage to talk to the stranger.

“Well, she was here, and it was nigh near a week ago that she left. Sorry” said the Irish lady, walking over to the small desk that was in the back of the room.

“Do ya know where she went?” asked Jack.

“Back home I be thinking” said the Irish lad.

“Well, thank you for your help miss” said Sarah, curtseying and walking out.

“Yeah, thanks” said Jack, following Sarah.

“Glad to be of help” said the Irish lady.

They stood outside the boarding house for a moment, then began to walk down the street.

“What shall we ever do know?” asked Sarah rather worried.

“I don’t know. I figured, from what ya said, that she’d still be there” said Jack, sticking her hands in her pockets.

“Well, Jack, I cannot stay here much longer. Even if I must go on my own, I have to find my aunt” said Sarah, looking down at the ground.

“All by yourself!!! You’ll die out here Sarah. I know you will” said Jack.

“No I will not. Do not be silly. Can you possibly meet me at the depot tomorrow?”

“I guess” said Jack shrugging.

“How about 10:00 then?” asked Sarah.

“Sure” said Jack, nodding.

“Well, I shall see you tomorrow then” said Sarah, waving goodbye and walking off. Jack waved back, and headed the other direction sighing. Jack didn’t want her to go all by herself.

When Jack go home, he decided that she had to talk to Amerie about something.

“Hey, Amerie?” said Jack sitting down at the small table they had managed to afford.

“Yes, Jack” answered Amerie, sitting down at the opposite side of the table.

“If you think that there is somewhere you’re meant to be, but ya can’t go there without leaving something really important to ya behind. Yet, ya think that going would make ya a better person, and ya think that God may want ya to go. What do ya do?” asked Jack.

“Well, I would say go. If you think you’re meant to be there than go. Even if it means leaving something important to you behind. And if you think God wants you to go, then go. Why are you asking?” asked Amerie curiously.

“I was just curious” lied Jack.

“Okay” said Amerie a little confused.

“Thanks, Am” said Jack, giving her sister a hug and sipping her glass of water. The table remained silent.

A little while later, Jack decided to confront her about going with Sarah.

“Hey,” said Amerie, “ did you find Sarah’s aunt?”

“No”

“Oh. That’s so sad” said Amerie sighing.

“She’s going west” said Jack.

“All by herself?” asked Amerie shocked.

“I guess”

“But that’s so dangerous. Especially for a young girl like herself” said Amerie.

“She’s not that young” replied Jack.

“She’s only 14 or 15, isn’t she?”

“ She’ll be 14 on February 12th” said Jack.

“Oh my, that’s way too young”

“Am, you’re only 17” said Jack.

“Yes, but not even I would go traipsing across the country all by myself”

“Well……I’m going with her” said Jack, looking away from her sister’s face.

“No” said Amerie.

“But what you said earlier..” said Jack.

“I don’t care what I said earlier, you are not going!” she yelled.

“Am, I have to go” said Jack.

“Plese, Jack, don’t go” pleaded Amerie.

“Fine” said Jack crossing her arms.

Suddenly, there was knock on the front door. Amerie went to answer it. Jack quickly grabbed a piece of paper, and began to scribble on it, a small note, saying goodbye, and that she had to go. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Am. But I have to go. Goodbye” said Jack, hurrying out the back door, and trying to wipe the tears from her face.

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