David C. McLavic - 15. Chapter 15

I awoke earlier than Mom and Beth. I took Cleo and put her in my suitcase. Beth woke up when I took the doll. “Shh, I am putting her in my suitcase. I’ll give her to you tonight.”

Beth turned over and went back to sleep. I was dressed for the day, Mom was still sleeping.

I sat at the window watching the sun arrive. It was quiet except for the noise made by the train moving on the railroad track. I was thinking of the fun I missed by coming home earlier. I had no choice, Uncle Carl would eventually either kill Mom or hurt her so she couldn’t work anymore.

As these thoughts ran through my head, Beth Ann woke up and realized Cleo wasn’t in bed with her. She started to cry which caught my attention.

“Beth Ann, she is in her secret place.” I watched as what I said finally took hold. There was the smile.

Beth Ann got up and dressed for the day. Today would be a full day on the train and tomorrow we would be home. I thought what being home would be like with Mom acting as she is. Would Dad be mad when he finds out what she did? I had a feeling that Dad didn’t book the cabin. Although thinking about it, Mom was more comfortable than she would be sitting in a seat.

As I sat there thinking about the last few weeks, Beth Ann came out of the bathroom dressed for the day. We sat there for about an hour when Mom woke up. She gave us a look that told me, today was going to be a bad day.

After an hour, she was ready for breakfast and as dutiful children, we followed her to the dining car.

Mom sat down and I noticed she was a little stiff in her movements. Beth Ann and I took our seats across from her. Our waiter came with a pot of coffee for Mom and two glasses of orange juice for us. Mom was looking over the menu, Beth Ann told the waiter we wanted scrambled eggs. Mom ordered soft-boiled eggs. The waiter went and brought us our breakfast explaining the chef was making Mom’s eggs. We started to eat our breakfast when Mom reached and took one of the two small sausages from Beth Ann’s plate. I took one of mine and gave it to Beth Ann. Mom looked at me and not with a smile. I was sure she was going to do something when the waiter brought her the eggs she ordered. I looked at them, the white part of the eggs was like a cone on top of the egg yolk. I wondered how they did that. Along with the eggs was a fruit plate and sausage patties. I was sure that the sausage Mom had was different than the sausage links that Beth Ann and I had.

Beth Ann and I ate our breakfast and then waited for Mom to finish. At the rate she was eating, it would take her all morning. She would take a bite, then look around to see if anyone noticed her.

“Mom, we are going back to our room.”

“You just sit there until I’m ready.”

So we waited, Mom ate slower. I knew she was doing this on purpose. The waiter came at nine-thirty and started to clear our table. Mom wasn’t finished eating, and the waiter told her breakfast was over and he needed to clear our table.

“I’m still eating.”

“I’m sorry mam, but I need to clear this table.”

As the waiter started removing her plates, “This is absurd. Bring your superior here. We shall see what he says.”

The waiter left. Mom started to shovel the food into her mouth.

“Mom, there’s our waiter coming.”

Mom got up and with a quick walk headed to our room. Beth Ann and I followed. I looked back, catching our waiter’s eye, and I gave him the high sign. He just smiled.