Jenna and Kate

Five-year-old Jenna gazed through the filthy panes of the kitchen window. The sky was dark. She hadn’t yet learned to tell time, but she knew the sun had risen a few hours ago. Stepping on the porch for a better look at the sky, she noticed Mom’s faded blue car still parked in the grass. Mom hadn't been home in two nights. Jenna knew because Liz, her neighbor, had taught her to count before she went away. Jenna went back inside the single wide trailer wondering if Mom had disappeared like Liz.

Jenna climbed atop the stained countertop, stood on both feet, and looked down. Kate, Jenna’s three-year-old sister, had buried her head into the trash can.

"Get out of the trash." Jenna snatched the near empty jar of peanut butter from the shelf. "I'm making lunch."

"Hungry." Kate hadn't eaten since yesterday.

"I know, and we’ll eat in a minute."

Jenna jumped and landed on the dingy tile on both feet. She remembered seeing a knife somewhere, but when she opened the drawer where she believed the knife should be, she only found one spoon and two forks. Since she hadn't found any crackers or bread, a spoon was better anyway. She grabbed the spoon and dipped it in the jar.

"Eat this." She turned to Kate who had given up on anything worth eating in the garbage.

Kate snatched the spoon, shoved it in her mouth and nearly inhaled the peanut butter. "More."

"There's only one spoonful left." Jenna took the spoon from her sister’s chubby hand and scraped the jar clean. "After you eat this, go play with your doll."

When Kate finished, she dropped the spoon on the floor and sprinted to the other room. Jenna grabbed the spoon and tossed it in the sink on top of a mound of dirty dishes.

The trailer smelled of rotten food and soiled laundry. The girls smelled too, since they hadn't bathed in several days, at least not since Mom had been home. More concerned with her growling tummy, Jenna didn't notice the odor at all.

Jenna scrounged in the cabinets and kitchen drawers finding nothing except empty boxes, one can of chicken soup and a half-eaten pack of cheese crackers. She popped a cracker in her mouth. It was stale, but it did the trick and quieted her rumbling stomach. Saving the rest of the crackers for her sister, Jenna tucked them back in the drawer.

Jenna climbed on the counter to reach a cup. She slid towards the sink, filled the cup, and hopped back to the floor. She carried the water to Kate, laying on the couch with her doll.

A loud clap of thunder vibrated the trailer. Kate screamed, and Jenna lost her grip on the cup. When the cup toppled to the floor, water splashed everywhere. Jenna wondered if a giant had stomped on the house. A bolt of lightning flashed by the window followed by a crackle and pop. The lights blinked off, leaving the girls in complete darkness. Snuggled together on the couch, the girls watched lightning bolts flickering through the window. With their arms wrapped around each other, they listened to the rain pound against the tin roof until they drifted to sleep.

 Jenna thought she was dreaming when someone lifted her from the couch, but when she opened her eyes, Daddy’s blue eyes gazed back at her.

 “Where’s your mom?” Dad whispered.

Jenna shrugged. “She disappeared, like Liz.”

 “Princess, you know Liz died.”

 “Mom’s been gone a long time.”

“How long is a long time?”

“Three days, I think.” Jenna held up three fingers near his face.

“Run pack clothes for you and Kate,” Dad said lowering her to the floor, “I’ll carry Kate to the truck. You two will come home with me tonight.”

 Jenna found a paper sack beneath the kitchen sink, and she filled it with every piece of clothing the girls owned. There was just enough space to fit Kate’s favorite baby doll on the very top. She lugged the sack through the house, down the broken porch steps and placed them in the dusty floorboard of Dad’s blue and white truck. She hopped in the truck, slid close to Kate, and cuddled her on the way to Dad’s place. When Dad pulled into the parking lot of the nearest burger joint, Jenna’s mouth watered. She could count to ten, but she’d lost count of the days since she’d last eaten any more than a slice of stale bread or a cracker.

***********

The moment Janet woke up, she remembered today was the final day to make her choice. Charlie left her a year ago, mostly because of the arguments. Over the past year, she'd barely gotten by on the small welfare check she’d received each month. When her car stopped running two weeks ago, Charlie swore he’d get by to fix it, but he hadn't been by to do it yet. Without adult conversation, she felt lonely all the time, at least until the day she met Doug. Doug was a trucker who lived four trailers down. Today was the day he was leaving, and he'd begged her to go along with him. Doug promised they would come back for the girls, if she would leave them behind with their dad a while.

It was morning, but still dark, when Janet opened her eyes. She snuggled under the blanket and dreamed of the life the girls might have far away from this place. Doug had a dream. He wanted to build a house on several acres in the woods of Tennessee. He claimed the school in the nearby town was one of the best around. He promised the girls would have a better life.

Janet tiptoed down the hallway to the room the girls shared. Jenna and Kate snuggled as they slept on one small bed. Besides a few toys strewn on the floor, a nightstand held all their belongings. Though they didn't have much, Janet had done her best. There was water, electricity, and a roof over their head, more than Janet remembered having in her childhood.

Janet showered, brushed her hair, and dressed before she took one last look at her girls. So not to wake them, she blew a kiss from the doorway. Starting her journey, she walked the gravel road, four trailers down.

********

“Are you sure you have the right address — there’s no way Mom lives inside a church!” Kate held the phone screen in Jenna’s view.

With both hands on the wheel, Jenna glanced at the screen. “Yes, that’s the address Louise gave me.”

“Who is Louise again?”

“She claimed to be Mom’s friend, that’s all I really know.”

“My guess is Louise is a crazy old bat, because the address belongs to Mount Side Baptist. No way it can be right.”

“Maybe Mom lives nearby. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

“I can’t believe I’ve agreed to this.” Kate paused. “I know you’ve searched a long time, but I could care less if I ever saw this woman again.”

“I know sis, but I couldn’t have come alone.”

“Well, we’re here now.” Jenna pointed at the small country church with white siding, charming enough for a postcard.

After parking, the girls traipsed across the gravel lot towards the door. The church was locked, so they knocked. An elderly gentleman soon greeted them.

“Good morning. I’m Reverend John Gavin.” Reverend Gavin extended his arm. “Who do I have the pleasure of meeting today?”

“I’m Jenna and this is my sister, Kate. We’re looking for our mom.”

“Is she supposed to meet you here?”

“No, I’m fairly sure she doesn’t know we’re here.”

“What’s your mom’s name?”

“Janet Barkley. Maybe Janet Andrews, her maiden name.”

Reverend Gavin scratched his nearly bald head. “Janet?”

“Yes, her name is Janet. So you know her?”

“Let me guess. You two lovely ladies are Janet’s angels?”

“We’re her daughters.”

“But Janet used to call you both her angels.”

“Used to call?” Jenna scrunched her nose. “Are you saying she stopped?”

“How about I take you to your mom now?”

The ground was still damp from an earlier rain shower when they trudged through tall grass dodging puddles. While the reverend opened the iron gate, Jenna glanced at a sign on the fence. “Mount Side Cemetery.”

“She’s right here.” Reverend Gavin pointed towards the first tombstone past the gate. “Janet didn’t have much money, but the church donated enough for this plot and a small headstone.”

Jenna stared at the grass covered ground with the tiny headstone bearing the mother’s initials. This was certainly not what she expected. For the last five years Jenna searched tirelessly to find her mother. Her heart broke into a million pieces when she realized Mom was dead the entire time. Her eyes welled with tears.

“Don’t cry sis.” Kate wrapped her arms around her sister. “You’ve been searching all this time. I know this isn’t what you expected but at least now you’ve found her.” 

“But I had so many questions.” Jenna whispered.

“Come with me.” Reverend Gavin said as he stepped towards the gate. “I spent hours talking with your mom before she died. Maybe I have some answers.”