The Beginning

Many years ago in the land where the mountains rose up slow and gently towards the sky Julia Pamela Nester was born quietly. Since most births, then and now, are loud and hectic affairs this marked young Lillian's first distinguishing act in this world. Tears streamed from her mothers face as she prayed silently for the baby she had just birthed to stay silent and not give away their hiding place. Little did she know, her prayers would be heard and granted in ways she dreamed or hoped for. You see, Julia did not speak, cry or make any sound at all for years and years. But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's back up a bit and tell you how Julia came to be born in this way.

One more mountain to cross, Lillian keep repeating to herself as she walked along.
Thunder rumbled and the wind whipped the tree top. Granny would be worried and pacing he yard.  

“How am I going to tell her?” Lillian thought out loud.

Her stomach felt sick as she thought of Mr. Humphrey at the grocery store, no more credit! What would Granny say? What were they going to do.

“Oh Pappa, where are you?  Its been six weeks you’ve been gone” Lillian swept tears from her face as she scanned the treeline as if he would appear at any moment.      

The sheriff had been by yesterday looking for Pappa and Lillian was sure they hadn't believed her when I said that he had run off without telling anyone where he was going. The badgered her for almost half an hour before leaving, Granny was almost in tears.  When they were gone Lillian had brewed the last of the coffee and stirred in a few grains of sugar that remained at the bottom of the bowl and made Granny sit down and drink it.  

They had lied to the sheriff and that sat heavy on her, she was an honest woman who, under normal circumstances, always did the right thing.  The right thing though was getting a little fuzzy in this instance. Pappa had been gone over six weeks, he left in early spring to go up in the hills with cousin Jerry to make moonshine that they would then sell in secret.  

As she got to the top of the mountain Lillian could see the small log house that has been her home for the past 17 years. Boomer the old beagle spotted me and began his deep throated bark.

Hurrying down The trail, stumbling and crying Lillian ran straight into Granny’s arms.

“What’s wrong child, are you hurt?”  Granny asks.

“Oh, Granny” Lillian sobbed “Mr. Humphrey says no more credit! What are we going to do?”

Grannys arms tightened around the girl, too small and thin for her age and I felt a tremor run through her. “Hush child we will be alright.”

“But. Granny” She sobbed “What about The sheriff?”

“I’ve been thinking on that while you been gone” Granny said as she led me over to the porch and pressed me down into the dilapidated old swing. “Truth is, we DON’T know where your daddy is! What we said to the sheriff is not a lie.”

Lillian nodded and wiped her face.  “I’m going to go into town tomorrow and see if I can find some work. I heard that Mrs. Remus was looking for someone to clean her house”

Granny made a face “That woman has more money than she has sense. She grew up dirt poor as the rest of us and if it hadn’t been for her marrying the owner of the only factory in these parts she’d be the one scrubbing floors.”

“Well, if she wants to pay someone to scrub I’ll scrub and smile while I do it” She got up and looked around the yard hoping maybe she’d missed a chicken that we could either rob for eggs or kill for stew, even though I knew she hadn’t. The chickens were gone, so were the eggs and just about everything else. If she didn’t find a way to make some money or Pappa didn’t come back soon she and Granny would both starve. Pappa said it was called the depression, Granny said it's being poor.

“Don't worry child” Granny said “I'll take care of us.  I don't want you yonder in town, not knowing nobody, and no kin close by.  Go to the corn crib and get your daddy’s steel traps maybe we can catch us a rabbit for supper”

Dragging her feet, Lillian  thought once again  ‘If only Pappa was here.’

She would have to go find him, Pappa wouldn't just leave them there to starve.  Something was wrong and Lillian was determined to find out what.

Granny watched the girl trudge toward the corn crib. her long light brown hair hanging limply down her back. in the dirty worn dress and holey shoes she looked more like urchin than a young woman of seventeen.  She looked so much like her Mama it was eerie,  people did double takes these days when they saw Lillian. She couldn't let her go into town to work, not with Judiths sins still fresh in everyone's minds after all these years .

Lillian knew  Granny would not let her go look for Pappa alone. She would have to wait till Granny was in bed to sneak out.

Tears streamed down her face as she made her way into the dark barn. She would have to find some way to get food before she left.  She couldn't depend on the steel traps and she would need food for a day or two herself. Pappa said stealing was wrong but Lillian knew Old  Man Barlow had lots of hams in his smoke house and taters and stuff in his root cellar. She would somehow get the money and pay him back,so it wasn't really stealing ,just borrowing. Lillian told  herself.

Lillian was glad that Granny went to bed early, she had a lot to do that night. As soon as she was sure she was sound asleep she snuck out, grabbing a sack on her way out. Barlow's place was just across the ridge to the south but she would have to make her way in the dark, a light would attract too much attention.  On the edge of the Barlow place Lillian crouched next to the fence, heart racing. She looked around for the old hound that liked to sleep by the barn but couldn't spot him.  She crept under the fence and towards the smokehouse.  Casting one more glance over her shoulder she eased the hook off the door and slipped inside.  Hams hung from the rafters and smaller cuts sat on shelves.  She stepped underneath the smallest ham and lifted, she couldn't get enough leverage to get it off the hook though and looked around for something to stand on.