The train's whistle startled me from my sleep. I groaned, and reached into the food basket carrying the food. My hand groped around, and found nothing. I groaned again. There was very little money left, after paying for a train ticket, and I hated to spend it. "How long until we reach El Pano?" I asked the conductor.
"Not 'til tomorrow, ma'am, we're due to arrive at the station at ten-thirty."
"Thanks."
I hadn't been sleeping well, because the seats were uncomfortable and the train was hot. I opened the window to let in some cool air, but smoke and dirt blew in as well, so I shut it. One more long night to wait. And even when I got to Cutter Gap, I still didn't know where to go. My only resort was to find kin it Cutter Gap. My mother was an only child, both of her parents having died when I was young.
"Want anything, miss?" A young boy selling food was standing beside me.
"I'll take two apples, please." Reading the sign on the box attached to the boy's shoulder with a wide strap, I handed him the correct amount of money. He handed me two apples, one I started to eat immediately. The other apple I put into my sack; that would be my breakfast.
The train wound on and on. It was late afternoon now, and the sun was starting to set. I had noticed the conductor kept looking at me, and finally, out of curiosity, asked "Do you want something?"
"No, I'm sorry. I was just wondering, aren't you a little bit young to be traveling by yourself?"
"I don't think so. I'm going to stay with some folks for a while." I answered, with more confidence than I felt.
"Where do your folks live?" The conductor asked.
"Near El Pano, in a town called Cutter Gap." His eyes widened. "Cutter Gap? There isn't a town there, just houses spread out all over the mountains. Who are your folks?"
"The Allens."
"Never heard of them. You heard anything about Cutter Gap?"
"No." I said, hoping he would give me some information.
"It's a wild place. Has the second highest crime rate in the state of Tennessee. Sherriff's been looking for a group of moonshiners for the last couple of years."
"What are moonshiners?" I asked.
"Men that make moonshine." Seeing my puzzled expression, the conductor went on.
"Moonshine is illegal whiskey. They make it at night, using corn they grow."
"Have you had supper?" The conductor asked, after a lapse in the conversation.
"I had an apple."
"Well, that won't do." He handed me a sandwich, which he took out of a tin pail. I tried to protest, but he insisted, so I took it.
"There's a mission in Cutter Gap." The conductor surprised me with this information. "Bout ten years back, a Quaker lady by the name of Alice Henderson started it. They have a preacher, name's David Grantland. And just last year, young lady named...Christy Huddleston went to teach at the school they have. Must be gettin' along okay, because she hasn't come back."
"Did you say Miss Henderson was is a Quaker?"
"Yes, and she's a fine woman, too, met her a few times myself."
My grandfather had been killed by a Quaker. The police had said it was accidental, that the gun hadn't even been cocked, but he was still dead. My mother had hated Quakers ever since, and I had picked up some of her suspicious ways. Ma had said Quakers were haughty and proud, and they believed they were good and no one else was.
After the conductor left, I laid my head on the seat, feeling tired and worn out. I missed ma, but wouldn't have admitted it if I was asked. When pa left I had cried plenty, but I hadn't when ma did. Ma always said crying was a sign of weakness, and I was too old to cry. She told me once that when she died, she didn't want me standing around weeping, so I was determined not to.
Ma had been thirty-one when she died, and Pa was twenty-six. Ma had blond hair, like I did, but I had Pa's green eyes. I don't remember much about Pa, except he liked to laugh and tease. No matter how tired he was at the end of a hard day's work at the mines, he was never to tired to spend time with me. Ma worked hard, too hard, Pa always said. But Ma would just laugh, brushing it off, and tell Pa he worked too hard himself.
Finally I fell asleep, but was awakened many times during the night. When morning arrived I was still tired and hazy. After a restless hour or so, the conductor announced "El Pano, next stop." I quickly gathered my belongings, which were one bag containing my clothes, and a small bundle of books. I should have read more during the trip, maybe it would've passed quicker. I thought.
Once the train hissed to a stop, I hastily jumped out, ready to be rid of that train. "Good luck, miss." The conductor said with a wink. I got my one item from the baggage car, a sled Papa had made me the year he died. I slung it on my back, and headed off in search of directions.
A blacksmith's was the first building I saw, so I entered there. "Can you tell me how to get to Cutter Gap?" I inquired of the dirty man pumping bellows. He nodded in the direction of a tall man sitting and playing checkers.
I repeated my question to him, and he said "Sure do, miss. But why're you goin there?"
"I have relatives that live in Cutter Gap." I explained.
"And your name?"
"I'm Crystal Allen."
"You be kin to the Allens, then?"
"Yes, sir, do you know a man by the name of Bob Allen?"
"Yup, he lives in the Cove."
We were getting nowhere in our conversation. "Can you tell me how to get to Cutter Gap?"
"I reckon. See that path?" he pointed to a small road leading out of town. I nodded. "Take thet thar path, and it'll get you right to the mission. They can holp ya thar."
"Thank you. Oh, and do you know where I can buy some food?"
"Here." The man dug out an apple from a sack sitting on the floor.
"Thank you."
Outside the wind chilled me, so I wrapped my scarf around my head tighter. I walked up the path, and admired the scenery. There were huge masses of rock jutting out beside the road, and many trees were growing. Everything was brown, with no buds on the trees or green leaves. Of course, it was only January, but we were further down South. I was, however, surprised to find that snowflakes had been drifting down. Maybe I'd get to use my sled after all!
At noon I stopped for a rest and ate my apple, wishing for a hot cup of tea. I was even colder sitting down, though, so I was soon on my way again. The man at the blacksmith's hadn't mentioned how long it would take to get to Cutter Gap, or 'the Cove,' as he called it.
The trees along the path brushed me as I went by, and I shuddered, thinking of what the train conducter had told me. Moonshiners sounded dangerous. I was hoping there wouldn't be any hanging around during the day.
A noise startled me, and I looked up. A girl about my age stood in front of me on the path. The girl had on a tattered dress, had bare feet, and her dark hair hung just past her shoulder.
I smiled, and said "Hello."
She nodded, and said "What're you doin' here?"
"Do you know where the mission is?"
She nodded again, and said "Follow me."
The girl led me to a cabin hidden in the woods that I hadn't noticed before. She walked in the door, but I stood outside. In a moment she reappeared, with a thin, blond woman I supposed to be her ma. "Howdy. You lookin' for the mission?" she asked.
"Yes. I'm pleased to meet you, my name is Crystal Brown." I used my mother's maiden name unconsciously, since we had been using it since Pa left. Besides, maybe it was better not to be known as an Allen, until I got to know these people better.
"What're you doin' in these parts?" The lady asked, then added "I be Fairlight Spencer, and this is my oldest daughter, Zady."
"Nice to meet you. I'm an orphan, and thought I'd see what Cutter Gap is like." I explained, not noticing Mrs. Spencer's odd look.
"Come on in." I followed Mrs. Spencer into the dimly lighted cabin. Three smaller children, two girls and a boy, were playing with a crudely made wooden farm in one corner. The room held a table, and some boxes that were used for chairs. A bed stood in a corner, and a ladder going up to the loft was nailed to the wall. "Set down." Mrs. Spencer invited, and I took a 'seat' by the table. "Zady, get us some grub." Mrs. Spencer sat down opposite of me. "Do you know anyone at the mission?" she asked.
"No, I was told to ask there for...some information." I hesitated, and then, on impulse, spilled out my secret. "Do you know any Allens, Mrs. Spencer?"
"Why, shorely. There's the Bob Allens, and the Cramer Allens, and then granny and granpappy Allen. Bob be my brother, and granny and grandpappy are my parents."
"Ever heard of Josh Allen?"
Mrs. Spencer started, and grew pale. "Yeah."
Zady placed a plateful of bread slices spread with some kind of jelly on the table. Mrs. Spencer and I each took one, and I continued with my story. "Josh Allen was my pa."
"Was his name Joshua Creed Allen? He was my brother." Mrs. Spencer asked, amazed.
"I think so, let me check." I grabbed my bundle which was sitting beside me, and rummaged through it. Inside a piece of paper listing the full names of my parents and their parents. "Yes, it is."
"Is he livin'?" Mrs. Spencer asked anxiously.
I hesitated. "I don't know. He left my mother and I three years ago. We haven't seen or heard from him since."
"Joshua left us when he was almost ten. I was thirteen when he left, and we were very close."
"Why did he run away?"
"I don't know, some small thing. He had already run away twice, but always came back. Joshua was tired of obeyin' the rules, I reckon."
"So am I your cousin?" The older of the two younger girls who were playing spoke up.
"Yes." I grinned. "Mrs. Spencer, don't tell anyone that I'm an Allen, yet. I want to get to know the people here better."
She agreed.
"Now would you introduce me to my cousins?" I asked, nodding toward the three children in the corner.
"The oldest girl there is Clara, she's nine years old. Lulu's six, and the Least'un is 4. Zady's thirteen, and John, who's holpin' his daddy in the fields, is sixteen." Zady was thirteen-- my age. I was delighted to have a cousin who was as old as me. I'd never in my whole life known any of my relatives, only known they existed.
"Do you know anyone at the mission?"
"No, but the conductor on the train told me a little bit about some of the people who live there, like Miss Huddleston."
"Tomorra, mebbe, we can take you over to meet the mission folks." Mrs. Spencer planned.
"John, you mind Lulu at school." Mrs. Spencer commanded. We started out early in the morning, about 8:00 which was early for me. But the Spencers had all awakened around 6 am, and seemed used to it.
"School starts at 8:30, but we're going a little early. Have you had many lessons?" Zady asked.
"Yes, I'm in the 5th reader." "We've just started school, maybe 'bout four months back. John and I are in the third reader, since we could only read a little bit when we started school. Clara and Lulu's in the first."
"How many children are there in school?"
Zady cocked her head, thinking. "Sixty-some, I reckon. There's been a few more that done come to school since Miz Christy started, now."
"Who are your friends at school?"
"Waal, thars Lizette Holcombe, and Ruby Mae Morrison, and Becky Holt. Them's the ones that are my age. Miz Christy's our teacher, she's real nice. She smells nice and she talks real proper, too. She tries to git all us to talk nice and cityfied, but it ain't easy seein' as how we've talked this way our whole lives."
We soon approached a clearing, and in it I could see the steeple of a building. "That thar's the church and schoolhouse." Zady explained. She pointed to a large wooden building, then to some smaller outbuildings. "That big un's the mission house, and them are Reverend Grantland's bunkhouse and the barn."
As we moved toward the schoolhouse, I could see children milling about in the yard. John ran off and started talking to another boy, and Least'un stopped to play with a ball. "Come meet Miz Christy." Clara said as she tugged on my hand.
We walked up the steps of the schoolhouse. Sitting at a desk directly in front of us was a slender young lady, with a little girl on her lap. "She can't be more than nineteen years old!" I thought with surprise. Was she the teacher?
The young lady looked up. "Hello Zady, Clara, Lulu. Who's your friend?"
Zady spoke up. "Miz Christy, this is our cousin, Crystal Brown. She come from the city, 'an she's a-stayin' with us right now. But momma said she should come to school, same as us. She's already in the fifth reader." Zady finished, looking proud.
Miss Christy moved the little girl off her lap and stood up. "Welcome, Crystal. This is Mountie O'Teale. Mountie, say hello."
"Howdy." the little girl said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Clara tugged my hand. "Mountie just learned to talk, before that she hadn't never said a word. Miz Christy teached her."
I looked at Mountie. Her clothes were tattered and absolutely filthy, and her pudgy face has smudges of dirt on it. The Spencers, even though they were poor, were clean.
Miss Christy rang a bell, and the other children rushed in. A girl with fiery red hair flying everywhere sat behind Zady and I. "Wall, Zady, who's this lowlander you done brought here to school with ye?" she asked.
"Ruby Mae, this is my cousin Crystal. And Crystal, that done be Ruby Mae Morrison and Lizette Holcombe." Zady pointed to the girl beside Ruby Mae, who had straight brown hair and clear blue eyes.
"Howdy do," they said in unison.
Just then Miss Christy spoke. "Children, we have a new student who has joined us today. Crystal, will you please stand up?"
I stood next to my desk.
"This is Crystal Brown, the Spencer's cousin."
"Are you my kin then too?" A tow-headed boy in the back spoke up. "My name be Creed Allen."
"My father's name was Joshua Allen, so I suppose so." I sat down, but Creed was still looking critically at me.
"You don't look like no highlander, so I reckon you're a lowlander. You ain't nothin' but city trash."
"Creed Allen!" Miss Christy scolded. "That is no way to speak to our guest. Apologize at once."
"Yes, Miz Christy. Sorry." He nodded in my direction.
I smiled, finding it hard to be cross with such a innocent looking boy. "I forgive you."
The schoolroom was cold, especially in the back where the older children sat. The stove was up front. Periodically during the day I had seen some of the older children walk up front, warm themselves by the stove, and then sit back down. A boy who looked like an older version of Creed had been up front about four times. On his fifth trip Miss Christy spoke. "Festus Allen, how many time have you warmed yourself this morning?" "Uh, about four, I reckon." "You need to return to your seat, Festus, you have gotten up entirely too many times. You won't be able to learn anything if you're not studying."
Festus shamefacedly slunk to the back again. I snickered, and he looked at me angrily. "Listen here, just because you're my cousin don't give you no right to laugh at me."
"Cousin! Well, I'd rather not be cousin to the likes of you, if I had my way."
"Well, you don't got no choice, but I wisht I did!"
"Festus, Crystal, stop that arguing at once." Miss Christy spoke up.
"Yes ma'am." I murmered, but Festus slumped in his seat angrily.
The first day of school was over. I enjoyed Miss Christy as a teacher very much, although I was embarassed she'd had to reprimand Festus and I.