My Dear Sister,

I never realized how many mountains there are in America. There must be thousands of them. They seem to go on forever and ever. We had been walking for five days straight and Jack said we were still in South Carolina.

Walking was difficult. Mountains are difficult to walk over (especially for Jack who usually has Natta on his shoulders) and we have to be on constant lookout for anyone looking for us. There had been a few instances where we saw police coming and had to quickly hide. We all had to huddle under rocks or bushes and pray that we were not seen.

Food was another issue. Jack had snagged only a small amount of food before leaving, thinking that he would buy food at towns along the way. But there were no towns. Just mountains. We had to find wild fruit to eat. We had no means of hunting and none of us really knew how to. A lot of times we went without food. The hunger didn't really phase me because I was used to hunger. Keeya and Natta also seemed to be used to hunger. Jack was different, though. He had never had to go hungry in his life. He didn't know what to do.

But, nevertheless, we found ways to enjoy ourselves. Jack still tried to teach Keeya, Natta, and I English. I think I'm getting pretty good at English. So is Keeya, she is very fast at learning. She is also a very good storyteller. To pass time she would tell stories partially in her African language and partially in English. She would act put all the parts and it was quite fun.

I am slowly regaining my trust in Jack. He hasn't done anything to lose my trust. He has been very helpful in guiding our little group. Last night we decided to rest for a couple hours in the forest. Jack came by me. "Remember when we said 'I love you' to each other?" He asked.

"No," I said. "But I remember when you said you were lying about loving me."

"I never said that," Jack said. "I was telling the truth when I said I love you. So were you."

"I don't think we should do anything like that now," I told him. "There's too much going on. Too much at stake. You are right. I was telling the truth. And maybe someday..."

"But not today," Jack said for me. "I understand and I agree. We need to put all of our focus on getting to Indiana safely."

"What are your cousins like?" I asked him. "Will they care that we have escaped slaves with us?"

Jack laughed a bit. "My cousins run a house where slaves can stay after they reached the north."

"Well how ironic," I said.

"Why?"

"Because your uncle is a slave trader," I said.

"They don't get along very well," Jack told me. "I've only met my cousins twice. But I write to them occasionally."

"I guess just because your family is a certain way you don't have to be that way too," I said and thought about my Father.

"I don't want to be like my uncle," Jack said.

"I don't want to be like my Father," I said. "It is best to try to be like yourself and not like other people." I took your hat off my head and gazed at it. "I guess I'm not too good at that though."

"Are you kidding?" Jack asked. "If you weren't like yourself we wouldn't be in the mountains with two escaped slave girls right now."

I hoped he was right. I looked up at all the stars. There were so many of them. I dozed off asleep.

A few hours later Keeya shook me awake. "We are going," Keeya said. I got up from my resting place.

"Which way?" Natta asked.

"This way," Jack said. We started walking down the lightly marked trail through the mountains.

After a few hours of walking we saw a carriage come down the road. It didn't seem threatening so we kept walking. But then it started to slow down. I saw a middle age man sitting inside. I got an idea. "Follow my lead, we may get a ride," I whispered to everyone.

The carriage stopped. The man looked at our odd quartet. "What are you doing out here?"

I put on a fake American accent. "My name is Azalea. This is my husband John. We are just married. We are on our way to Kentucky. Our carriage broke." I was very proud to be able to talk to the man in English. I wanted to tell him in the past tense but I didn't know how. But for being here for less than a year I think that my English was fairly good.

"Are those your slaves?" The man asked.

"Yes. We were taking them with us," Jack jumped in.

"We have been walking for a long time," I said. "I am very tired." I acted frail and Jack held onto my arm.

"Do you want a ride?" The man asked. "I am on my way to Tennessee. I could give you a lift for as far as I can."

"It would be much appreciated," Jack said. He helped me into the carriage and winked at me. I winked back.

"Just sit up here with me. Your slaves can sit back there," the man asked. I felt bad making Keeya and Natta sit in the back but we all knew that this was a much better alternative to walking.

I write this letter from the carriage. Most of the ride we ride in quiet. Jack and I both knew that if we spoke we would have to make up lies. Sometimes the man would talk to us. I tried to let Jack answer for me, mostly because I didn't want him to catch on to my fake accent.

I didn't like to lie. It made me think of Father and where he could be now. Was he in jail? Did he escape? He always seemed to find a way to escape. I look out the window of the carriage. The mountains seem to go on forever. I begin to wonder if we'll ever get to Indiana.

For now it's just mountains,

Your Sister, Azelma