Chapter 35

Paige's perspective:

I felt so helpless. Dad walked behind me as we went down the steps to the front door. Maggie and Jamie just stood open-mouthed as we walked by. I turned around with tears in my eyes and looked at Jeff who was following us. He was just as upset as I was. He looked at me as if we would never see me again and I felt the same way even though I knew that we would get back together somehow. Dad had never been this angry before and I didn't know what caused it.

Outside the door I stopped and dad came up and roughly took my hand and shoved me into the car. I was going to talk to dad about this but he was angry and everything that could be said had already been done so. We hadn't got even a few feet before he started on me. "How could you — " He didn't stop when we got to our house. I even felt that he was going to hit me.

Jeff said I had to go with my father and when we got to our house, I wanted to run to my room but my father's voice kept me rooted to the spot. I had to stay and take everything he gave to me. I cried uncontrollably. Then he did hit me and I was just unable to avoid the blow like Jeff had done. He made me feel so filthy but I still knew that it was the drink making him act this way.

Daddy went into my room and pulled out all my clothes then got the suitcase I used. He threw all my old clothes into it. "What are you doing?"

"You don't need Congdon clothes. I make the money and I want you to wear what I provide."

I was very nervous now. Packing clothes meant leaving the house. I was able to get some clothes that suited the weather and some underwear. Dad was just throwing anything in the suitcase. When he was done, he took the suitcase with clothes sticking out the edges then grabbed my arm and dragged me to the front door.

"Daddy, you are hurting me."

"Get in the car you slut."

He had never called me names before and I started to cry once again. When dad got behind the wheel and started the car I said, "Where are we going daddy?"

"To find a place to live. I am not living in this house anymore."

"Daddy, there is no place to go. I know that the entire town is full. There are no rooms even in the hotels."

"I'll find a place."

Dad drove erratically and I wished that the police would come by and pull him over but they are never around when you need them. It was getting late when we pulled up at this old house. Dad got out and said, "Stay here."

Dad came back with a bottle and we continued to drive around with no goal. When the bottle must have been half finished we came to this large building. A plywood sign said 'Hostel' on it.

"Stay here, bitch."

"Yes daddy," was the only thing I could say. I was so frightened and I didn't know what to do.

Daddy came back in five minutes and drove around the building and parked in the back. Again he took my arm and pulled me to the front door.

"Daddy, You are hurting me. I will come, you don't have to drag me."

It didn't help. We went in the front and a thin man looked at me and my condition but said nothing. Dad kept a tight hold of my arm. A door was unlocked and the light turned on. It was a small room with two cots and one dresser. There wasn't even a bathroom but this was explained next.

"The bathroom is down the hall. There is a small one for the ladies. The showers are for pay only. Washing facilities for your clothes are down the street."

The man stepped back and dad threw me to a bed and slammed the door in the man's face.

I just lay on the cot and cried. Dad drank more then said to me, "You go near that kid and I will kill him. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, daddy, don't hurt him."

He got up and started to slap then punch me and at the same time I heard him calling me all sorts of names. I just screamed and cried until he stopped. I heard voices in the hall saying they were going to call the cops. Dad went back to his cot and finished the bottle.

I might have slept some but it wasn't much. Dad was laying down on his cot then moved violently to the side and puked and puked then wiped his mouth with a sleeve and went back to sleep.

Later I got up and used the washroom then cleaned up the mess on the floor. Daddy got up later and looked very bad. When he started to talk I knew that he was not still drunk but only partially sober. He went to the bathroom then came back later. He looked better and in a clearer voice he said, "You are not going back to that Congdon. If I see you with him I will kill him. Do you understand?"

"What happened Daddy? You were never like this before."

He moved as if to hit me and yelled, "Do you understand?"

In fear I backed up and quickly said, "Yes daddy, I understand."

I didn't know what to do. Daddy was acting so strange I was worried for him and worried for Jeff too. I had no idea what set him off. The only one that could help would be Mom and she was not around. She had phoned yesterday before Jeff came home and said she was going to Raleigh, North Carolina then to Greenville, South Carolina. There was no way to phone her and besides this was something I had to talk to her about.

Dad said, "Get to school. Remember what I said. I will kill him if he comes around you."

Dad's eyes were bloodshot and his actions were like that of a stranger. Even if dad was only partially drunk I was very afraid. I took the suitcase and repacked the clothes I left some out that were not wrinkled too much. We drove to a diner and ate breakfast then dad dropped me off in front of the school and rapidly left with more warnings. It was eleven o'clock and I didn't know where he was going.

I looked at the school and I wanted to run in and tell Jeff what was said but I didn't want him hurt either. I needed Mom and I needed her now.

My purse had a lot of money in it. Jeff had given me money for shopping and money I had from the trip to Memphis. My billfold had eighty-three dollars in Canadian and American money and a small hidden compartment in my purse had twenty for an emergency.

The shelter we were at was only six blocks away and I hurried to it. There was a different man at the desk but he had seen me leave with dad not too long ago. He didn't even ask anything as I went back to my room. The clothing was sorted for the weather and where I was going and the suitcase was only half full now.

When I snapped it shut I thought of leaving notes to dad and Jeff but it was best if nobody knew where I was going. I took a city bus to the bus station. I discovered that the next bus going south was not leaving for an hour and a half. Instead of waiting in the station I went to the small café to get something to eat. The bus rides were long and sometimes there was no chance to get something to eat on the way.

Two men had been talking at a nearby table. One had a hat with NADI on it from the company that hired Jeff and the other had Stelco. I had seen the giant buildings going up and Jeff took me inside. I learned a lot about the building that other kids didn't know.

The two men got up and one went to the bathroom leaving the one with the Stelco hat. "Excuse me mister but are you driving back to Hamilton soon?"

"I sure am Miss."

"The bus doesn't leave for over an hour and I want to go see my mother."

"Did you want a ride?"

"Yes, Sir."

The man looked at me oddly then said, "We have to wait for Ed then we can go to the truck." He looked at the suitcase and said, "Is that all you are taking?"

"Yes, Sir."

Ed came out and looked at me then said, "Aren't you Jeff Congdon's girlfriend?"

"Yes, Sir."

The driver said by way of explanation, "She wants a lift to Hamilton to see her mother."

Ed just nodded his head and we all left the café. I paid for my meal and left the fifteen percent that Jeff said to leave. There was no talk in the car for some reason and I was sure if I weren't here they would be talking about something.

There were six large trucks in the parking lot and a lot of other vehicles too. The two men shook hands and Casey, the driver, helped me get in.

We made small talk until we got around two hours from the Bay when Casey asked, "It is none of my business, but why are you not taking the bus or the train?"

I didn't know what to say. I knew this was going to happen but I could not just make up a lie. "Daddy came home drunk and got very mad at Jeff. He said he was going to hurt Jeff if we kept being together. I am going to get my mother and see if she can talk some sense into dad. Ever since Jeff and I were young we loved each other. A few years ago he asked me to marry him when we got older. When I said yes he walked over and told my parents too. They were afraid Jeff would change as he got older but he hasn't; neither have I."

Casey asked more questions but some I just couldn't answer and I just kept my mouth shut. We made only one stop for fuel and something to eat. Casey dropped me off at the bus terminal and left after wishing me luck.

This bus station was enormous. A large sign listed destinations and times for departures. We had always crossed from Fort Erie into Buffalo but a map on the wall showed that Niagara Falls Ontario would allow me to cross into Niagara Falls, New York. That bus was leaving a half an hour sooner. I bought this ticket and was on the bus in fifteen minutes. The driver was nice and suggested that I could get off just before the end of the trip so I would be closer to the bridge. The driver stopped the bus an hour later and pointed in the direction I had to go.

It was dark by now and I wondered around until I came to the train station. It was very near one of the bridges. Some people were sleeping here and I curled up on a bench and did the same thing. I slept fitfully amid the hiss of steam engines and the rumble of diesels. I fell back to sleep easily again.

The next morning the man that sold tickets woke everybody up. He didn't seem that nice of a person. Another small café was close by so I ate breakfast then left for the bridge. Instead of crossing right away I watched pedestrian traffic. I noticed that it was not unusual for children to cross on foot, though some had bikes. Two girls about my age came by wearing packs and I made a quick decision and followed them. We walked across the long bridge and I got closer to them as we walked. At the other side I paid a dime and was asked, "Where were you born?"

"Canada," was enough to get me across. I think the man thought all three of us were together and that was what I hoped. I talked to the girls now, "I like your packs. Would you tell me where you got them?"

I soon found that things cost less here. The girls talked about style and said they came here to shop. The other girl said that the material was not as good unless you went to the more expensive shops. The girls went out of their way and took me to a place selling packs. Girls didn't usually wear this sort of thing but it was better than carrying the suitcase.

They helped me pick out a pack bigger than theirs to carry all my clothes and other things I was going to need. The woman that sold the packs helped too. I put all the clothes into one of the packs then put it on. It took a while and tried two more packs until I found one that fit well.

"I don't need my suitcase any more," I said to the woman. "Do you want it?"

The woman looked at the suitcase and said, "Won't your mother object. It has her name on it."

"No, that's mine. My fiancé put that name on a year ago."

"A year ago. You are pretty young to be thinking of marriage."

"I have loved Jeff since we were babies. His family lives next to mine in North Bay."

The woman looked at the name on the brass tag then said, "Jeff Congdon wants to marry you? That lad's very famous."

"He is and he is always busy making something new. His lasers are going to make him rich he says."

"I heard of those things. What are they?"

I explained to the woman and my two new friends what Jeff had explained to me. This took about five minutes. I went slow and explained all the small details so they would understand this the way it worked.

One of the girls asked, "Didn't he write some songs for Elvis?"

"Yes he wrote a lot of them. I was in Memphis recently and Mr Presley looks very good in his uniform. Last year Jeff and he were speaking German. That is where he's stationed at the moment."

"Did you talk to him too?"

"Oh, yes. He talked to all of us. He's so polite and his voice is so soft."

The other one said, "You really talked to Elvis Presley?"

"Yeah, he had to go back to Germany. His manager, Sam Johnson, got us to sing this spring break. We made a few records but some of us had to come home because of school. My Mom and Jeff's are watching the group and having a lot of fun."

"You made a record?" she said incredulously.

"There was Jennifer, Angela, Susan, Maggie, Jamie and me singing, not just me."

"There's a record store around the corner. Let's go look if it is there yet."

I said goodbye to the nice lady and walked to the store. We didn't find the record but asked the manager. He looked at a list of paper then unpacked a box and brought out some of the records. The girls and the manager looked at the label and my name was on it. There was a record player so people could listen to the music before purchasing it. We didn't have this in North Bay. We didn't sing too badly; but I could hear a few mistakes but they were small. Mark was good with his machine.

The girls bought two of the records and got me to sign the bill of sale. It was fun to do this in a way. The manager changed most of my Canadian money for American there at the store. The girls took me to the bus station and stayed with me until a bus for Cleveland took me on the first part of my trip.

The bus was an express coach and it was nine hours to the next stop. I had time for a meal and bought some snacks for the next part of the trip. In two hours I was on another bus to Cincinnati.

I slept in the station until the next bus came for Frankfort Kentucky. This one was not an express and made some stops. At one, a large black lady got on the bus and sat in the seat just across the aisle from me. She had two children. The baby sat with her but there wasn't much room. I said to the girl of three, "Why don't you sit here with me?"

The mother smiled and said, "Sit with the young lady, Camille. I am just going to be over here."

"I don't want to."

"Child, you get up on that seat this minute. I am not going to have you make a scene in front of strangers."

"But Momma — "

"Geeet."

The girl did take a seat but sat as far from me as possible. For the next hour I talked to the girl and her mother. The woman was very polite and very nice too. I took out my snacks and shared them with the girl and her mother.

Mrs Brown finally asked, "Where is your family child?" I knew this was coming for a long time.

"My dad and fiancé are in North Bay — "

"Kentucky?"

"No, Ontario. My Mom is touring with Jeff's family and friends. We have a band and the girls sing. The man that promotes Mr Presley is helping us out."

"My god! You know Mr Presley?"

"Yes, Mrs. Brown. He's stationed in Germany but should be back in six months. Do you like his music too?"

"Oh yes. That boy can sing church music better than most and can he move those hips. All the girls are falling for him."

"I have some pictures here if you want to see them."

"I sure do child."

I took out my billfold and that had a large area for pictures. Most were of Jeff but the rest of us were there too. At the back was a picture of Elvis and me and one of Elvis and the group. He was wearing his uniform in both pictures.

"Yes, that's him. Is that your fiancé there?"

"That's him alright."

"He looks even younger than you are."

"He is by one year."

"So you are fifteen and he is fourteen and you are going to get married?"

"He says that it has to be after he is eighteen and then four years or so until we have babies."

"I know girls that had to get married at your age and most of them have a hard time of it. He needs a good job"

"Jeff works for a corporation and it gave us a beautiful home and even a home for my parents. Jeff has all the money we need but he is usually too busy to spend much of it. He bought two apartment buildings then fixed them up so they look like mansions. He owns other things too but we don't talk about money much."

"Well it looks like you found a good one Child."

Eventually the bus stopped and the family left. I stood and hugged the children and then the mother. She was a very good woman and was trying very hard to raise her children right.

It wasn't until Nashville where I had to change buses did I find that my billfold was missing. Camille liked the pictures and must have taken it. Most of my money and all my identification and pictures were gone. I started to cry then just went into the washroom at the bus station and cried on the toilet.

It was no good to just stay here and I finally pulled myself together. I had left Friday at noon and it was now noon on Tuesday. Mom was supposed to move onto Greenville tonight but things could have changed. The distances looked so short on the maps in the bus stations but were so far even on the bus.

The secret compartment was opened and I took out the twenty dollars. I would have difficulty spending it in its current form. I had to ask a lot of questions and in a half hour I found a bank that would do it for me. The teller looked at the money as if it weren't good enough to grace her bank but I kept quiet.

When I got out into the humid air, I considered my other options. Memphis was at the far west of the state while the Carolinas were to the east. I could phone Mark and ask him where the group was but calls like that cost a lot of money. If Mom suspected that I was coming then she would continue with her itinerary. That was assuming if they knew I had managed to cross the border in the first place.

The tickets I needed to Greenville cost more than the money I had. I had a nice watch that Jeff had given me and I looked around for somebody that might want to buy it. One man looked at the watch and me then offered a dollar. He could see that I was desperate and I just walked away. It was the ticket agent that gave me the best deal. He would get the driver of a bus to take me as if I was one of his relatives. The best he could do was get me to a city called Cleveland that was close to Georgia and to South Carolina.

The bus driver didn't seem happy but at eight o'clock that night he dropped me off in the city. The city was about the size of North Bay. The bus station was closed though and a sign said that it would be open at six in the morning.

The second Mrs Brown had warned me about men. So far the trip had been ok and I intended it to continue this way. It was very dark by the time I found a truck stop. My legs were tired and so were my feet. A harried waitress by the name of Greta brought me a meal and I asked, "I need to get to Greenville South Carolina. Is there anybody here that I can safely hitch a ride with?"

"I don't know Honey. These men are hitting on me all the time and I have to let them know in no uncertain terms that I am not interested."

"How?"

"Threaten them and I carry a good knife for those that can't hear very well."

"Could I buy a knife?" I didn't want one but Jeff told me to think the worst of people and be pleasantly surprised if they weren't bad.