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Show in my father's house/ 115 leave Helga," she whispered, a slow flush creeping up her neck. "Not now when I'm so ill." My father coughed. "I'll need Helga to help out in the office. Maybe you could stay and send your little ones with the others." His voice strained, almost pleading. My mother shook her head. "I couldn't! The baby's too young. And Dorothy Jeanne needs me." My father sucked his teeth and nodded, his shoulders stooping as he turned away. After dark, we loaded some clothing and a hamper of food into the big green Hudson. When I had bathed and dressed in my nightgown, my mother sent me downstairs to kiss my brothers goodbye. "Why are they sleeping down there? With the black widow spiders and the dark?" I asked my mother. She shuddered. "Don't talk about such things! They're sleeping there in case the authorities come. You know what happened to the Short Creek group...." My heart hammered as I descended the dark stairway. Perhaps we were saying goodbye forever. I crawled across the bedding and into Saul's arms. "What will happen to us?" I began to cry. His voice quaked a little. "Don't worry, Jeannie. Be brave, and take good care of Mama for us, ok?" My mother flitted through the curtain. She was out of breath and her hair escaped its bun in little wisps. Her face |