We have been sitting here for hours and we want to go home. We are hungry and cold and have not slept for days. How did this happen . . .How did we come to this place. MOMMY

The family left for vacation Thursday night,  they were going to the big city to visit with a family member that left the farm twenty-three years ago to be a big banker. They tired of farm work and raising all the younger siblings. They wanted something more.  There had to be something more. So at the age of 17, one night they just left, leaving a note of love and good-bye’s, taking some cloths and bread.

So now twenty-three years later a family member of their’s is happy to come visit with their children, a boy and two girls.  The drive was horrible with the one child always crying and fighting and just not happy.  This spoiled it for everyone. Especially the driver. The single mother.  A trip she would never take again. well not with the kids.

The noise and arguing became too much,  she exploded pulling the car over to the side of the road.  This was not a good thing. What happened was, without thinking, she actually through the car’s shift lever into park, before slowing down, before stepping on the break, before anything . . .Then she screamed in a banshee cry . . .I SAID BE QUIET!  GET OUT!

Everything became calm again, and all back in the car again, but now, the car did not want to drive very far or pick up speed at all.  What was going on now. Each time she tried the vehicle drove for a short distance only reaching up to forty miles per hour,  and dying down to a stop.  It was insane and she as alone with three children and there was no way she was going to sit in the parked car, on a high-way alone. So she put her car through hell until she reached an open gas station.

YOU JUST CAN’T THROUGH YOUR CAR INTO PARK, you have to stop first.

What?  As confused as she was,  she understood, during all the fighting and noise the kids were doing, she did something to the car. SLAMMED the shift lever into park. But luck was on her side, what ever the gas station man did under the hood her car worked.

On the road again with the BIG warning . . .NEVER AGAIN.

The rest of the way was quiet to a degree where every once in a while she checked to see if they were sleeping.  It was not often she became mad, but when she did they knew not to push, shove or dare.  They were good the rest of the way. Right now the children are the ages of 10, 8 and 4. It is her first time on the road with the children, where the drive is eight hours long. She has never driven longer than 45 minutes. Now here she is two and one half hours on the road and falling a sleep. It has all been too much for her mind and now her eyes. Lucky,  she could see up a head there is a small service station. She would pull over. “Listen to me . . .I have to rest my eyes or we will crash and die. NO ONE LEAVE THIS CAR.”

It was twenty minutes later when the boy child shook her,  telling her,  she had to wake up, the girls were in the washroom,  screaming and won’t come out,  and there is water all over the place.    WHAT ?  The child repeats everything, and she fully wakes.  When she reaches the restrooms,  it was a mess and the children were loud and crying and water everywhere. MESS INDEED. She somehow in visioned the looks she received when she opened the door to this establishment and now the looks she was getting as she removed these two crying girls from the washroom, escorting them through the restaurant where people were eating and trying to enjoy a nice meal while her children were out of control and out,  on their own. She could not help but to giggle and do her VERY BEST not to bust out with laughter.  She did see the lighter side of things at times,  and this was one of those times.  Not to bother though . . .The washroom was not that bad, she cleaned up what she could leaving the water on the floor,  there was nothing she could do about that. But the faces.  The people were looking at her like she was something out of the deep. The gasps some of them gave at her,  was the start of the giggle.  These people went dead silent and watched her every step.  She was sure some of them left their seats and watched out the window. That is when she lost all control and laughed.  At that point it was hard to give the children trouble. So she asked questions instead. She should do better not to all a sleep with children on the loose. They had to pee and were caring enough not to wake her.

It was hours later when she arrived at a little town called Beaverton. They made it alive. The children were happy to get out of the car and so was she . . .Yippee. She sang,  we’re here,  because we’re here,  because we’re here, because we’re here. We’re here,  because we’re here,  because we’re here,  because we’re here.    “Why are you singing that mommy . . .What does that mean?” It means we are here,  safe and alive.

They were greeted by her family members and hugs and kisses were plenty and everyone was happy.  Come on in and have a bite to eat . . .You must be famished. “Mommy will the Easter bunny know where we are?”   Everyone chuckled at the smallest child. ” He will have to come a long way.” Said the happy uncle. “He goes everywhere.” Said the brother. “You don’t have to worry.”      Before they reached the house they were all greeted by him . . .The eldest son of her older brother. He was somewhat trouble but no one really knew this . . . He was quiet about it,  and kept to himself,  most of the time. ” Hey kid how old are you.”  “Ten.” The boy said with a coy smile.  “Eleven tomorrow.” He flashed his teeth. Everyone big, laughed, not the older boy.  “How old are you.” The ten yer old asked. The taller boy peered down at the kid . . .”18.”   

In the house they all had a bit to eat, and while the children played and talked, the adults cleaned up and chatted.  So far everyone was happy. So far there was no trouble or arguing and fighting or anything to cause mishaps. So far everything was perfect.  Tomorrow they would all go into the big city and shop. Tomorrow the boy would be eleven and they would have a small party for him. Then Sunday would be Easter. And the children will hunt for eggs. Everyone would be happy.

In the big city,  they parked the large van in the parking lot and went into the  huge shopping mall.  Wow, the kids had never seen such a thing as this massive store, let along their mother, she was just as marveled as they. Coming from a small country farm and all, this is,  something spectacular,  for them all to see. “Listen . . .Being how i am going to be here for one week,  i would like to play that lottery game you wrote to me about. I even have some numbers picked out.” She reached down into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper, with six numbers scribbled down. She handed the paper to her older brother. “What do you think.”  He read out the numbers.

 ” 9-13-15-40-23-38.  Not bad actually,  your missing one number, but these look good.” She took the paper. ” No way . . .Now what.” “Pick one more number silly.”  “No what i ment was, these numbers are special and i can’t think of any more things that are special.” Her brother smiled down at her . . .”How about today . . .Is this special enough.” “Sure we can make it one never to forget.  Seven it is then.” He took the paper and scribbled down number 7,  gave it to his son, telling him to go get a ticket with all these numbers.  Then he told the boy to meet them at the food court, where they all would enjoy a meal out.

“Can we come.”  Asked the middle child . . .She was tired of looking at all the stuff her mom wanted to see and thought this was a chance to get away, and maybe see toys. “Yeah, can we.” Asked the birthday boy. Before the 18-year-old could speak up,  his dad told him to take the younger ones and keep a good eye on them.  “Sure.”  But not a happy sure. And off they went, but not without hearing their mom’s last words . . .Hold your sister’s hand and stay together.  Seconds later everyone was out of everyone’s sight.  The mall was full of people, of course this is the last shopping day until after Easter.

“Shouldn’t the children be back by now.”  She asked, looking at her watch and around the mall. “Well they should be . . .But you know kids . . .They very seldom do what they are told. No worries though . . .They probably stopped to look at every window in the place. “Yeah maybe you’re right . . .kids and toys.” But she was unsettled with this reasoning, the children were gone now for two hours and this is unusual for her boy, she knows better in him to keep away for to long.  And to long according to her is half an hour. He knows it and she knows it. And she is getting up-set. She stood up from the table. ” Listen . . .I’m going to take a quick look around for them.” “They will probably be here any minute.” She shook her head no. ” No,  i waited way to long as it is . . .He knows, they know the rules when we split up.  I don’t feel right.”  She left the table telling them she will not be long and please watch the little one.

Easter had come and gone, bags of chocolate bunnies and toys and new cloths still sat in the bags in the trunk of the van. She did not care, she only wanted her children.  Her brother had called the police before they left the mall two days ago. Three children went missing the ages of 18, 11, and 9. pictures and posters were put out and around in stores and restaurants and on bill-boards and posts.  But no calls came in about nothing. No calls from kidnappers. No nothing. It was creepy.

 ”Worse case scenario.” She said to the one detective. He didn’t want to frighten her anymore than what she already was. “Tell me!” She yelled at him and her brother stood up and said. “Answer her . . .I want to know.” The young officer looked away from them and scratched at his head. He diverted his eyes while the older detective talked.  “Okay . . .Worse case scenario . . .They are taken and being sold if not already,  sold into the black underground market of prostitution.” This was the wrong but right thing,  to say to her . . .She flipped out. She screamed in anger. “ Not my babies.   No siree . . .Not my children! I did not have my children . . .I did not carry my babies inside myself for nine months for anyone to take!  I did not have babies for shit!  No . . .No way.” She ran and puked in the sink, then her bowels wanted to empty, they did,  ten times. When she returned to the kitchen she said to her brother. ” I need the keys to your van.” 

The young officer did his best to stop her from leaving but failed, as did the older detective.  Her brother had no say, he just did as he was asked and got in the van giving her directions to the mall.  That is what she told them all. ” I need to go to the mall and no one in this room has the right to tell me i can not go.”  In all actually she was indeed right. She had every right to go to the mall.  And she went with her brothers help.

In the mall,  she asked her brother,  to take her where they left the children, he did.  She stood still and closed her mind of everything around her and went back to that day. She sobbed for one long second,  telling herself there was no time for tears. “Stop it . . .Hear me.” Then she called out as loud as she could their names, every thing around her became quiet. She called again. People looked,  whispers could be heard. She called one more time with her eyes shut and with her heart opened. Lets go now. And off they went in the same direction the children went that day, his birthday.

She ran through the mall this way that way, stopping, listening, running, turning around running over that way then this way.  “Where are you going.” He called to his sister. “I don’t know . . .Where ever my head tells me.” He ran to keep up with her. “What are you doing.” “following.”   “What?”   “I’m following my body to my children.”  He grabbed hold of her stopping her. “How does that even make sence?” ” Perfectly to me . . .Now let me go. You can follow me or you can go home. But let me be.” A tear fell from her. “Please brother,  you are wasting my time, i need to go this way.” He became puzzled. “What can it hurt.” He let her go. A minute later she was outside in the back of the mall crossing over the back parking area and into the brush.  seconds later they both could see a cabin.

Her heart started to pound. “There brother . . .They are in there.” He ran faster than anything she ever saw and smashed his big body up into,  onto the door and it cracked. They heard a scream from a child. She called out to this child . . .All that came back was one word.  Mommy. When her brother finally broke down the door,  eight,  children,  huddled in the corner,  all tattered and torned, bound in ropes and tape, ready for market. One child lie dying,  he was not wanted from a month ago. It was his jet-black hair, jet-black was not on the market for a while now.

When they were free, the one child said. “Mommy . . .How did you find us.” Her eyes began to fill with tears. ” The Lord . . .I didn’t carry you in my belly for nine months for nothing . . . A Mother’s intuition i guess.” They all cried tears of joy and Love. Then they had Easter and Birthday cake.  THE END