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demeanor. I looked up and shook my head, not being able to speak.
    Miss May
wiped her hands on her apron as she started over towards me, but stopped when
she noticed I took a cautious step back. “What in the world got ahold of you,
young’un?”
    I darted to
the back corner and hunkered down without saying a word. I didn’t think I could
if I wanted to. I was totally freaked out, and that fear had somehow stolen my
voice. I thought if I was just near her, I would be okay. She checked on me once
as I hid behind a large stack of bread pallets but didn’t say anything else. An
hour or so passed before my dad stormed through, looking for me.
    “Miss May,
have you seen Savannah? I just got a phone call that she’s missing.” I could
hear the panic in my dad’s voice from where I hid.
    “Yessir.
She been ‘round here for a bit. I’ll send her to yo’ office in a minute.”
    My dad must
have agreed because I heard him step back out of the kitchen.
    A mad rage
came over me and I stormed over to Miss May to square off with her. Before I
uttered a word, she grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me dead in the eyes.
    “I done
told yo’ daddy that I caught sight of you. I had to tell ‘em. He my boss and I
ain’t gonna be lyin’.” She nodded her head sternly to emphasize her point.
    I stood
there nearly choking on the hurt and tried to look away from her intense stare,
but she gave me a slight shake to get back my attention.
    “You more
than welcome ‘round here as long as these here two eyes don’t catch sight of
you.”
    I stared
into her chocolate eyes, confused.
    “Do you
understand me, child? I ain’t gonna lie, but if I don’t actually see you then I
won’t be lyin’, right ?” She eased so
close until our noses almost touched. She widened her eyes to convey her
message.
    That’s when
I finally caught on to her drift. And that was the beginning of my disappearing
acts.
    The
afternoons that Evan was at the house, I would escape to the back porch of the
restaurant or to the storage room in the kitchen. Snacks of hush puppies or
french fries and sweet tea would always find me. Miss May knew I was there, but
when my dad came storming in, proclaiming I had disappeared again, she would
always reply the same. “These two eyes ain’t laid sight on her today, sir.” I
knew my dad didn’t believe her because he would always look around and let out
a loud huff before stomping out of the kitchen.
    I overheard
her mumbling under her breath after he departed one afternoon, “That fool need
to quit worryin’ where that girl sneaks off to and start worryin’ why.”
    I did show
my appreciation to my saving grace by helping her out in any way I could find.
Sometimes I would snatch a basket of fresh corn and shuck it all for her so she
could put it into a Frogmore stew. Or I would pick through endless amounts of
crabmeat until my fingers were pruned from the damp meat and slide it back to
her when she turned her back to me. I didn’t care how tedious the task was, as
long as I got to stay away from Evan. I would have been willing to scrub the
men’s bathroom.
    She saved me
from months of unknown mistreatment, and how did I reward her? I ran away from
her, without a second glance, the moment I got my chance. The realization that
I wronged so many in my quest to escape the ones that wronged me was becoming a
sharp regret that seemed to be piercing me deep within…

 
 
 

 
 
    Chapter Five

 
 
 
    The sun seems just as tired as I am and
is beginning to droop in the sky quickly as I make my way farther south. I know
I should just drive on through, but I decide to put off the inevitable for just
a bit longer. I hit the GPS screen on my dashboard and do a quick search for
the closest beach resort. After finding an appealing stop, I follow my car’s
direction to my destination.
    The
beachfront resort and spa has ended up being my easiest decision of the day. I
take a deep cleansing breath as I enter