Read The Caregiver for Free Online
Authors: Shelley Shepard Gray
arrived,” he proclaimed. “We will unload and take you to Toledo. There, we will do our best to rebook all of you in a timely fashion. For everyone’s safety, please gather your items and move forward.”
Around her people groaned but were fairly obedient as they gathered their belongings.
Katie scrambled to her feet. “Oh, I hope we can hurry! I’ve really gotta go.”
“We’ll do our best,” Lucy promised with a wink in Calvin’s direction as they stepped into the aisle.
Calvin took his sister’s hand. “You hold my hand until I find you a bathroom. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I won’t let go,” Katie promised, her tone of voice high and excited. Just as if they were on a wonderful- gut adventure.
Doing her best to look eager for the adventure, too, Lucy smiled Katie’s way as she joined the line. They’d taken about five steps when she realized that she’d been so preoccupied with Katie that she’d completely forgotten her quilt bag. It was still on her seat. She stepped to the side.
“Lucy?” Calvin asked over his shoulder.
“I forgot my bag. You go ahead in line and then I’ll catch up.”
Katie’s eyes widened. “But what if we lose ya?”
“You won’t,” Lucy promised. “We’re all going to the same place.”
“Should we wait for you?”
“ Now you want to wait?” Calvin asked his sister. “After doing nothing but complaining about needing to visit the restroom? I think not. Lucy, we’ll see you on the bus.”
Lucy waved to Katie. “I’ll be right behind you two.”
Katie bit her lip. “But—”
Their uncle stepped in. “Come now, Katie. You are holding up the line. And you need to find a washroom, A.S.A.P.”
Looking over her shoulder one last time, Katie gave Lucy a little wave, then obediently turned and walked forward. Moments later, they were off the train.
It took Lucy quite some time to backtrack to her seat. After she did, she slipped the handles of her bag over her arm and waited for another break in line.
But the attendant’s voice had gotten more shrill. And whether it was that or the thunderstorm outside, the line of people began to jostle even more. Tension rose in her as she looked from one face to the next.
The moment that she stepped out of the train car, rain pattered against her skin. “Come along,” another train employee called out, his face and voice barely visible under all of his rain gear.
Lucy looked for Calvin and Katie. Surely they were out of the restroom by now? But every time she paused, the man behind almost bumped into her.
The attendant was running out of patience. “Don’t hold up the line,” he called out. “Miss, go straight to the closest bus.”
“I will,” she said politely. “However, I’m just looking for the man I was sitting next to—”
“You’ll see him in Toledo. Board. Now.”
Lucy didn’t see Calvin anywhere. As the rain soaked her skin, and she made the quick jaunt to the bus’s open door, she continually looked around for Calvin and Katie.
No sign of them. Not on her bus. Not anywhere outside.
“Take a seat, please,” the bus driver called out.
There seemed to be only one empty seat. At the back, next to a little five-year-old boy who was holding a teddy bear. Slowly, she sat down next to him.
Seconds later, the front doors to the bus closed and they were off again. Driving through the night toward the lights of Toledo.
All around her were the sights and sounds of irritable, tired, soaked-to-the-skin people.
And Lucy learned that there was, indeed, something far worse than sitting next to the only Amish man on the train. It was sitting on the bus . . . and having him be nowhere in sight.
Chapter 4
C alvin couldn’t believe he’d lost Lucy. He had watched with dismay when she pulled herself out of the line and backtracked to her seat. He was going to wait for her, but the attendant wanted none of that—and they needed to find a bathroom for Katie.
“Keep forward, sir,”
Around her people groaned but were fairly obedient as they gathered their belongings.
Katie scrambled to her feet. “Oh, I hope we can hurry! I’ve really gotta go.”
“We’ll do our best,” Lucy promised with a wink in Calvin’s direction as they stepped into the aisle.
Calvin took his sister’s hand. “You hold my hand until I find you a bathroom. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I won’t let go,” Katie promised, her tone of voice high and excited. Just as if they were on a wonderful- gut adventure.
Doing her best to look eager for the adventure, too, Lucy smiled Katie’s way as she joined the line. They’d taken about five steps when she realized that she’d been so preoccupied with Katie that she’d completely forgotten her quilt bag. It was still on her seat. She stepped to the side.
“Lucy?” Calvin asked over his shoulder.
“I forgot my bag. You go ahead in line and then I’ll catch up.”
Katie’s eyes widened. “But what if we lose ya?”
“You won’t,” Lucy promised. “We’re all going to the same place.”
“Should we wait for you?”
“ Now you want to wait?” Calvin asked his sister. “After doing nothing but complaining about needing to visit the restroom? I think not. Lucy, we’ll see you on the bus.”
Lucy waved to Katie. “I’ll be right behind you two.”
Katie bit her lip. “But—”
Their uncle stepped in. “Come now, Katie. You are holding up the line. And you need to find a washroom, A.S.A.P.”
Looking over her shoulder one last time, Katie gave Lucy a little wave, then obediently turned and walked forward. Moments later, they were off the train.
It took Lucy quite some time to backtrack to her seat. After she did, she slipped the handles of her bag over her arm and waited for another break in line.
But the attendant’s voice had gotten more shrill. And whether it was that or the thunderstorm outside, the line of people began to jostle even more. Tension rose in her as she looked from one face to the next.
The moment that she stepped out of the train car, rain pattered against her skin. “Come along,” another train employee called out, his face and voice barely visible under all of his rain gear.
Lucy looked for Calvin and Katie. Surely they were out of the restroom by now? But every time she paused, the man behind almost bumped into her.
The attendant was running out of patience. “Don’t hold up the line,” he called out. “Miss, go straight to the closest bus.”
“I will,” she said politely. “However, I’m just looking for the man I was sitting next to—”
“You’ll see him in Toledo. Board. Now.”
Lucy didn’t see Calvin anywhere. As the rain soaked her skin, and she made the quick jaunt to the bus’s open door, she continually looked around for Calvin and Katie.
No sign of them. Not on her bus. Not anywhere outside.
“Take a seat, please,” the bus driver called out.
There seemed to be only one empty seat. At the back, next to a little five-year-old boy who was holding a teddy bear. Slowly, she sat down next to him.
Seconds later, the front doors to the bus closed and they were off again. Driving through the night toward the lights of Toledo.
All around her were the sights and sounds of irritable, tired, soaked-to-the-skin people.
And Lucy learned that there was, indeed, something far worse than sitting next to the only Amish man on the train. It was sitting on the bus . . . and having him be nowhere in sight.
Chapter 4
C alvin couldn’t believe he’d lost Lucy. He had watched with dismay when she pulled herself out of the line and backtracked to her seat. He was going to wait for her, but the attendant wanted none of that—and they needed to find a bathroom for Katie.
“Keep forward, sir,”