Into The Darkness and Rain

I awoke to the sound of the thrump and swoosh of tires moving rapidly on a wet road. It was 1945 and I was not yet three years old. I was lying down on my left side, and it was dark in all around me, and I was confused. I didn't know where I was, or what was happening.  The last thing I remembered was going to bed. Was it danger?  I lay still as could be, waiting.

My alarm buttons went off!  "Gingy!", my mind silently panicked to find my beloved sister, Virginia, two years older than me. I had to find her!  Quietly, I moved my leg to feel for her.  There she was, sleeping,  I mentally sighed in relief, knowing she was with me, and safe. She was my lifeline; I was her protector. Knowing she was with me, and safe eased my inner fear, my anxiety.

Now was the time to explore our surroundings.  Keeping my body still, but using all my senses, I set about to guard my sister. All the things I had already learned in my short life - things to keep us safe, I put into motion. I was on high alert.

In those days the cars had bench seats in front and in back. There was quite a lot of space on the floor board, but with a big hump running through the middle of the floor for the drive shaft.  I could see a back of the front bench, a dark looming shadow in front of me.  I heard the murmur of muted voices. A man and a woman. She was excited; he was calm. I strained my ears, but couldn't make any sense of their conversation.  My eyes had adjusted to the dark by then, and when i looked up I could see a faint glow of light from the front of the car.  

The woman turned to look at the man, and I saw a sliver of her face and hair. It was my aunt Dora!  She was speaking urgently, now, telling the man they had to hurry. The man spoke gently to her, trying to calm her.  I relaxed when I recognized his voice; it was my uncle Harold. I knew he was a kind and sweet man. I could trust him. I let myself relax, as the rhythm of the moving car and voices lulled me back to sleep.

I was awakened, again. This time by strong arms lifting me from the back seat of the car. It was Uncle Harold, and he was murmuring to me, telling me everything was going to be all right, while Aunt Dora scolded him about babying me.

"Well, she is a baby", he said. She hurumphed, and demanded he put me on the ground to walk.  She had Virginia by the hand, leading her up the walk towards a house I had never seen before.  He set me on the ground, and took my hand. There were lights shining from the windows of the house, and the front door burst open. An old woman, wearing an apron came hurrying down the steps, her arms wide open in welcome. She smiled, and hugged and bustled us into the house.  It was a farmhouse, with a huge, round oak table in the kitchen. That is all I remember of the house, except for the warmth of love I felt every minute I was there.

Against Aunt Dora's protests, this dear lady had warmed up milk and poured it over bread with a bit of sugar and butter. At a time of rationing, this was a huge treat but this was a farm, and the milk, bread and butter came from the labor of their hands. So there it was, glistening in the overhead light.  A big bowl, each for both Virginia and me. She tsk-tsk'd my aunt, telling her we had been through a long trip, and needed nourishment and warmth for our tummies. It was bliss.  We both cleaned our bowls.  Then she tucked us onto her sofa with a huge quit, and we were soon fast asleep.

So ended the day my mother gave me away.

Into the darkness You shine

PSALM 139:12-13

If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and

the light around me will be night," even the darkness is

not dark to you, and the night is a bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to You, For you formed my

 inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.

EPILOGUE:  45 years later I was to learn the truth about that night....