ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (26)

   "Well, how much is the bill?" Betty asked.
   "It's $230.50," Edie answered.
   "Oh my goodness. Well, I have to see how much I have. Do you think your father will give you the money?"
   "I have to ask him first for it. But he will. I'll call him now if I may use your phone."
   Betty entertained Alice and Melvin while Edie was making her call. 
   After about a half hour Edie returned  to the living room where everyone was eating and talking and having a good time. When Edie entered the room, it went so quiet. "Well?" Betty blurted out.
   "Yes, he will be here in about an hour. I'm so sorry to hold you up like this, Melvin and Alice."
   "I can give them the money if they will take a check and then your father can pay me. How about that? Then they can get on their way."
   Melvin and Alice agreed and after thanks and hugs everyone said goodbye and Melvin and Alice were on their way.

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (25)

"Oh, thank you, Mrs Johnson very much!" Susan said as she hugged her and ran over to the dolls.

'Which one? They were all beautiful!" Susan thought as she looked at the dresses and their faces.  She picked one that looked like one she had before the fire.

Edie gulped.

"That doll looks like the one she had that got lost in the fire."

"Do you like that doll?"

Susan held the doll so tight like not to be taken away from her again.  She cried, she was so happy.  It's been a long time since she held such a beautiful doll.  Grandma made a rag-doll for Christmas one year and it was nice but not like the store bought dolls which Santa and Mommy and Daddy gave her.

Seeing Susan so happy and crying made Edie and Betty cry, too.

"Well, go play with her." Betty said. "Your mom and I want to talk."

"Thank you again, Mrs. Johnson." Susan said as she hugged her.  She was like hugging a big teddy bear.  Mommy was skinny.

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I need to pay the cab bill, and I'm broke.  May I borrow the money until I can get it from my father?"

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (24)

   A large barrow of a guy came out of the shop following Mrs. Johnson.
   Mrs. Johnson introduced him to Edie and everyone as Harry Wilson. He lived in the cottage behind the shop.
    "Harry, is that wheelchair I outgrew," and Mrs. Johnson laughed, "still in the shed?"
   "Betty, darling, you just have more to hug," Harry chimed in laughing.
   "Let's get Edie in first, then check out the chair, okay? It's cold out here. Everyone want coffee?" Bett smiled at Edie. "I know you do. And Edie, stop calling me Mrs. Johnson."
    "Well, I'm trying to be polite. Now Susan you don't call her Betty. You call her Mrs. Johnson."
    "I know because she's older than me."
    "Your shop is darling, Betty. Don't touch anything, Susan. I need to ask you something, Betty. It's very important. Can we talk somewhere private?"
    "Sure, let's go in my bedroom. Susan, go over to the dolls that are on that table. See them? Pick out one you like and you can have it."

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (23)

   The cab pulled up front of a very cute gift shop.
   "This is it. Stop!" Edie was so excited. This was her old friend's gift shop, Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was in her fifties and also a double amputee. Her amputation was due to diabetes. 
    "Edie, it's so good to see you. Come one in," Mrs. Johnson said when she reached in the cab to hug her.
   "I can't. I don't have my wheelchair. It's a long story. Melvin and his wife, Alice, carried me into the restaurant but I don't want him to carry me again. Alice told me he had back surgery a month ago. Melvin, I could shoot you for not telling me."
   "My friend is here. I'll get him to get you. And this must be Susan. The last time I saw you I think you were four, am I right?" Mrs. Johnson hugged Susan. 
    Susan was thinking that Mrs. Johnson is like mommy. I wonder if there are more people like them? Or are they the only two in the world. Was Mrs. Johnson in a fire and if every one is in a fire do they lose their legs? So many questions. I'll ask mommy. 

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (22)

   "Well, all is not lost, I have a quarter," Edie said as she and Alice laughed.
   "You have a good sense of humor, Edie. You're Okay.  We probably could become good friends if you lived here."
   "I'm sure we could, but there is one thing."
   "What's that, kiddo?"
   "No, there's two things. Number one, don't call me kiddo and number two I'm not deaf or blind so you don't have to get down in my face to talk to me.  I'm a double amputee. That goes for you, too, Melvin. Everyone does that. They think because I don't have legs, I can't hear or see or even worse they ignore me like I'm retarded. Edie was smiling and saying this in a joking manner (even if it was the truth) so Alice and Melvin wouldn't be offended. But how many times was she offended? Children staring and pointing is understood but adults can sometimes be painful as a pain in the neck. "Oh God bless them. They don't know any better, either. It's something I'll have to get used to and just live with it."

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (21)

   Stop that, not around Mommy. She would say, "Everything will be ok now." Will it? Ever? she thought.
    Melvin did most of the driving with Alice switching over when they stopped for gas and once for a bite to eat. Breakfast sounded good to the adults but Susan had a burger and a milkshake. What a treat! Melvin ordered her some fries, too. "Mommy, when we get our new home, can we go out to eat burgers and fries every night?"
   After the shock of Edie being a double amputee, Alice and Melvin found her to be quite interesting. Edie used to ice skate, ride horses, dance, swim and dive. She also made her own clothes. Made her first dress when she was nine years old. Which interested Alice. When she told them she made Susan's dress she had on (not the muddy one) they were in awe. How? Then she told them. Too bad Edie was moving away. Alice could give and get her a lot of business sewing. That sounded good to Edie, to have her own business. That's what she's going to do. I have to get another sewing machine. She told Alice what happened to her sewing machine. 

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAIN (20)

    Melvin and Alice knew they were taking a chance on getting paid for this expensive trip, but why not, this woman needed help and "It wasn't going to make them or break them," as Alice said. And besides, they needed  a break from the business and Ted can handle everything. Good Old Ted. He was as faithful as an old hound dog and about as slow.
    Alice packed and Melvin checked out the car and told Ted what to do while they were gone. Edie cleaned up Susan's coat and Susan took a bath in an indoors tub with running water. First time since she was five years old when they lived in that house that burned down. When Susan thought of this, it frightened her and she got out of the tub. Memories started to come back of her old home and her bedroom and the dollhouse that Daddy built and her car that she used to pedal down the sidewalk to pick Ilea her friend for a ride. I guess we were four years old. And all my dolls, my pretty dolls and then Susan began to cry.