BETHY ROSE AND CHARLIE WADE MEET

Aunt Lutie thinks the whole bloggin' world is interested in everything that goes on in Harts Corner. Well, I certainly don't see any comments being left on this blog so maybe not one person in this entire world gives a hoot. Of course, Miz Barbara will just tell me to keep talkin' here as you never know what life you will touch.

She wants me to tell you about Charlie Wade. And now that he's in a real home and most--I say most because there's always some smart mouth who bullies people no matter what--most kids have decided to Charlie Wade is pretty cool.

Aunt Lutie says I followed him, trying to find out more about him. I guess I did do that but my heart was in the right place as I was real concerned about his well bein'. I can't tell you though how many times I snuck around, hidin' behind dumpsters, steppin' into doorways, and still I couldn't keep up. Where did he go? Where did he live? Who were his parents? If he knew all about bein' homeless, did that mean he was one of them?

It took a long time but one day I watched him cross the bridge over a stream south of town, then move down the rocky berm, and disappear. By the time I reached the spot, there was no sight of him. So I just scooted right down the side of the road, and followed a faint path that led beneath the bridge. That's when I found out where Charlie lived.

He had set up a camp tucked way up beneath the bridge, sheltered from the weather. A sleeping bag was neatly rolled up beyond a ring of rocks with a stack of small branches nearby. There were some tin cans in a box along with one small skillet and an even smaller saucepan. No lantern. No pillow. No ice. His living quarters were pretty bare.

"Get out of here!" Charlie rose up from behind a large boulder near the stream, still wearing the backpack he carried everywhere. "You shouldn't have followed me."

"Where's your family, Charlie?" I sat down on a rock and waited. When he didn't answer, I continued, "I'm worried about you bein' here alone."

"It's none of your business how I live." He seemed ready to run. "I've been on my own for a long time."

"Why? How? You're not more than nine or ten."

"What's it to you?"

"I think you need a friend. And you need a house to live in."

"Been there, done that." He didn't meet my look. "Besides, some people don't deserve a house."

That sure surprised me. "Everyone needs a family, Charlie. I found that out. Miguel will find you a place, Charlie."

His mouth curled up in a sneer. "You keep him out of this. He's a cop and all they want to do is send kids like me to an orphanage or to a work camp for bad kids."

"Not in Harts Corner, Son."

I don't know where Miguel came from but neither one of us heard him. And we both jumped at the sound of his voice.

Charlie froze, a look of fear on his face.

"Let Miguel help you, Charlie."

"I promise I will do everything in my power to help you stay in Harts Corner. Folks in this town will want to help you out." Miguel began to pile the cooking items in with the food. "Bethy Rose, scatter that fire ring. Charlie, grab your sleep bag."

"I won't stay wherever you take me." His voice began as a squeak but rose as he gathered courage. "I've never stolen from nobody, never been in trouble. There's no reason for you to waste your time. You can't find a place that can hold me forever."

I protested. "You sure have a smart mouth, Charlie. No one should talk to anyone, least ways a sheriff, that way. When Miguel says he will help you, he doesn't mean to dump you on somebody who doesn't care."

He turned on me with fists balled up. "You're a snitch. You told him where to find me."

"I never..."

I've known you were here from the day you arrived."

Charlie looked shocked.

"It's my town, Son. I know what goes on here and who moves in--even beneath a bridge. Let's go."

"W...where are you takin' me?"

"To the one place where you'll be safe and warm. And cared for."

"There's no such place." He glared at both of us.

"They'll be two people who will offer you a stable home, a bedroom of your own, and the opportunity to grow into someone who can look at themselves in the mirror with thanks each day."

"Miguel, that sounds like our family."

He smiled. "The next best, honey."

"Who would do this for Charlie? No one really knows him. We don't know if he's really homeless, or where he came from, or if someone is lookin' for him."

We had reached the cruiser parked at the end of the bridge. Miguel opened the trunk and put Charlie's things inside. He looked over his shoulder.

"I know Charlie Wade Black ran from the scene where his parents were killed mysteriously."

Charlie began to shake. He allowed me to pull him into the backseat with me. He even squeezed my hand as we headed to a new home several miles out in the country. A place where Jewel and Harold waited to give Charlie a new life.

AUNT LUTIE GIVES ADVICE

You all have been wonderin' I am sure what has happened to this blog. Well, I am here to tell you that things have gone amiss both with Miz Barbara and Harts Corner, Texas. Not real bad but too busy. In October, Bethy Rose's little writin' group was going like a house on fire--yes, I know that is one of those horrible cliches that instructors and English teachers are always harpin' on us not to use. But it suits the scene in that school auditorium, for sure. Then November came along and everyone was busy with Thanksgiving, either havin' a ton of family showin' up or drivin' miles away to enjoy someone else's turkey dinner. Anyway, things slowed down a bit. In December it came to a halt. Everyone, includin' Miz Barbara, was just too darned busy to write much less show up to read anything. And she's still strugglin' with shoulder pain and weak hands and all those nasty things that go along with falls you wouldn't have had if your feet had been goin' in the right direction.

So Bethy Rose said they'd meet again in January. Here it is January, almost the end of the month, and no one has agreed to a date. So she's gonna put out the word that January 31, a Friday night, is the time to get the show rollin' again. She says she'll be there if she has to read to empty chairs. I think I know for sure that several chairs will be filled no matter what.

I know Bethy Rose will be there hopin' that Charlie shows up, too. Oh, I forgot that I haven't told you about Charlie yet. Well, it all started with her Open Reading thing. She just loves writin' and "performin'" her work. And she's still encouragin' other kids to write their stories, too. That's sort of how she met Charlie Wade.

Bethy Rose says she'd only seen him once in the hallway at school before he showed up at one of the Readings. She noticed he was still wearin' a big backpack which appeared full when he went up the steps to the stage. When he read his story--from the memoir of his homeless life--Bethy Rose she was blown away, didn't know whether to cheer or cry. But it bothered her that the adults in the audience didn't seem to believe the story wasn't fiction.

You do know how smart our Bethy Rose is, don't you? Well, she set out to prove them wrong. She played sleuth (I wonder where she got that notion?), followed Charlie in secret, learnin' more about him and his life. And, it turned out to be almost more than that child could handle. What did she discover?

I think I'll have to let her tell you all about that. But I do have some advice to all you folks out there. Do not look down your long noses at anyone in this world. You don't know what pain they may have in their lives. You have no idea what brought them to this particular spot in the world. You need to reach out a hand, become interested, help them up, care for them like they were as good as you are.

Because, you know what, they are one of God's children just the same as you are. He knows their story. He doesn't care what they may or may not have done to be in a certain position. He loves them anyway. And, you, with your judging notions are not loved anymore than the lowest creature on this earth.

End of advice. Bethy Rose will tell you the rest of this story when she is ready to share.  Have a good weekend and pray for everyone to have a good life.

Aunt Lutie