A New Beginning: My Journey with Addy

Addy opens her mouth to answer, but no words come. Instead, tears well up in her eyes, and she blinks hard, trying to keep them from falling in front of the other kids.

Sarah steps right between Addy and Harriet before I can even react, telling Addy not to listen to Harriet. I shake my head at Harriet too and reach for Addy’s other hand, telling her we should move on.

Sarah promises Addy she’s going to see Esther again someday, and I agree, adding that Addy’s whole family is going to be together again. I hope that’s true with my whole heart, though I honestly don’t know if it will be, not with a war still raging and Poppa and Sam and baby Esther scattered who knows where.

I slide my hand into my pocket and touch Grandpa’s coin, the one that carried me here in the first place. I can see Mom and Dad and Danny again whenever I want, just by finishing this adventure and going home. I wish so badly I could lend that same certainty to Addy, but some kinds of missing don’t come with a guarantee.

Loud enough for Harriet to hear every word, I tell Addy that I’d be honored to be her sister. Addy squeezes my hand in thanks, then pulls both Sarah and me into a hug. She tells us we’re the best friends she could ask for, and for the rest of the school day, she barely leaves my side.

Addy works hard at every subject after that, harder than I ever do at home, honestly. When Miss Dunn finally dismisses class, Addy, Sarah, and I walk home together. Addy asks if I liked school, and I tell her honestly that I learned plenty, mostly about what good students she and Sarah both are. Addy protests that they don’t know all the answers yet, but I tell her they try harder than almost anyone I know, and that it makes me want to try harder too. She smiles shyly at the compliment, and I suggest we squeeze in some more Double Dutch practice before supper.

Sarah shakes her head and explains she has to get home. Her momma needs help with the laundry she takes in from customers. And she’s been taking in extra work to try to raise more money. Addy has her own job waiting too, checking whether Mrs. Ford has any deliveries that need running before the shop closes for the day. Every extra tip Addy receives is a little bit closer to being able to afford the lamp at Delmonte’s shop.

Sarah asks how much money they have saved, and Addy answers cheerfully that they have $1.34. But today, Addy’s hoping to finish her deliveries early enough to help out at the benefit.

Sarah waves goodbye and heads off toward home, and I can’t help admiring how cheerful she stays about an afternoon of hard work. I tell Addy how nice Sarah is, and Addy agrees, saying Sarah was her first friend in freedom. And I’m her second!

I ask if it’s hard for Sarah to keep up with her own schoolwork on top of all that laundry, and Addy admits it is. Whenever they get the chance, they work on their schoolwork together.

I feel a small twinge of guilt, knowing all I need to do when I get home from school is study. But I’m not always eager to do it.

When we get to Mrs. Ford’s dress shop, we don’t go straight up to the garret. Instead, we go inside. The shop is small and crowded, stuffed with rolls of cloth, boxes of buttons, and baskets of ribbon and yarn. A squat black stove fills the corner with heat, and Addy’s mother is settled at a worktable in the back sewing. She glances at the clock on the wall when we come in, relieved we made it home on time.

Two White women are already inside. One wears a fancy coat and hat, clearly a customer, so Addy pulls me over to wait quietly near the stove until the woman finishes her business and leaves. The other must be Mrs. Ford herself.

Once the shop empties out, Addy’s momma introduces me to Mrs. Ford, explaining that I arrived in Philadelphia just yesterday and I’m staying with them for a while. Mrs. Ford takes off her glasses and studies me with a serious look that makes my stomach flip. I worry I might be causing trouble for the Walkers without meaning to.

After a long moment, Mrs. Ford nods and says it’s fine, as long as I behave as well as Addy does, since she runs a dress shop and not a hotel. Addy’s momma thanks her quickly, and Addy beams with relief. I let out a breath too, glad I haven’t caused any trouble after all.

Mrs. Ford says there are two dress deliveries to Society Hill this afternoon, but she’s also heard about the benefit at Addy’s church and knows there’s plenty of work to be done there too. She offers to run the deliveries herself on her way home if Addy would rather help with the benefit instead. Addy turns the choice over to me. Society Hill means tip money Addy counts on, but the benefit means helping families build new lives in freedom, and I’m not sure which one needs us more.