Chapt 3 " A closed mouth don't get fed"

For about a year and some change, I bounced around from house to house, mostly family. You would think family would gladly help their own. WRONG!!! They didn't want anymore to do with me than some complete stranger. My Social Worker, Mrs. Wilson knew what would happen to me, if I went into the State ran Foster Care System. So she made a couple of calls and put me with this lady named Millie Anderson, she lived in Georgia. Mrs. Wilson said she was a Godsend, she would take in stray girls that would otherwise be shuffled into the system. I didn't care too much, I just wanted to finally have a bed of my own. Mrs Wilson was always cool like that. She always said she was so tired of seeing Young Girls falling by the wayside, and she would do whatever she legally could do, to make sure every girl that passed through her office, was given a fair chance to become a productive and responsible Young Woman. I always liked Mrs Wilson. She stayed lookin out for a sista. She would bring me food, clothes, books and sum pocket money. Thanks Mrs. Wilson, I will never forget you.

I arrived in Georgia by Greyhound, and it was cold as shit! There were all types of people walking by as I sat and waited for my ride to my new home. I was so thirsty and hungry from the ride here. I spent my little pocket money on something to eat earlier, but the bus broke down and we were stuck longer than expected. Now I'm hungry all over again. Shit! Wheres my ride??!!, I thought. I wish whoever is coming would hurry up, I'm starving! I happened to notice to my right, on the other side of the bench I was seated on, was an Old White Man fast asleep. He had a unopened bag of hot chips in his coat pocket. Damn I sure would like to get a handful of them chips right now, I thought to myself. Fuck it! I eased my way down the bench towards the sleeping man. As I got closer I could hear him snoring, which kinda put my nerves at ease, cause I didn't want to go to jail for getting caught picking somebody's pocket. I was so hungry, it was like I could smell the hot chips through the bag. I slowly reach over, and gently pulled the bag out the man's pocket. I slid back down to my side of the bench, grabbed my purse and stood up. It seems like as soon as I took my first steps to freedom, the man let out a loud snore and woke up. "Excuse me", the man said. I was paralyzed with fear. Damn!! I thought he was sleep, did he see me?? "Hey little girl, Excuse me", he said again. I slipped the bag of chips into my purse and turned around.

"Can I help you", I said. The man grabbed his jacket and bag off the bench, stood up and began walking towards me. I clinched my purse as if he was about to snatch it off my shoulder and retrieve his shit. "I thought you might be needing this after you eat those Hot Chips", he said sarcastically. He reached into his bag and pulled out a can of Strawberry Soda. "Go head, take it", he demanded. I was in complete shock. The only thing I could possible say at that moment was Thank You and I'm Sorry. "Let me give you a word of advise", he said as he zipped up his bag. "A closed mouth don't get fed, if you want something open up your mouth and ask", he continued "Oh yeah enjoy the chips", the man said as he turned around and disappeared into the bus station. I sat back down on the bench and began to enjoy my stolen snack. As soon as I took my last swallow of soda I heard. HONK! HONK! HONK! "Young Lady, can you come her please" was what I heard coming from behind me. I turned around and seen the Ugliest, Oldest Station Wagon I'd ever laid eyes on. The crazy part was there was this Little Old Black Lady sitting behind the steering wheel. She could barely see over the dashboard. I walked over to the Station Wagon and leaned over into the passenger side window. "Were you talking to me", I asked. "I know I'm old, but I'm not blind, I don't see any other Young Ladies sitting around here stealing folk's food, do you?", she asked with a motherly tone. " I've been sitting here for bout 15 minutes watching you, and I happened to see you take that man's food", she said. "But I was hungry and my ride is late", I blurted out with the typical teenage attitude."So that gives you the right to take what doesn't belong to you?", she interrupted. "NO!!", I replied. "No Ma'am, is the correct way to address a Lady", she snapped.

By that time I was boiling over inside. Who the fuck this old bat think she talking too?, I thought. "First off, I don't know you and I don't have to answer your questions, Second, You not my momma", I yelled. "I am now, nice to meet you, and I'm going to assumed your London, I'm Mrs. Millie Anderson", she said with a great amount of pride. The embarrassment I felt at that moment cannot be express in words. Well maybe they can.....I'LL BE DAMNED!! "Mrs. Anderson, I am so sorry, I didn't know it was you", I said. "Of course not child, you didn't ask", she replied. "But how did you know who I was", I asked. "You will soon come to find out child, I know everything", she snapped with old lady attitude. "Plus Mrs.Wilson told me to look for the little girl that looks like she could use a hot meal", she said. We both laughed. I will admit I was a po' little thang back then. I didn't know how to cook. My dad took us out to eat most of the time, and my mom burned everything except the hair she had to do for that day. "Get in the car child, you making me late for church", she yelled. I didn't know what it was about her, but I knew I liked her. For the record, Mrs. Millie couldn't drive worth a damn. You know how most old people drive slow. Not Millie! She drove like she was running from the police. I can't tell you how many times I held my breath, cause I just knew, we was gonna run somebody over.

We pulled up to a huge building with a statue of some white man out front. "Who is that", I said. "Who is who", she replied. "That statue", I said. " Baby that's Jesus, haven't you ever been to church, or read a bible", she asked. "No Ma'am", I replied shaking my head. "Lord have Mercy on my everlasting soul", she said in a high tone. "Baby I know you don't have a father on earth anymore, but the Lord is our Father in heaven, He's just as much as your father as he is mine, and he loves us dearly. My father?, I thought. My father was murdered, I'm not sure who she is talking about, but my daddy is dead. "It's alright child, we got some work to do with you", she said. "Here take this, it's your new house key for the front door", she said. Damn! I get a house key?, I thought with excitement Usually I would have to either knock on a window or bang on a door to get in the house, sometimes I had to wait outside for hours before anybody came home."See that pink house with the flowers in the yard down the street, that's your new home", she said. "I have Bible Study and you need to eat, and by the way you smell, you might need a bath too", she said as she laughed at my teenage funk. "I'll be there in an hour, let yourself in, the girls know you on the way", she said as she slid her small frame out of the car. The girls, damn!! I forgot I'm gonna be staying with house full of them, I thought. "Yes Ma'am", I replied. She gave me the Biggest hug and slowly walked toward the building. I took a deep breath and headed home. How long would this be my home? I had no idea.....