Finding Eliza by Stephanie Pitcher Fishman Read Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Pitcher Fishman
Gertrude.
With Gran’s permission, Lizzie removed the straps from the body of the journal. She peeled back the front cover in slow motion and smoothed the aged paper. The front page was starting to fade into a warm brown much like the tea they were sipping.
The first blank page of the diary revealed a personal statement in the handwriting of her great-grandfather, Alston James.
“Into this diary I’ve poured my heart and deeds.
I beg understanding from the next generation,
May God forgive me and have mercy on my soul.
~ Alston James, amended in 1979.”
Lizzie’s heart raced. Why would her great-grandfather need mercy? What secret could lie beyond these pages? She inhaled a slow, deep breath before turning the next page.
She could already feel that her life was changing.
***
The Diary of Alston James: 21 August 1934
My heart is heavy today. I feel as though I have no one to turn to in this situation. Lacking counsel, I pour my thoughts here in the hopes that it will bring clarity. I fear that I have stumbled onto something that would be devastating to our family if it were discovered by the wrong person.
My sweet sister, what have you done?
The fear I have for her, for us all, is overwhelming. She has stepped outside the boundaries of acceptable behavior as dictated by society with no regard to the consequences. If the wrong people discover her secret, she’ll end up in the grave. I must protect her, but I don’t know how to do so. I don’t even know if I should. This will surely break the hearts of our parents.
My sister is so young and innocent. She doesn’t understand. This world has consequences whether we want to believe in them or not. The men in town will not ignore this. It’s as if she’s throwing dirt in their faces.
How on earth am I to protect her?
As a child, Alston James was determined to be more than a farmer. Like his father, generations of men in the James family ended up in the fields. Not Alston. He longed for the easy life in town just like many of the other men in his graduating class at South Georgia Teachers College. A man of consistency, he often created goals and continued toward them in a slow and steady fashion. He didn’t enjoy deviating from his outlined path, so he made the perfect student. Trustworthy, dependable, and predictable in every way, Alston reached his goal and graduated as part of the Class of 1932.
After finishing his education, he returned home to marry his high school sweetheart, Anne Varney. Both were children of farmers who shared the same dream of an easier future than their past. They longed for a life that wasn’t covered with red dirt and dust from the fields. Almost immediately he joined the staff of the local high school, and the newlyweds had the home that they had always wanted.
In 1934, their lives changed.
Although Alston loved teaching in the classroom, his main love was working with wood. Sharing this practical yet artistic craft with his students became his focus. Within two years, Alston became known throughout the community for his skill with both the wood and the students in his classroom. His younger sister often teased him that as hard as he tried, he was still covered in the dust that he had tried to escape from the family farm. Alston knew that the main reason she liked to tease him was because he would react and respond, so he always obliged.
His favorite time of the day was when Eliza would stop by his shop to visit. Many times they would leave the school together after classes finished for the day. Although there was a six-year age difference between them, spending this time together every day kept them close as siblings. Many times Eliza would spend her weekends in town with her brother and his wife. Alston and Anne counted the time they spent with her a blessing. They each dreamed of a time when perhaps Eliza would move to town to start her own family, keeping them all
With Gran’s permission, Lizzie removed the straps from the body of the journal. She peeled back the front cover in slow motion and smoothed the aged paper. The front page was starting to fade into a warm brown much like the tea they were sipping.
The first blank page of the diary revealed a personal statement in the handwriting of her great-grandfather, Alston James.
“Into this diary I’ve poured my heart and deeds.
I beg understanding from the next generation,
May God forgive me and have mercy on my soul.
~ Alston James, amended in 1979.”
Lizzie’s heart raced. Why would her great-grandfather need mercy? What secret could lie beyond these pages? She inhaled a slow, deep breath before turning the next page.
She could already feel that her life was changing.
***
The Diary of Alston James: 21 August 1934
My heart is heavy today. I feel as though I have no one to turn to in this situation. Lacking counsel, I pour my thoughts here in the hopes that it will bring clarity. I fear that I have stumbled onto something that would be devastating to our family if it were discovered by the wrong person.
My sweet sister, what have you done?
The fear I have for her, for us all, is overwhelming. She has stepped outside the boundaries of acceptable behavior as dictated by society with no regard to the consequences. If the wrong people discover her secret, she’ll end up in the grave. I must protect her, but I don’t know how to do so. I don’t even know if I should. This will surely break the hearts of our parents.
My sister is so young and innocent. She doesn’t understand. This world has consequences whether we want to believe in them or not. The men in town will not ignore this. It’s as if she’s throwing dirt in their faces.
How on earth am I to protect her?
As a child, Alston James was determined to be more than a farmer. Like his father, generations of men in the James family ended up in the fields. Not Alston. He longed for the easy life in town just like many of the other men in his graduating class at South Georgia Teachers College. A man of consistency, he often created goals and continued toward them in a slow and steady fashion. He didn’t enjoy deviating from his outlined path, so he made the perfect student. Trustworthy, dependable, and predictable in every way, Alston reached his goal and graduated as part of the Class of 1932.
After finishing his education, he returned home to marry his high school sweetheart, Anne Varney. Both were children of farmers who shared the same dream of an easier future than their past. They longed for a life that wasn’t covered with red dirt and dust from the fields. Almost immediately he joined the staff of the local high school, and the newlyweds had the home that they had always wanted.
In 1934, their lives changed.
Although Alston loved teaching in the classroom, his main love was working with wood. Sharing this practical yet artistic craft with his students became his focus. Within two years, Alston became known throughout the community for his skill with both the wood and the students in his classroom. His younger sister often teased him that as hard as he tried, he was still covered in the dust that he had tried to escape from the family farm. Alston knew that the main reason she liked to tease him was because he would react and respond, so he always obliged.
His favorite time of the day was when Eliza would stop by his shop to visit. Many times they would leave the school together after classes finished for the day. Although there was a six-year age difference between them, spending this time together every day kept them close as siblings. Many times Eliza would spend her weekends in town with her brother and his wife. Alston and Anne counted the time they spent with her a blessing. They each dreamed of a time when perhaps Eliza would move to town to start her own family, keeping them all
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